Editing Big Dig (section)

=== Mass transit ===
A number of [[public transportation]] projects were included as part of an [[environmental mitigation]] for the Big Dig. The most expensive was the building of the Phase II [[Silver Line (MBTA)|Silver Line]] tunnel under [[Fort Point Channel]], done in coordination with Big Dig construction. Silver Line buses now use this tunnel and the Ted Williams Tunnel to link [[South Station]] and Logan Airport.

Construction of the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|MBTA]] Green Line [[Green Line Extension|extension beyond Lechmere]] to [[Medford/Tufts station]] opened in December 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Green Line Extension Project |url=https://www.mbta.com/projects/green-line-extension-glx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306145552/https://www.mbta.com/projects/green-line-extension-glx |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |access-date=March 25, 2023 |website=MBTA Main Site |publisher=Greenlineextension.org}}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, promised projects to connect the [[Red Line (MBTA)|Red]] and [[Blue Line (MBTA)|Blue]] subway lines, and to restore the Green Line streetcar service to the [[Forest Hills (MBTA station)|Arborway]] in [[Jamaica Plain]] have not been completed. The Red and Blue subway line connection underwent initial design,<ref>[http://www.eot.state.ma.us/redblue/ Red Line / Blue Line Connector] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105024145/http://www.eot.state.ma.us/redblue/ |date=January 5, 2014 }}</ref> but no funding has been designated for the project. The [[Green Line E branch|Arborway Line restoration]] has been abandoned, following a final court decision in 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2011/08/26/trolley-comeback-killed-by-court/ |title=Trolley comeback killed by court |newspaper=Jamaica Plain Gazette |author=Ruch, John |date=August 26, 2011 |access-date=February 19, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229004250/http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2011/08/26/trolley-comeback-killed-by-court/ |archive-date=December 29, 2013 }}</ref>

The original Big Dig plan included the [[North-South Rail Link]], which would have connected North and South Stations, the major passenger train stations in Boston. This aspect of the project was dropped by the state transportation administration early in the [[Michael Dukakis|Dukakis]] administration. Negotiations with the federal government had led to an agreement to widen some of the lanes in the new harbor tunnel, and accommodating these would require the tunnel to be deeper and mechanically vented. This left no room for the rail lines. Diesel trains, then in use, passing through the tunnel would have substantially increased the cost of the ventilation system.<ref name="Haglund2003">{{cite book|last1=Haglund|first1=Charles|title=Inventing the Charles River|date=2003|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=0-262-08307-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/inventingcharles00hagl/page/316 316]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/inventingcharles00hagl/page/316}}</ref>