The MBTA finished on Tuesday a summer project removing many speed restrictions across the red line to improve train frequency. Just a day prior, it held its first public meeting for another improvement to the Cambridge line: a new access tunnel that crews can use for quicker maintenance and fewer shutdowns.
While the effort was appreciated by the community members at Monday’s meeting, concerns about the tunnel’s location – and the asbestos in a key part of it – dominated conversation.
“Having improvements to the T is something we all would appreciate,” said Mike Nakagawa, member of the Alewife Study Group, which focuses on preserving the public health of North Cambridge. “I’m questioning some of what went into choosing this site, which is highly contaminated.”
The nearest entrance and exit point for vehicles needing access to the red line is now at the Charles/MGH stop, more than 6 miles from Alewife. “If a maintenance project today takes place at the west end of the red line tunnel in Cambridge, service could potentially be suspended” that full length, the T said in an email Sept. 16. “The project will dramatically improve the MBTA’s ability to maintain the red line, which will also result in faster, more frequent and more reliable service.” There should be cost savings as well from needing fewer shuttle buses to replace service during outages.
The proposed $33 million access tunnel is directly north of Jerry’s Pond, near the Alewife Linear Park and Russell Field. Nakagawa and other community members in attendance voiced concern about the dangers of releasing asbestos, a naturally occurring fiber that is known to cause lung conditions, including cancer, when inhaled.
Given that the site is so close to kids’ athletic fields and a walking path, residents expressed concern about the potential for children to inhale asbestos fibers.
IQHQ opted out
Nakagawa and his fellow study group members expressed particular confusion about the site choice given that IQHQ, the land’s owner, met “a hundred times over the past three years” with the study group and agreed specifically to not develop this location given its asbestos concentration. The company also followed all Cambridge guidelines for asbestos control.
In introducing the project, the MBTA said that it’s both following and exceeding all Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s guidelines for asbestos control.
When removing the soil, the MBTA will monitor eight work areas and an additional four community locations for airborne asbestos, and report any exceedances within two hours, staff said.
Several community members asked the MBTA if it will be following not just MassDEP guidelines for asbestos control, but Cambridge’s own city guidelines, which call for erecting tents and wind fences around the work area.
“Where we can practically do things, we’re committed to doing them and can make them work,” said Brad Nicoll, the MBTA’s deputy chief of bridge and structures. “We’re open to further discussions on means and methods.”
“Trust, but verify” approach
After the meeting, Nakagawa said the MBTA seems to understand now how many community members are concerned about this project, and will hopefully consider alternative methods as the project advances. He’ll be taking a “trust, but verify” approach with the T’s plans, he said.
“They might not have asked the right questions before, but now they understand more about the community’s desires,” Nakagawa said. “We’re not trying to shut down the idea of having an access tunnel, we just want to make sure it’s done properly.”
The MBTA’s project would also take down an estimated 30 trees in the area, which project leaders said would be replaced. Nakagawa questioned whether mature trees or saplings would be replanted.
Just the latest project
The access tunnel is the latest proposal for a region seeing rapid development. Developers IQHQ and Healthpeak have made large property purchases near Alewife station, inspiring a moratorium on commercial land development while new zoning could be enacted. IQHQ is finishing construction on the first two buildings of its development, while Healthpeak has yet to get started.
The MBTA also recently announced its intent to replace the Alewife parking garage and station through a public-private partnership, and MassDOT plans to build a bridge over train tracks.
Resident Ann McDonald voiced her frustration with the flurry of construction projects, despite their good intentions.
“We’ve just lived through all this IQHQ construction, and then the bridge and then your project and then the garage,” she said. “It’s really great that this much attention is going into the space, but if you’re living in it and trying to raise your kids in it, I think it’s a stress that’s not being seen.”
More meetings coming
McDonald asked whether the access tunnel could be folded into the Alewife station redevelopment, but tunnel engineer Joseph Rigney said it’s not possible to get the required Hi-rail maintenance vehicles past the trains stored at Alewife overnight.
The MBTA will have additional public meetings about the access tunnel, which they estimate will not start construction until summer of 2026 and would not finish until 2028. A public comment period ends Oct. 30 for its “Release Abatement Measure” plan, which is required for contaminant cleanups, but community members signaled interest in applying to extend that comment period.
“Hearing the feedback tonight, it sounds like we weren’t perfect on this,” Niccol said. “But we’re certainly committed to moving forward, ongoing dialogue and more participation from all you folks in the community.”
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I’m sure it was purely coincidental that this meeting was held at the same time as the City Council meeting, which had enough matters of interest on the agenda to attract nearly 70 public comment signups.