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"Why should Metrowest care about this?" To kick off panel discussion
.@RepChrisWalsh: "transformational northeast project" - not a Boston project. Takes 50k cars off roads
.@CarmineLGentile: "lots of people living in Boston don't have a car - greater public transit means folks won't need cars"
Gov. Dukakis: #NSRL had to get cut from Big Dig as compromise to get Big Dig built. Very unfortunate.
Walter Bonin: lots of recent transportation development is uncoordinated with respect to larger goal.
Walter Bonin: real benefit is for region - get rid of two dead end stations -move to future, run trains like subways-frequent smaller trains
Walter Bonin: rest of world going in direction of where #NSRL could take us
Chris Roy: big reason for #NSRL is jobs. Also hop on train & go to Rockport for the day. Connecting northern NE to nationwide rail network
.@RepChrisWalsh: we're intentionally making it difficult for people to move around (without integrated transit system)
Audience q: Interstate highway sys had roots in moving military. What is sim context of #NSRL that can move pax across their whole journey?
.@RepChrisWalsh: Framingham can be hub for regional transit - 15 min bus headways to connect to #RegionalRail & get pax to final destination
Audience q: what is govt doing to protect ROW for future #NSRL? Panel answer: nothing. And that's an immediate problem
.@RepChrisWalsh: need public support to push this with their legislators that ROW is protected
Audience q: will climate change pose threat to a new tunnel near harbor? A: can be mitigated; Netherlands knows how to do it
Audience ans: #NSRL helps w overall climate change. & tunnel entrances easier to seal than entire city-tunnels less vulnerable than cities
Audience comment: #RegionalRail can help with disaster response - e.g. evacuation of city
More from same aud member: need to expand vision for future uses of transport-bike connections, walking; make everything flawless & easy
Audience comm: higher gas taxes can push modal shift. A: 2 bills in state house for carbon fees which could help (gas tax referendum lost)
.@RepChrisWalsh: unfortunate anathema to taxes because feel like we're sticking it to the man when we're just sticking to ourselves
Audience comment: we're competing internationally. Also: need to get past Big Dig hangover. Also: Fram/Wor line has terrible OTP. 1/
Continuing: need to convince people that #NSRL won't cannibalize other parts of system. Also: consider VMT rather than gas tax
Wrapping up soon here. Great turn out; stimulating discussion. Won't solve everything tonight but great to see people interested in transit!
