On Brookline

By Arshag A. Mazmanian

Before the turn of the century, the Urban Ring concept seemed quite clear and simple: a circumferential transit ring that would take the pressure off the transit radial lines into its hub in Boston so that riders in the six communities of its route could get to their destinations by more direct transit routes. But over the years the Urban Ring has morphed into an unrecognizable ring. Now the Urban Ring Phase 2 has the shape of Dr. Seuss’s slightly askew fedora for his “Cat in the Hat.”

What’s missing is the Cat.

Now, the missing Cat may be the “fat cat” Federal Transit Authority (FTA) that Massachusetts is looking to for funding the project. But the “fat cat” ain’t so fat anymore, especially since the “BIG DIG.” Still, the state is in such dire straits financially that it must rely upon as much federal funding as possible. But Congress has made the quest for federal funds competitive nationally, with less and less funding in total AND per project. The state, and various MA municipalities, will have to come up with the big bucks.

Massachusetts has many transit priorities and the Urban Ring Phase 2 is not at or near the top of the list. At the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on October 15, 2007, reference was made to Phase 3 of the Silver Line for which a submission to the FTA is planned that would aim for construction in 2018! This prompted a CAC alternate member to ask whether any of the current CAC members would NOT be in retirement in 2018. While I am not a CAC member, I blurted that I would not. (Currently at age 77, I should live so long!)

The Urban Ring Phase 2 originally had a 2025 timeframe with respect to demographic projections (population, jobs, traffic, etc). Because the project proponent shifted from the MBTA to the Executive Office of Transportation (EOT), the delays associated therewith now focus upon a 2030 timeframe for such projections.

So when will Phase 2 of the Urban Ring make its way into the FTA pipeline for the required, but competitive, federal funding? If the entire Phase 2 is submitted, then the FTA’s per project cap would mean that MA would have to come up with a lot of big bucks. So EOT is considering submissions to the FTA in what EOT calls “Minimum Operating Segments” (MOS) which may have independent utility. The idea is that each MOS would be considered a separate project for purposes of FTA submissions and funding, thereby perhaps obtaining over time the benefit of several FTA project caps! Clever?

But perhaps after the “BIG DIG” Congress and the FTA will be hip (or perhaps hep) to this piecemeal approach. And consider the timing for these MOS submissions relative to MA’s transit projects with higher priorities, e.g. Phase 3 of the Silver Line, the Somerville Green Line extension, etc. Perhaps by the time FTA gets to consider these MOSs the 2030 demographic projections will need to be extended. Also, what if a particular MOS that may be approved by FTA is built and turns out to be a dud? What does that do to the unbuilt remainder of Phase 2 of the Urban Ring, especially if the FTA does not approve funding for further MOSs? A Co-Chair of the CAC pointed out that the FTA may not wish to address in a given year more than one project from a particular area, e.g. Boston.

As for Dr. Seuss, his estate may not be entitled to copyright royalties for what the Urban Ring has morphed into, at least not until the Cat makes its appearance. But to be on the safe side, let’s rename the Urban Ring the “Urban Sombrero.” (I doubt if Seinfeld’s Peterman’s would be in a position to claim royalties.) Meantime, EOT will go Hat in hand to the FTA. Perhaps EOT should consider passing the Hat to Harvard, MIT, BU and the Longwood Medical Area’s non-profits for some spare change from these “fat (but tax exempt) cats” that would be major beneficiaries of Phase 2.