(The Hingham Journal posted the following article by James Russell on its website on February 6.)
HINGHAM, Mass. — The United States Army Corps of Engineers has signaled its deep unease with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s preference to use 2-quadrant gates with median barriers at intersections along the proposed Greenbush rail corridor.
Underscoring problems with the MBTA proposal, the Corps yesterday took the unusual step of ordering the Section 106 historic review process for Greenbush to be reopened. Part of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 governs mitigation measures for historic properties and archeological resources, and defines types of mitigation to be undertaken in conjunction with construction projects in historic settings.
“You are welcome to submit comments regarding the seven unresolved issues contained in Section IX of the Section 106 Programmatic Agreement. Comments can be submitted to the Corps office in Concord until Feb. 19, 2003,” said Theodore Lento, Army Corps Program Manager for Greenbush to a throng of 75 area residents and local officials at a meeting in Hingham Town Hall. Also attending was the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, Brona Simon, senior MBTA officials, Sen. Robert Hedlund and Rep. Garrett Bradley.
Eric Fleming, an engineer with DMJM Harris contracted by the MBTA said 2-quad gates with median barriers are safer than 4-quad gates without median barriers, noting 4-quad gates are “experimental in nature.
“There is a general lack of acceptance in the railroad industry for 4-quad gates,” he said, adding, “Using a median barrier is a prudent safety measure, with or without 4-quad gates.”
Alexander Macmillan, Hingham’s Greenbush Coordinator, expressed dissatisfaction with the MBTA’s claims.
“What the MBTA asserts as the experimental nature of 4-quad gates is wrong,” said Macmillan, citing an ongoing rail construction project in Illinois containing 96 grade crossings that will employ 4-quad gates at 68 of the crossings. “4-quad gates have been installed at nine crossings along the new Acela Amtrak route between Boston and New York City. It is in place; it is not an experiment.”
Macmillan also took the Greenbush Project Conservator, Maureen Cavanaugh of Epsilon Associates, to task.
“It appears the project conservator would have no opinion regarding median barriers used for 2-quad gates; in other words, you have accepted the MBTA’s position,” said Macmillan. “You might want reconsider your earlier comments so that we do not have the implied judgement that median barriers are not under the purview of the Project Conservator. We are concerned where you seem to be going on this issue.”
Cavanaugh responded by noting the document referred to by Macmillan was “labeled a ‘review draft.”
“Like the Army Corps and the MBTA, I am here to listen, and to take comment. Given the additional information we will review our previous comments,” she said.
Andrew Brennan, Director of Environmental Affairs for the MBTA, said figuring out how to have safe grade crossing without whistles blowing is the goal. It is estimated 4-quad gates would add $3.2 million to Greenbush, which would extend 17.5 miles of track from Braintree through Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset and Scituate at a projected cost of $465 million. The transportation authority expects trains to roll sometime in 2005.
“I believe the MBTA is more concerned about costs and less about safety,” said Hedlund.