#rapid transit

BART Construction, Downtown Oakland, 1970.

Advisor: Christine Cousineau

This thesis is a great example of mixed method research documenting a historical case study in transportation planning and analyzing its lessons for today. A comprehensive historical research from archival sources documents the 1970s failed Red Line extension from Cambridge to Arlington. The analysis covers the political and economic factors at play then, and the changed demographics and political climate today – 50 years later – that points to not only a favorable view but also a demand for such an expansion. Interviews corroborate and amplify the literature review and analysis. To bring the case to its feasibility today, a GIS spatial analysis evaluates the contemporary suitability for rapid transit in Arlington and surrounding towns, and provides service area boundaries and ridership estimates.

Abstract Following decades of disinvestment and increasing congestion driven by auto-centric transportation policy, public transit is recapturing interest across the country. This national story exemplified by Arlington, Massachusetts. In the 1970’s, the MBTA proposed to extend the Red Line through this Boston suburb, but was ultimately halted by powerful local coalition. Despite an abundance of primary documentation, the story of the Red Line extension in Arlington has seldom been told comprehensively. This thesis synthesizes these historical sources and identifies culminating factors which led to the extension being opposed among residents. To provide contemporary relevance, this thesis explores the prospect of a contemporary extension by evaluating generational attitudinal change and analyzing rapid transit suitability. Principal methods include a literature review, interviews, a case study, and a spatial analysis. This research culminates with a synthesis of past and present conclusions which describe the future feasibility of rapid transportation in Arlington.