The Blue Line is the T's shortest rapid transit line at just 5.9 miles. It originates in downtown Boston at Bowdoin Station, and terminates in Revere at Wonderland Station.
It is the least utilized line with around 71,000 riders per weekday. (The Orange Line has the next lowest ridership with around 200,000 riders per weekday.)
The proposal is to extend the Blue Line north to Lynn, and build a second branch northeast to Saugus.
Blue Line Extension
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LENGTH. The Blue Line Extension would add an additional 12.1 miles of track: 4.3 miles from Wonderland to Lynn, and 7.8 miles from Airport to Saugus.
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STATIONS. There would be 8 new stations, with the average distance between stops at 1.7 miles.
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SCHEDULE. Trains would depart every 10 minutes during rush hour and every 15 minutes during off peak hours from Lynn and Saugus.
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SPEED. Including time spent stopped at stations, the average speed would be 25 mph.
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TIME. The travel time from Lynn to Wonderland would be 11 minutes, and from Saugus to Airport would be 19 minutes.
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HIGHLIGHTS. Lynn to Airport in 21 minutes; Lynn to Government Center in 29 minutes; Saugus to State Street in 26 minutes; Everett to Government Center in 17 minutes; Chelsea to Government Center in 14 minutes.
Blue Line to Lynn
Saugus Branch
In 1954, the Blue Line was extended from Maverick Square in East Boston to Wonderland in Revere. At the time, the intent was to build the line to Central Square in Lynn. Ultimately, the project was cut short due to financial constraints.
Plans for building the Blue Line to Lynn have been discussed as far back as 1926. Subsequent Massachusetts Transportation studies from 1947, 1966, 1969, 1974, 1978, 1983, and 2005 have all recommended the extension.
Well, it's been 90+ years in planning, and 60+ years since the Wonderland extension. It's time to build the Blue Line to Lynn!
Everett and Chelsea are home to a rapidly growing population of more than 83,000 residents. At a combined 5.6 square miles in size, they are 2 of the most densely populated cities in the state. Yet, despite being less than 2 miles from downtown Boston, they do not have a rapid transit line.
Combined with Saugus and Western Malden, the population total climbs to 140,000 with a collective land area of 19.1 square miles. The Blue Line Saugus Branch would provide much needed rapid transit to these 4 communities, connecting them to downtown Boston and the rest of the T.
The Saugus Branch would split from the main Blue Line after Airport station. It would cross the Chelsea River adjacent to the Chelsea Street bridge and follow a defunct railroad right of way to Chelsea Station. (A benefit to Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail riders: trains would no longer stop at Chelsea.) The line would then follow the commuter rail tracks and likely dive underground continuing in a tunnel beneath route 99 in Everett before resurfacing in Malden and terminating at Main Street in Saugus.
There's no doubt this type of investment would bolster the entire region. Traffic in and around these communities would be greatly reduced, particularly along route 99 and route 1. Cars and buses would be replaced by transit riders, bikers, and walkers. Air quality would improve. Private development would increase dramatically yielding much more housing and many more businesses. The benefits would be tremendous and felt for decades.