www.southcoastrail.com
Last April, Governor Deval Patrick renewed his commitment to the South Coast Rail project,
which will restore passenger transit service between Boston and Fall River and New Bedford.
The Patrick-Murray administration is fully funding the three-year planning phase of the project,
investing $17.2 million. This fact sheet lays out basic information about South Coast Rail and the
Executive Office of Transportation’s approach to designing the project.
Project Goals
The cities of Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford are the only
communities within 50 miles of Boston that are not served by
commuter rail. South Coast Rail will provide a new, convenient travel
option that will be cheaper than driving. We expect the project will
also bring other benefits, too:
• Improve the economy in Southeastern Massachusetts, channeling
new jobs to places that make sense.
Taking a Fresh Look
The South Coast Rail project has been
studied for many years. In 2002, a
state-level environmental review
recommended one particular route.
However, the lead federal agency
regulating the project, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, was not fully
involved in the review process. In order
to obtain a Clean Water Act permit under
federal law, the project needs to go
through the Corps’ methodology, which
requires looking at the alternatives again.
The 2002 data is out of date now, so we
are consolidating this federal review with
an updated state review. The goal of this
joint review is to identify the route and
type of transportation that results in
the least harm to the environment while
still meeting the demand for public
transportation.
• Infuse new life into our older industrial cities.
• Preserve our natural resources by protecting farms, forests, and
fields from sprawl development.
• Address climate change by incorporating renewable energy and
new technologies into the project design.
Project Milestones
March 2008
Initial screening of alternatives complete.
April 2008
In-depth environmental review begins.
Summer 2009
Smart Growth Corridor Plan complete.
2010
Alignment, stations and layover facilities selected.
Financing plan released.
Permitting begins.
2012
Construction begins.
2016
Service begins!
The Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works
February 2008 | Page 1
www.southcoastrail.com
Process for Reviewing the Project
The South Coast Rail project must go through an indepth analysis to evaluate the impact of the project on
the natural environment and historic resources. There
are two processes — one at the state level called the
Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and one at
the federal level called the National Environmental
Policy Act. We are combining the state and federal
review into a joint review with two phases:
Phase 1. This past fall, the Executive Office of
Transportation, in partnership with the MA Bay
Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, kicked off the first phase of a
joint federal-state process, convening all the state and
federal environmental agencies that have a say in the
project’s design and permitting. During this sixmonth phase, we have asked the agencies and the
public to suggest different alternatives for building
the project and ways to evaluate the options. Sixty
alternatives were proposed along with almost forty
evaluation criteria. By April 2008 (the end of Phase 1),
these alternatives will be winnowed down to six or
fewer that will advance to the second phase of review.
Phase 2. This two-year phase will officially
The South Coast Rail
initiate the state and federal environmental
review. The project team will analyze alterna­
will be the third largest
tives in detail and provide data on the
infrastructure project in
impacts of the project, how the service will
recent state history — and
operate, what the travel time will be, and
the first based on smart
where the stations will be located. This phase
growth principles.
will also lay the groundwork for obtaining the
necessary permits for building South Coast Rail.
The public is invited to share suggestions, concerns,
and opinions throughout both of these phases.
Spotlight on
Green
The South Coast Rail is being designed to be a green
project that is part of the climate change solution.
Reducing greenhouse gases. Providing an alternative
to driving will take some cars off the road, as will
encouraging more walkable, village development
patterns through smart growth. We will calculate
anticipated reductions in greenhouse gases.
Using renewables. We also are committed to integrating the green energy technologies into the project.
Envision wind turbines at stations, parking lots roofed by solar panels, and trains that meet the needs of
the 21st as well as the 22nd centuries.
Adapting to change. With rising temperatures and sea levels, we need to plan ahead to locate stations
strategically and allow species to migrate by preserving wildlife corridors.
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www.southcoastrail.com
MISSION
“To more fully meet the existing and
future demand for public transportation
between Fall River/New Bedford and Boston,
Massachusetts to enhance regional mobility,
while supporting smart growth planning
and development strategies in
affected communities.”
The Smart Growth Corridor Plan
New transit service to the South Coast will bring
new jobs and homes to the region. New growth,
however, can bring some unwanted changes, eating
up farms, fields and forests and eroding the historic
villages and cities that help make the South Coast
so special. The scale and geographic reach of the
South Coast Rail project offer unprecedented
opportunities to protect our communities and our
natural environment, while finding ways to welcome
and shape new growth.
This approach is what’s often called smart growth.
We combine transportation, economic development,
and environmental goals with old-fashioned frugality
and common sense. We don’t waste resources or
land. We plan ahead to preserve the long-term,
global competitive advantages of the whole
region — the people who live and work in the
region, abundant water, and the traditional village
and city patterns of development that are highly
energy-efficient.
We are investing in two parallel initiatives to catalyze
smart growth:
1. Plan for the Future. We are asking the region’s
communities to partner with the state to develop
a smart growth plan. The plan will be a blueprint
for economic and residential development, job
creation and environmental preservation. The goal
is to preserve the strengths of the region and
encourage support for the village development
that is energy efficient. Recommendations from
the Smart Growth Corridor Plan will be folded into
the environmental review process, which identifies
the optimal route and good places for stations,
and the financing plan for building and operating
the new transit service.
2. Capture Today’s Opportunities. The state is
partnering with the Southeastern Regional
Planning and Economic Development District to
provide technical assistance to the South Coast
communities to get in place new zoning around
potential train stations, enhance village centers,
put together action plans to preserve natural
areas, or other changes. The effort includes
working with communities to identify pieces of
land that are priorities for new development and
others that are priorities to preserve.
The result of these two efforts will be a blueprint for
growth and preservation — developed by the South
Coast communities — with zoning and planning
changes to lay the groundwork for new initiatives.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How are we going to pay for South Coast Rail?
The Smart Growth Corridor Plan will quantify the
potential for economic activity spurred by the rail and
recommend mechanisms for capturing a portion of
this growth to help fund rail construction. That said,
there is no one pot of gold. We will be looking at all
creative ways to fund the line. We will have a longterm, realistic funding plan in place by January 2010.
Are you making a decision on what route to select
based on where a casino might be built?
The corridor plan work is seeking to identify the
locations in the region that will be the best magnets
for new economic development. Three of the
potential sites for the casino (Middleborough,
Raynham Dog Track and New Bedford) abut or are
close to the rail right-of-way. And, like existing
industrial parks and other job sites, the economic
potential will be factored into final decisions about
the rail route. In addition, the transportation and
economic development agencies are coordinating
closely to make sure that traffic and other potential
local impacts from a casino will be mitigated.
How are you making sure that the rail line won’t ride
roughshod over the region’s communities or the
natural environment?
Our civic engagement process may be one of the
most robust ever conducted by the transportation
agency. We are working with the Southeastern
Massachusetts Commuter Rail Task Force, which is
composed of appointees of the cities and towns,
environmental groups, chambers, and others. In
addition to soliciting their input at every juncture, we
will have about 18 public meetings in the next year to
make sure we are tapping into local creativity in
figuring out where to run the rail and how to make
sure we optimize economic development while
preserving natural resources. A calendar of events is
available at www.southcoastrail.com.
Contact Us
If you would like more information about the
project or to be added to the project distribution
list for email and U.S. Mail notifications of
meetings and other updates, please contact
Kristina Egan, South Coast Rail Manager at
EOTPW, by email at Kristina.Egan@eot.state.ma.us
or phone at 617-973-7314. Project information
and updates, including a schedule of upcoming
meetings, is posted on the project website at
www.southcoastrail.com.
The Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works
Ten Park Plaza, Room 4150
Boston, MA 02116
Kristina Egan, South Coast Rail Manager
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