Lechmere to Become Lechmere Station at NorthPoint

Trolley service recently returned to the Lechmere station, replacing the bus service that had been the temporary replacement beyond North Station. Somervillionaires are debating the stops and length of an anticipated northern expansion of the Green Line. Today, in the latest Green Line development, ground was broken on North Point NorthPoint (hip one-word version, just like Charlie.) The construction project is a fairly intuitive idea – build housing where there's already transportation. It's easier, given MBTA timetables, than bringing transportation to newly developed areas, and could provide a great customer base for the slumping MBTA. Lechmere, which currently looks like a crappy amusement park ride entrance, will be replaced by the new "Lechmere Station at NorthPoint" upon anticipated completion in 2010. But there might not be any added convenience to current East Cambridge residents, they'll still have to trek across McGrath/O'Brien Highway to get there.

The station construction is more than just a project for transit. Housing, businesses, and a park will be part of the 45-acre complex, though the $70 million T stop might be the focus of the project for those who aren't looking for a condo in East Cambridge. The new station will serve as a gateway to any extension the trolley service may run in the future. It may also breathe new life into the Cambridgeside Galleria where Lechmere's (the station's namesake) once took up the anchor position (as pictured). But most of all, before the entire mini-city project is completed and the transit-side of it is operational there may actuallly be increased traffic on Binney St. in Cambride. Binney has been an engineering marvel for some time as it provides four lanes for traffic for what is a suspiciously low traffic area. If only the road planners for the big dig could have had the same foresight.