Like many Bostonians, I am frequently exasperated by the Green Line. Thus I am flummoxed by the MBTA's plan to extend this hydra through Somerville… and even Medford if some proponents have their way. The Green Line already has so many "end of the line" stops as it is—Park Station, Government Center, North Station, Lechmere—why add more? Especially since the station you board at on the north side, or line you board on the western letter-designated branches, pre-determines where you can go for no apparent reason; oh, you've been waiting 30 minutes for a B at Hay Market… those don't come here. But I digress.

Why not instead extend the Orange Line I thought? It's in the same area as the proposed extension, and a fork from Community College would require little deviation from the current plans… one could still make use of the commuter rail rights of way in the vicinity. However, so distorted is the common view of our region's geography, that few believed me when I discussed this. Therefore I give you two maps to compare below. One with the Green Line Extension as proposed (left), and an alternative which extends the Orange Line (right). With the latter, a smaller Green Line Extension is still an option, one that still provides service to Union Square—without a silly single station spur—moves Lechemere, and allows for the Green Line maintenance and storage facility in the pocket near Inner Belt Road.

NOTE: I am not proposing a shortening of the Blue or Red Lines, the missing sections are simply an artifact of how the images were created.