Route 16 station


Mystic Valley Parkway or Route 16 is a proposed station on the MBTA Green Line D branch in Somerville, Massachusetts; it would be built as part of a future third phase of the Green Line Extension. Route 16 would consist of one island platform, which would serve the D branch's two tracks. The station was dropped from the list of stations that will open in 2021, in favor of the D branch terminating at Medford/Tufts station at College Avenue. The state successfully argued that this satisfied their legal commitment to mitigate the air pollution impact of the Big Dig by extending the Green Line to Medford Hillside.
In 2011, the Boston MPO decided to allocate funding in the 2016-2020 time period for further extension of the Green Line from College Ave to Route 16. However, this funding was reallocated to the main project after major cost overruns created a budget crisis. A Route 16 station is still in the state's plans, with environmental review proceeding, as of 2017.
In 2017, the MBTA filed a Notice of Project Change for a state environmental review of its revised design for a Green Line station at Mystic Valley Parkway. While a station at this location was included in the original environmental review for the Green Line extension, the MBTA came up with a lower cost design that has the station at ground level. The previous design had a two-story station with a platform on the level of the adjacent commuter rail tracks, which are elevated to cross the Mystic River. The new station would include enclosed bicycle parking, but no automobile parking.