The Federal Transit Administration pledged $966 million to pay 42% of the $2.3 billion necessary to extend the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Green Line light rail 4.7 miles from Cambridge into Somerville and Medford.
The competitive “New Start” grant funds are considered a major turning point for the frequently delayed aboveground project. The first portion of the expansion is now scheduled to be completed by 2017, with the remainder open by 2020.