The MBTA's Silver Line could be extended through Chelsea and Everett under a new proposal that would have the SL3 line end at Sullivan Square station in Boston.
The MBTA and Massachusetts Department of Transportation are making the recommendation from the results of the Silver Line Extension Alternatives Analysis, which looked at how current service could be extended to maximize the benefits for riders.
Under the proposal, the SL3 route would continue from its current end at Chelsea into Everett and end at Sullivan Square, where riders could then connect with the Orange Line to access other areas of the system. SL3, which opened in 2018, currently connects Chelsea to Logan Airport East Boston, the Seaport and South Station.
Officials estimate the extension would offer better access to 345,000 jobs in the area and increase daily ridership by around 15,000 riders.
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“This extension of service is exactly what we are talking about when we say the Administration is prioritizing public transportation investments which fill gaps in our system, increase access for residents in underserved communities, and make our transportation network more equitable," Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt said in a media statement.
The project is estimated to cost around $95 million. The MBTA and MassDOT said they are exploring funding options.
The proposal comes at a tumultuous time for the MBTA, with the agency looking a budget gap of at least $560 million. There are continued struggles over perceived safety issues that brought federal investigators into demand charges, and service delays and changes have become a norm as new leadership attempts to get a handle on years of delayed or insufficient maintenance. The system is full of slow zones which slow rider commutes, and the ongoing work has caused rolling closures across the system, forcing T riders to rely on shuttle buses or alternative routes.
