Better late than never? Arlington exploring MBTA Red Line extension

A debate over public transit is unfolding in Arlington, Massachusetts, where some people are hoping to expand the transit options beyond cars, bikes and buses.

Sitting just a few miles away from this dense community is the MBTA Red Line train, and the reason for that distance can be traced back to a 1976 state law, lobbied for by Arlington locals, that prohibits an MBTA facility near Arlington Catholic High School.

"There was no vision for the town," Arlington School Committee Chair Paul Schlichtman said.

Forty-eight years later and some believe that decision was a mistake, Schlichtman among them.

"If we don't get the transit to go along with increased density, we're just going to be car constipated," he said.

But before any Red Line changes can be discussed, the law itself would need to be repealed. A request from the town has already passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives, with the Senate yet to take it up.

Advocates hope they can clear that last hurdle and have more detailed talks in the days ahead.

"There's no reason why the Legislature wouldn't want to repeal a mistake from the 1970s," Schlichtman said.