With Private Funding, a New Malden Stop is Possible on the Orange Line

PHOTO BY ALEX LAU

While the MBTA continues its focus hammering away at the signal and track issues that make commuting in this city so unpredictable, there does appear to be some room for expansion.

State officials now say it’s possible that the Orange line could see an additional stop in Malden between Wellington and Malden Center, tentatively called “River’s Edge.” They are also hoping to add Silver Line bus routes through Everett, the Globe reports.

There is a catch, though. According to the Globe, the project would likely need support from private sources, among them casino magnate Steve Wynn, who plans to open his Wynn Boston Harbor casino in Everett by 2019, and the nearby River’s Edge Apartments.

The T, with a few notable exceptions, has sought to narrow its focus to belt-tightening and core service improvements. Expansion of the Green Line has proved more difficult than planners anticipated. It’s also in the midst of an effort to privatize T operations and cut costs.

“At this time, there is no capital funding set aside for long-term concepts like a new Orange Line station or Silver Line extension,” spokesman Joe Pesaturo tells the Globe.

Funds from private sources could prop up MassDOT’s aspirations for the Orange and Silver lines. Private contributions to T projects have been used with mixed results. Support for late-night T service from the restaurant and late-night entertainment industries never really materialized, and the service withered. But New Balance, as part of its headquarters relocation and its overhaul of a chunk of land astride the Mass Pike, just went ahead and built its own commuter rail stop. A blend of public and private money paid for the construction of the Orange Line’s Assembly Station, which opened in 2014.