Chelsea council urges MassDOT, MBTA to study rapid rail as part of Tobin Bridge replacement

The Chelsea City Council on a 10–1 roll-call vote adopted a resolution urging the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to include a comprehensive rapid rail feasibility study as part of the Maurice J. Tobin Bridge replacement planning process.

The resolution calls on MassDOT and the MBTA to examine both light- and heavy-rail options for the Tobin Corridor, asks the city’s state and federal delegation to seek dedicated funding through state bond legislation or federal grants, and invites neighboring municipalities and community groups to join the request.

Councilor Roberto Jimenez Rivera, who introduced the resolution and moved for its adoption, framed the request as a planning-stage study rather than a committed construction plan. He told the council: “So there really is no reason why we shouldn't be able to get this… all we're asking for is a study.”

Public commenters and community organizers urged the council to adopt the resolution. Monica Elias Soriano, introduced herself as a Chelsea resident and director of health equity and mobility at GreenRoots, and said, “Chelsea is a city that works hard… we’re the mostly dense city in Massachusetts without a single rapid transit rail station.” Giovanni Zuniga, a transit justice organizer with GreenRoots, described long commutes and frequent transfers and said residents “need a real connection to the rapid transit system in Greater Boston.”

Council debate included procedural and policy positions. Councilor Taylor said he has a longstanding policy to vote no on what he described as “political resolutions” even though he said he agreed with the substance and offered to testify at the State House; he cast the lone no vote. Several other councilors spoke in favor, emphasizing Chelsea’s density, transit dependence, traffic congestion on the Tobin Bridge, and regional equity.

The resolution notes that the Tobin Bridge carries more than 87,000 vehicles per day and that geometric constraints limit future car-capacity expansion, making high-capacity transit a planning priority. The council directed that a copy of the resolution be sent to MassDOT Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, the MBTA and state and congressional delegations.

The council’s action is a formal request for study; it does not direct construction or commit municipal funds for rail infrastructure. Implementation would depend on MassDOT and MBTA planning choices and on state or federal funding approvals.

Community groups said the next steps include participating in MassDOT outreach around the Tobin Bridge replacement and pushing state and federal representatives to fund a feasibility study. The city resolution positions Chelsea to request study funding and to join regional partners in advocating for transit options during the Tobin project’s planning phase.