Silver Line critics say T dishonest
A coalition of environmental groups accused the T yesterday of misleading the public on the costs and benefits of the Silver Line, and they called for the bus line to be replaced by trolleys.
T officials responded by calling the groups' latest salvo ''a gross distortion of the facts and an intellectually dishonest argument."
In a report, the groups say the MBTA could save $600 million by following the advice of its own studies and building the Silver Line as light rail instead of digging costly new bus tunnels.
''There really isn't any need to take my word on anything," said Jeremy Marin of the Sierra Club. ''Their own studies say they should."
Two of the three phases of the bus line have already opened, between Dudley station and Downtown Crossing and between South Station and the South Boston Waterfront.
The third phase, which will link the two with a $780 million dedicated tunnel, recently received support from the Federal Transit Agency, which does not constitute final approval.
MBTA General Manager Michael H. Mulhern disputed the report's conclusions, saying ''the Sierra Club is doing the public at large a huge disservice in presenting this paper and is disregarding 15 years of rigorous engineering analysis and a comprehensive planning process."
MAC DANIEL 