Wynn Resorts to Fund MBTA Orange Line Upgrades

by LINDA BOCK

Wynn Resorts announced on Friday that it will pay the MBTA approximately $7.36 million over 15 years for Orange Line improvements that will be in place when the $1.7 billion Wynn Resort in Everett opens its doors.

The agreement marks the first time in the history of Massachusetts that a private developer will subsidize MBTA operations.

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Wynn will pay the MBTA $410,188.00 in the first year (2018) with a 2.5 percent increase per year for 15 years, according to a news release on Friday morning. The funds will subsidize more scheduled train stops at nearby Sullivan Square, Malden Center and Wellington Circle Stations to handle the increased passenger count that Wynn and surrounding developments—including Assembly Row and the Hood Business Park—will generate. Money from Wynn will also be used to promote the use of late-night service on the Orange Line.

“The payments from Wynn to the MBTA will have a far-reaching effect beyond the Wynn Resort in Everett,” said Robert DeSalvio, President of Wynn Everett in a statement. “Shoppers and diners from Assembly Row and Malden will benefit from the increased service we’re funding, as will riders going to and from downtown Boston and the Back Bay. Every stop on the Orange Line—including Chinatown, TD Garden and Faneuil Hall—will realize reduced wait times day and night from the capacity Wynn is subsidizing. The more trains we add the more people will use public transportation for work and play, all while lowering the number of cars on the street.”

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Wynn is spending $76 million on local traffic improvements and will be heavily promoting the use of alternative travel modes to and from the Wynn Resort in Everett. Along with shuttle buses to surrounding transportation centers and off-site parking for employees, Wynn is also funding a year-round water transportation system that will connect passengers to Boston Harbor.