Debate over Green Line end continues

 Ending the Green Line extension at College Avenue station rather than Route 16 would cut out more than 9,000 residents within walking distance of the T, according to a neighborhood group pushing for the line to reach deeper into Medford.

The Medford Green Line Neighborhood Alliance used census data to determine that 9,116 residents of Medford, Somerville and Arlington live within a half-mile — or a 10 minute walk — of the proposed Route 16/Mystic Valley Parkway station.

The study didn’t determine how many of those residents plan to use the extension, slated to be completed in 2014. The state is currently devising detailed ridership estimates.

Earlier this year, the state unveiled the proposed stations for the Green Line extension, which would run from Lechmere. But the state’s Executive Office of Transportation is still determining whether the terminus will be at College Station or Route 16, though a decision could come next month.

MGNA member Ken Krause, who lives two blocks away from the proposed Route 16 site, said ending the line there would maximize potential ridership. He said the site is a more natural fit for a terminus because it’s on a major road, while ending the line at College Avenue would bring more traffic to a neighborhood from drop-offs and pick-ups.

The MGNA also said more than 2,000 residents have signed a petition to extend the line to Route 16. But some neighbors have argued the Route 16 area is already too congested, a situation that would worsen if the line ends there.