Ex-governors push Gov. Baker on North-South rail link
Supporters of the rail link say it would create a more modern and efficient regional transportation network.
Baker said he doesn't see the rail link as an alternative to expanding South Station, which he said has other benefits, like opening up Dorchester Avenue and developing an area along the Fort Port Channel near downtown Boston.
Dukakis made much the same argument for the rail link, arguing that increased ridership, reduced maintenance and a decrease in car traffic could help pay for the project.
The two former governors also tried to distance the proposed rail link from the massive — and massively expensive — "Big Dig" highway project through downtown Boston.
Wednesday's meeting comes just weeks after a fiscal control board overseeing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was told another major project, the expansion of the Green Line to Somerville and Medford, could cost up to $1 billion more than planned.