We realize that there are not too many long-time readers of the Record around these days, but for both our old friends and our new ones, we wish to mention that our long-time Publisher and Editor, Andrew P. Quigley, often urged the MBTA to expand Rapid Transit into Chelsea by means of what Mr. Quigley termed “The Chelsea Hook” for the Blue Line.
Mr. Quigley understood that with the Tobin Bridge presenting a formidable challenge to commuters — and thus to the prospects for the development of Chelsea — a Rapid Transit expansion into Chelsea would bring about a renaissance that finally would enable our city to fulfill its natural potential stemming from its proximity to Boston.
So it is with a large degree of joy that we greet the arrival of the Silver Line this week. Although not quite as exciting as what a Rapid Transit “hook” would have been, the Silver Line nonetheless represents a huge step forward for the City of Chelsea, providing residents with a direct — and presumably speedy — route to Logan Airport, the Seaport, and South Station.
Thanks to the efforts set in motion by former City Manager Jay Ash and now being fulfilled by our present City Manager, Tom Ambrosino, along with the support of the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker (for whom Ash serves as the Secretary of Economic Development), our often-downtrodden “city under the bridge” is poised to emerge from the shadows — and to fulfill its destiny as foreseen by Andrew Quigley and others, who never lost faith in our little urban patch of landscape consisting of 1.8 square miles.