WalkBoston, LivableStreets Alliance, Boston Cyclists Union – 80 West Broadway Project Comment Letter

February 12, 2021

Stephen Harvey
BPDA
Boston City Hall

Re:  80 West Broadway Project

Dear Mr. Harvey,

It has come to our attention that issues related to pedestrians and bicyclists are being used as a reason to demolish the historic Amrheins building at the corner of West Broadway and A Streets in South Boston. We do not see that removal of that building and widening of the sidewalk at that location will serve any real benefit to pedestrians and cyclists, with there being no likelihood of additional modifications of the public way just past this building on either Broadway or A Street.

This is not a reason to demolish this historic resource. Other minor modifications such as removal of the bollards on A Street, adjustments to signaling, and perhaps a bump out of the sidewalk on West Broadway directly in front of Amrheins could enhance the situation with far less cost and impact.

We have much higher priority areas in the city that require strong advocacy. Advancing pedestrian and bike challenges as the foremost issue in this location does not make sense to us. This is not an intersection that requires the level of dramatic intervention being proposed and certainly should not be used as justification for demolition of a building long part of the city’s historic fabric.

Best regards,

Stacey Beuttell, Executive Director WalkBoston

Stacy Thompson, Executive Director LivableStreets Alliance

Becca Wolfson, Executive Director Boston Cyclists Union

Cc
Jonathan Greeley, Boston Planning and Development Agency
Michael Cannizzo, Boston Planning and Development Agency
Alexa Pinard, Boston Planning and Development Agency
Elizabeth Stifel, Boston Civic Design Commission
Andrea Leers, Boston Civic Design Commission
B.K. Boley, Stantec
John Matteson, Matteson Companies
Doug Kelleher, Epsilon Associates
Representative Stephen Lynch, 8th District, United States Congress
Kim Janey, President, Boston City Council
Ed Flynn, Boston City Council
Annissa Essaibi George, Boston City Council
Michael Flaherty, Boston City Council
Julia Mejia, Boston City Council
Michelle Wu, Boston City Council
Robert Allison, South Boston Historical Society
Greg Galer, Boston Preservation Alliance