Tag: Boston

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, October 2021

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, October 2021

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Each month in 2021, we plan to post about the fatal crashes in Massachusetts from the previous month, and share any trends that we see. For the full list of monthly posts, head here.

Last month, we took a look at the five fatal crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in September. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in October 2021. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Information by Year.” The Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 28 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in October in the MassDOT Crash portal, seven were identified as people walking.
  • The crash portal does not include names. The name of two of the people walking who died have not been made public yet.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in October was 65.
  • At least one of the crashes were hit & runs (as referenced in news articles).
  • The name of the person driving was only identified in one of the crashes in news articles that we found.
  • We could not find any news reports for one of the fatal crashes.
Date 10/4/2021, 9:45 AM
Location 66 Huttleston Ave.
Town Fairhaven
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 77
Sex F

We could not find any news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under MassDOT jurisdiction. This stretch of Huttleston Avenue (State Route 6) is two-way, with 2 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side of the road. The speed limit is unclear in the MassDOT Road Inventory, with 25mph and 35mph both listed.

Date 10/13/2021, 1:30 PM
Location Essex St. + Winter St.
Town Lawrence
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 73
Sex F

The Eagle-Tribune reports that a driver struck and killed 73-year-old Antoquia M. Ruiz Villlona De Anziani in the area of Essex Street & Winter Street in Lawrence. The driver was not identified.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, both of these streets are under local jurisdiction. Each road is two-way, with 1 travel lanes in each direction. It is a 2-way stop, with stop signs for the Winter/Medford Street approach (Winter Street becomes Medford St as it crosses Essex). There is a sidewalk on each side of each road. There is no painted crosswalk over Essex Street. The speed limit is unclear in the MassDOT Road Inventory, and not obvious on Google Street View.

Date 10/14/2021, 6:44 PM
Location North Main St. + Huntington St.
Town Brockton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 54
Sex M

The Enterprise News reports that Joao Fernandes, age 54, died after the driver of a Mel’s ice cream truck struck him at the intersection of North Main Street and Huntington Street. The driver was not identified.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, North Main Street and Huntington Street are both under local jurisdiction. Each road is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a stop sign on Huntington Street as it meets North Main Street. There is a sidewalk on each side of each road. There is a crosswalk across Huntington Street, but no painted crosswalk over North Main Street. The speed limit is 30mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Date 10/16/2021, 10:26 AM
Location Theodore Glynn Way
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 59
Sex F

Lisa Vadeboncoeur was killed and two other people were injured after 46-year-old Kevin McCaffrey struck them on Theodore Glynn Way in Boston. WHDH reported that he has been charged with motor vehicle homicide by operating under the influence of drugs, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Their coverage included a statement from Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins:

“Ms. Vadeboncoeur and the two other individuals injured in this crash were standing well off the side of the road when they were struck,” Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. “My office has been in contact with each of the victims and the loved ones of Ms. Vadeboncoeur. We will continue to be available to provide them and the two surviving victims with the support and resources they may need and that they deserve.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Theodore Glynn Way is under local jurisdiction. It is a one-way road that is 64-feet wide; there is parking on the left side. Street View from November 2020 does not show any lane markings. There is a sidewalk on one side of the road and a shoulder on the other side. The speed limit is not noted in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Date 10/21/2021, 1:55 PM
Location 704 North Quincy St.
Town Brockton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 79
Sex M

A 79-year-old man was struck and killed by a driver on North Quincy Street in Brockton. Neither the driver nor the pedestrian were identified.

The Enterprise News observed that this was the second fatal crash in a week in Brockton.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, North Quincy Street is under local jurisdiction. The road is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side of the road, but there is a large curb cut on one side shared by the Brookfield Plaza and a used car dealer. (The Enterprise News story includes photos of police investigators examining this side of the road/driveways.) The speed limit is 30mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Date 10/26/2021, 6:23 AM
Location Walk Hill St.
Town Boston (Mattapan)
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 47
Sex F

A bus driver hit and killed Jennifer Formichelli and then left the scene at the corner of Walk Hill Street and Blue Hill Avenue. CBS Boston reported that Formichelli was walking her two dogs at the time. Neighbors said one stayed by her side, and the other ran home, alerting neighbors. The Boston Globe reported that bus and driver was not affiliated with Boston Public School system, but the police have located the driver and school bus, and homicide detectives are investigating. The driver was not identified.

CBS Boston also interviewed Fillmore Parris, who was engaged to Jennifer:

He said Formichelli was an English teacher, loved her pets and her family. “She was just an all-around good person.”

“I’m sad but I’m just getting increasingly angry,” Parris said. “I don’t care if you’re driving a tank, you know if you’ve hit somebody, especially somebody that is as visible as her, running with two dogs.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Walk Hill Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road that is 40-feet wide; there is parking and sidewalks on each side, and there is a crosswalk across Walk Hill Street. The speed limit is 30mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory. There is a traffic signal at the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Walk Hill Street.

Date 10/27/2021, 7:38 PM
Location 528 Southwest Cutoff
Town Worcester
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 66
Sex M

66-year old Fabio D’Assis was hit and killed by the driver of a Toyota Highlander SUV. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette cited a police spokesperson that “the initial investigation indicates the driver approached the Auburn/Worcester line and saw the pedestrian, but was unable to stop in time.” The driver was not identified, but is described as a 42-year-old Sudbury woman.

The T&G story locates the crash near 557 Southwest Cutoff, while the MassDOT Crash Portal lists 528 Southwest Cutoff. 557 Southwest Cutoff is closest to the Auburn/Worcester line referenced in the article, so the Google Streetview included below reflects that section of road. There is a grocery store plaza on one side, with housing on the other side of the road.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Southwest Cutoff is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way road that is 48-feet wide, with 2-lanes in each direction; there are sidewalks on each side. The speed limit is 35mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Updates

If you have an update about a community member who was killed in one of these crashes, please contact Brendan so we can update our . WalkBoston has maintained a list each year since 2016, pulling the information from news reports, social media, and from people like you that share the information with us.

Yearly trackers:  |||||

Reminder about the data from the MassDOT portal

MassDOT makes no representation as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, availability or completeness of the crash records or the data collected from them and is not responsible for any errors or omissions in such records or data. Under no circumstance will MassDOT have any liability for any loss or damage incurred by any party as a result of the use of the crash records or the data collected from them. Furthermore, the data contained in the web-based crash report tool are not an official record of what transpired in a particular crash or for a particular crash type. If a user is interested in an official copy of a crash report, contact the Registry (http://www.mass.gov/rmv/). The City of Boston Police Department may be contacted directly for official copies of crash reports and for crash data pertaining to the City of Boston. In addition, any crash records or data provided for the years after 2018 are subject to change at any time and are not to be considered up-to-date or complete. As such, open years’ of crash data are for informational purposes only and should not be used for analysis. The data posted on this website, including crash records and other reports, are collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating or planning the safety enhancement of potential crash sites, hazardous roadway conditions or railway-highway crossings. Under federal law, this information is not subject to discovery and cannot be admitted into evidence in any federal or state court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any action for damages that involves the sites mentioned in these records (see 23 USC, Section 409).

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, August 2021

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, August 2021

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Each month in 2021, we plan to post about the fatal crashes in Massachusetts from the previous month, and share any trends that we see. For the full list of monthly posts, head here.

Last month, we took a look at the 6 fatal crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in July. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in August 2021. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Information by Year.” The Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 49 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in August in the MassDOT Crash portal, 5 were identified as people walking.
  • The crash portal does not include names. The name of 1 of the people walking who died have not been made public yet.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in August was 48.4.
  • 2 of the crash victims were people who had stopped their vehicle to investigate a problem, and then were hit by other drivers.
  • At least 1 of the crashes were hit & runs (as referenced in news articles).
  • 4 of the crashes involved SUVs or large pickup trucks.
  • The name of the person driving was identified in 1 of the crashes in news articles that we found.
Date 8/3/2021, 4:35 PM
Location 77 Main St.
Town Taunton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 58
Sex F

Rolando Escobar struck and killed 58-year-old Lisa Rocha as she was getting into her car on Main Street in Taunton. The Taunton Daily Gazette reports that he left the scene, then struck a vehicle on Summer Street causing his SUV to flip over in front of the police station.

The Gazette spoke to Lisa’s friends, family, and co-workers:

Lisa put [her passion for gardening] to work as activities director at Marian Manor nursing home at 33 Summer St. in Taunton. At Marian Manor, she spread her love for flowers by planting a garden, Shantel said. Three times a day Lisa would pick a resident to help her with the garden, said Connie Coelho, Lisa’s co-worker.

Escobar has been charged with operating under the influence of drugs/felony homicide, OUI-drugs second offense, manslaughter, OUI resulting in death, leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, and leaving the scene of property damage.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. This stretch of road is two-way, with a travel lane in each direction and parking on each side. The road is 30 feet wide. There is a posted 20mph speed limit.

Date 8/6/2021, 7:03 PM
Location I-90 WEST, MM 130.2
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 30
Sex M

The Boston Globe reported that a 30 year-old man driving a tractor trailer pulled over to the side to inspect his truck and was struck and killed by another driver who crashed and pinned him into his truck on the MassPike in Allston-Brighton. CBS Boston shared that the driver who struck and killed the man was a 17-year old driving a Chevy Cruze.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this is an interstate highway under MassDOT jurisdiction. The westbound stretch of I-90 is one-way, with a 2-foot left shoulder, 4 12-foot travel lanes, and an 8-foot right shoulder at this mile marker. The speed limit is 55mph.

Date 8/6/2021, 9:48 PM
Location 9 Graf Rd.
Town Newburyport
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 69
Sex M

69 year-old Daniel Rindge was struck and killed by the 65-year old driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Graf Road in Newburyport. The driver was not identified.

The Newburyport News reports:

Rindge was a well-known illustrator and caricature artist who worked for the former Port Planet newspaper in Newburyport. He also was an artist, illustrator and graphic designer at Gulls Brewery, according to his LinkedIn profile.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. This stretch of road is one lane in each direction. The road is 24 feet wide. The speed limit is 35mph.

Newburyport Police Lt. Matthew Simons said it is unknown if Rindge was crossing the street but said he was in the travel lane when the accident occurred. (There are no sidewalks on either side of the street, and there do not appear to be any crosswalks on Google Streetview.)

Date 8/16/2021, 8:30 AM
Location 278 Main St.
Town Bourne
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 41
Sex F

The Bourne Enterprise reports that 41-year old Caitlyn Sprague was struck and killed on Main Street in Bourne by the driver of a Chevy Silverado pickup.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. This stretch of road is one lane in each direction with shoulders on each side. The speed limit is 40mph. Google Streetview shows a crosswalk and bump outs at this address.

Date 8/29/2021, 6:45 PM
Location SR-2 WEST, MM 100.8
Town Leominster
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 44
Sex M

NBC Boston reports that a 51 year-old driver of a Chevy Sonic drifted into the breakdown lane on Route 2 in Leominster and struck and killed 44-year old Daniel Levangie. Levangie was changing a tire in the breakdown lane when he was struck.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Route 2 / Concord Turnpike is under MassDOT jurisdiction. The westbound stretch of road is two 12-foot lanes with a 10-foot shoulder. The speed limit is 55 mph.

Updates

If you have an update about a community member who was killed in one of these crashes, please contact Brendan so we can update our . WalkBoston has maintained a list each year since 2016, pulling the information from news reports, social media, and from people like you that share the information with us.

Yearly trackers:  |||||

Reminder about the data from the MassDOT portal

MassDOT makes no representation as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, availability or completeness of the crash records or the data collected from them and is not responsible for any errors or omissions in such records or data. Under no circumstance will MassDOT have any liability for any loss or damage incurred by any party as a result of the use of the crash records or the data collected from them. Furthermore, the data contained in the web-based crash report tool are not an official record of what transpired in a particular crash or for a particular crash type. If a user is interested in an official copy of a crash report, contact the Registry (http://www.mass.gov/rmv/). The City of Boston Police Department may be contacted directly for official copies of crash reports and for crash data pertaining to the City of Boston. In addition, any crash records or data provided for the years after 2018 are subject to change at any time and are not to be considered up-to-date or complete. As such, open years’ of crash data are for informational purposes only and should not be used for analysis. The data posted on this website, including crash records and other reports, are collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating or planning the safety enhancement of potential crash sites, hazardous roadway conditions or railway-highway crossings. Under federal law, this information is not subject to discovery and cannot be admitted into evidence in any federal or state court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any action for damages that involves the sites mentioned in these records (see 23 USC, Section 409).

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, July 2021

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, July 2021

By |

Each month in 2021, we plan to post about the fatal crashes in Massachusetts from the previous month, and share any trends that we see. Last month, we took a look at the 4 fatal crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in June. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in July 2021. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Information by Year.” The Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 27 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in July in the MassDOT Crash portal, 6 were identified as people walking. There was at least 1 additional fatal incident during July, announced in a press release by the MA State Police (MSP):
    • On July 12th, an unidentified 50 year old man was found deceased on the I-90 Exit 135 ramp. (Editor’s note: Since this crash is not listed in the crash portal, it is possible that MSP investigators ruled the person died prior to the crash or that it was a suicide, either of which would mean it would not appear in the FARS data.)
  • The crash portal does not include names. The names of 3 of the people walking who died have not been made public yet.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in July was 53.3.
  • At least 1 of the crashes were hit & runs (as referenced in news articles).
  • The name of the person driving was not identified in any of the crashes in news articles that we found.
Date 7/3/2021, 6:56 AM
Location Weld St.
Town West Roxbury
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 63
Sex F

A 63-year-old woman was struck & killed by a driver on Weld St near West Roxbury Parkway. The driver had just turned right off the parkway onto Weld. We could not find news articles about this crash.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. This stretch of road is two-way, with a travel lane in each direction. The road is 37 feet wide. Boston has a citywide 25mph default speed limit.

Date 7/10/2021, 11:52 AM
Location 80 Bellingham St.
Town Chelsea
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 1
Sex M

A 19-month-old boy was struck and killed in Chelsea by a 45-year-old woman driving an SUV that had just picked up a rider.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. This stretch of road is one-way, with a travel lane and a parking lane. The road is 24 feet wide. Chelsea has a citywide 25mph default speed limit.

WBZ-TV reported that speeding is a problem on Bellingham Street:

Neighbors tell us Bellingham Street is notorious for speeding and with two playgrounds nearby, they hope this tragedy will spark change.

“All these houses here, they all have little kids in them. Like I said, this street is like a racetrack and something needs to happen,” said [neighbor Paul] Ford. “People see things happen firsthand today – hopefully it sends a message.”

Date 7/13/2021, 8:54 AM
Location Wilbraham Rd. + Massachusetts Ave.
Town Springfield
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 65
Sex F

Margaret “Lani” Kretschmar, age 65, was hit and killed while crossing Wilbraham Road in a crosswalk. Margaret was an employee at American International College in Springfield. Western Mass News reports that the City of Springfield promises to make the intersection safer.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. This stretch of road is one lane in each direction. The road is 40 feet wide. The speed limit is 30mph.

WalkBoston and Way Finders conducted a walk audit that included a section of Wilbraham Road earlier this summer (summary, full report). While the crosswalk where this crash occurred was not part of the walk audit route, Wilbraham Road was called out in the first key recommendation:

Improve pedestrian safety and comfort on Wilbraham Road Wilbraham Road is a 2-lane collector street with parallel parking on both sides. The area is primarily single and multi-family residences with several restaurants and churches along the road. Vehicular traffic volumes are relatively high with drivers frequently hitting high speeds for such a dense neighborhood district. While there are wide sidewalks for pedestrians, additional infrastructure is needed to provide a safer and healthier walking environment.

Date 7/17/2021, 2:45 AM
Location 187 Pleasant St. Ralph Talbot St.
Town Weymouth
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 61
Sex F

Xuan “Sue” Vo, age 61, was struck and killed in a hit and run crash. She had stopped by a neighbor’s house to use the internet on Friday night and indicated she would take a walk before bed. She was found on the sidewalk at 2:45AM by a patrol officer. The person driving has not yet been found.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. This stretch of road is one lane in each direction with shoulders on each side. The road is 44 feet wide. The speed limit is unclear based on incomplete info in the Road Inventory database for this street.

A Wicked Local Weymouth/Weymouth News article from 2019 indicated efforts to regulate speeding drivers on nearby Park Avenue due to dangerous behavior.

Similarly, NBC Boston reports that speeding is a problem on Pleasant Street:

Patrick Barfield says the road where the fatal crash occurred is already an area of focus for police because of excessive speeding.

“This road unfortunately, we have a lot of people coming down here with a high speed,” Barfield said, “and actually the police have already been staking it out giving people tickets for it.”

Date 7/27/2021, 5:58 PM
Location 832 East St.
Town Walpole
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 81
Sex F

The Boston Globe reports that an unidentified 81-year-old woman was hit and killed by a driver on East Street in Walpole.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. This stretch of road is one lane in each direction with shoulders on each side. The speed limit is 35 mph and there are sidewalks.

Date 7/27/2021, 11:52 PM
Location 947 Providence Hwy. + Elm St.
Town Dedham
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 49
Sex M

WHDH reported that 49-year-old Stephen P. Hogan was hit and killed while crossing Providence Highway (Rt 1) at Elm Street by an unidentified driver of a Nissan Altima.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under MassDOT jurisdiction. This stretch of road is 3-4 lanes in each direction with sidewalks on each side. The speed limit is 40 mph.

In 2014, MAPC collaborated with the Towns of Dedham and Westwood to create a Dedham and Westwood Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Plan. Page 9 of this plan reads: 

“Rt 1 at Elm St (Dedham) Adjacent to Legacy Place, this intersection experiences high pedestrian volumes accessing bus routes on the opposite side of Rt 1. The wide street crossing plus high turning speeds creates unnecessary barriers primarily in terms of the length of the crossing. This intersection has relatively new sidewalks and crosswalks, but does not diminish the scale of the crossing. Responsibility – MassDOT.”

In 2019, the Town of Dedham established the Active Transportation Working Group to improve safety for non-vehicular travel in Dedham. The charter of this working group charges it with the responsibility to advocate for safe transportation connections between Route 1 and Route 1A in the Dedham corridor; this group is actively working to have MassDOT address this intersection (see letter). 

Updates

If you have an update about a community member who was killed in one of these crashes, please contact Brendan so we can update our . WalkBoston has maintained a list each year since 2016, pulling the information from news reports, social media, and from people like you that share the information with us.

Yearly trackers:  |||||

Reminder about the data from the MassDOT portal

MassDOT makes no representation as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, availability or completeness of the crash records or the data collected from them and is not responsible for any errors or omissions in such records or data. Under no circumstance will MassDOT have any liability for any loss or damage incurred by any party as a result of the use of the crash records or the data collected from them. Furthermore, the data contained in the web-based crash report tool are not an official record of what transpired in a particular crash or for a particular crash type. If a user is interested in an official copy of a crash report, contact the Registry (http://www.mass.gov/rmv/). The City of Boston Police Department may be contacted directly for official copies of crash reports and for crash data pertaining to the City of Boston. In addition, any crash records or data provided for the years after 2018 are subject to change at any time and are not to be considered up-to-date or complete. As such, open years’ of crash data are for informational purposes only and should not be used for analysis. The data posted on this website, including crash records and other reports, are collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating or planning the safety enhancement of potential crash sites, hazardous roadway conditions or railway-highway crossings. Under federal law, this information is not subject to discovery and cannot be admitted into evidence in any federal or state court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any action for damages that involves the sites mentioned in these records (see 23 USC, Section 409).

Channelside DEIR/DPIR comments

Channelside DEIR/DPIR comments

By |

August 20, 2021

Secretary Kathleen A. Theoharides
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Attn via email: Alex Strysky (alexander.strysky@state.ma.us )

Director Brian Golden
Boston Planning and Development Agency
Attn via email: Aisling Kerr (Aisling.Kerr@boston.gov)

Re:  Channelside DEIR/DPIR comments

Dear Secretary Theoharides and Director Golden:

WalkBoston, LivableStreets Alliance, Boston Cyclists Union, FPNA and MassBike are submitting our joint comments on the Channelside Project regarding transportation within and to the development site. 

We have focused our comments on the broad and underlying transportation conditions that will impact the existing and future neighborhood as well as the residents and workers who will occupy the proposed 1.4 million SF development that is undergoing review. While we have detailed comments on several aspects of the proponent’s site design and proposed mitigation, these are issues that later project phases could address.

We are pleased that the proponent has fully embraced the idea of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Complete Streets designs, and has provided travel projections for the project that predict a net total of 4,633 trips generated by the site of which 4,089 are walking, biking and transit trips – an impressive 88% of all trips! We also applaud the plan to redevelop what currently is non-permeable parking lot pavement into a park and pathway system which will help control the impacts of tidal flooding along the channel.

However, we are disappointed and concerned that the DEIR/DPIR devotes so little analysis of future conditions and, more specifically, how these thousands of trips will be served. Section 4.4 Transportation Build (2028) Condition of the document devotes (excluding maps and tables) ½ page to bike accommodation, 2 pages to transit, and 0 pages to walking (this notwithstanding that both walking and transit mode shares will depend on pedestrian facilities – including especially walking access from South Station and Broadway Station). And we are disappointed the project team is seeking to “not overburden” a transit system which currently does not serve this area sufficiently, instead of actively increasing capacity and service in advance of the rapid growth expected at Channelside. This development cannot be “Transit Oriented” without providing for increased transit usage.

Unfortunately, the DEIR/DPIR is following the precedent of several prior development projects in the Seaport, South Boston and Fort Point Channel neighborhoods, by focusing on this project in isolation of the rapid transformation that is occurring around it. Given the growth of these neighborhoods over the course of the last two decades, continuing to review all development projects in the area as single projects and not more holistically as a large agglomeration of projects that together require significantly better transit, walking and biking conditions to work well for its residents, workers, visitors and businesses, risks the future success of this, and many other projects in the area. 

Continuing down this piecemeal development planning path is unsustainable for the neighborhood and the City, and places undue burden on individual developments to solve problems that may include their project yet go beyond their boundaries. This parcel at 244-284 A Street is a crucial connection to a network of safe bicycling and walking routes that flow throughout the city, and needs to be incorporated into a vision of a connected, sustainable, and safe waterfront trail and harborwalk that includes all of the City’s waterfront neighborhoods.  

We ask that MEPA require the City of Boston (along with MassDOT, the MBTA and Massport) to complete, fund and begin the implementation of the South Boston Transit Study prior to advancing the permitting of new projects. We believe that without such action the proponent’s project (along with existing and other new development projects) will choke the neighborhood with traffic, provide insufficient transit service, not include an accessible sidewalk system (both within the development zone and connecting to South and Broadway Stations), and lack safe bicycle facilities connected to a larger network for those most vulnerable on our roads.

We have included below excerpts from the MEPA and BPDA Scopes for the project that we believe call for an analysis of how all trips (auto and non-auto) trips will be managed and provided for. We do not think that the DEIR/DPIR answers these scope items.

MEPA Scope

Trip Generation

The DEIR should fully describe and document existing and proposed pedestrian and bicycle facilities, transit operations and roadway and intersection conditions within the study Area. (page 9)

The TIA should describe the project’s anticipated transportation impacts and identify appropriate mitigation measures. The Proponent should indicate a clear commitment to implement proposed mitigation measures and describe the timing of their implementation, including whether measures are implemented based on phases of the project or occupancy levels. (Page 10)

Multimodal Facilities

It should describe all existing and proposed pedestrian facilities, including sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle paths and bicycle parking spaces, located within the study area. The DEIR should review the regional pedestrian and bicycle network, evaluate the safety and capacity of the network and describe potential measures to enhance connections between the site and other locations and routes. (page 9)

BPDA Scope

“Melcher Street will be another important pedestrian connection for the site and its high volume of transit users connecting to South Station. Pedestrian safety and accessibility improvements are needed and a priority for the City and community. The Proponent should commit to working with the city to design and construct improvements to Melcher Street from A Street to Summer Street.”  (Page 26)

“Additional transit service and connectivity was identified as needed on A Street in the South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan [and the South Boston Dorchester Avenue Transportation Plan]. “The Proponent should provide shuttle service on A Street that connects to Broadway Station and South Station. Ideally, this would be in partnership with other corridor stakeholders such as State Street Bank that currently provides shuttle service on A Street that connects to South Station. New and efficient shuttle stop locations will need to be determined through consultation with the City.” (Page 26) 

A private shuttle service should not be the primary solution for the lack of transit access in the area. In addition to completing the long awaited South Boston Transit Study, the City should study the potential implementation of BRT on Congress Street, connecting to North Station. Additionally the MBTA is currently in the process of a system-wide bus network project. Now is an opportune time to work with the MBTA to determine the current and future transit needs for the neighborhood and to build the necessary street infrastructure to accommodate that bus service (i.e. bus lanes, new bus stops, ADA accessible sidewalks). 

Sincerely,

Stacey Beuttell, WalkBoston Executive Director
Stacy Thompson, LivableStreets Alliance Executive Director
Becca Thompson, Boston Cyclists Union Executive Director
Tom Ready, FPNA
Galen Mook, MassBike Executive Director

Cc Senator Nick Collins
Representative David Biele
Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn
Boston City Councilor Michael Flaherty
Greg Rooney, Commissioner, Boston Transportation Department
Jamey Tesler, Secretary, MassDOT
Steve Poftak, General Manager, MBTA
Joel A. Barrera, Massport, Director of Strategic and Business Planning
Patrick Sullivan, Seaport TMA, Executive Director
David Gibbons, Executive Director, MCCA
Rick Dimino, President and CEO, ABC

Fenway Project PNF Comment Letter

Fenway Project PNF Comment Letter

By |

July 21, 2021

Aisling Kerr, Project Manager

BPDA via email Aisling.Kerr@boston.gov

Re: Fenway Project PNF

Dear Ms. Kerr:

WalkBoston has reviewed the PNF for the Fenway Project with respect to its impacts and benefits for people walking and using transit.

We are very pleased that the proponent is proposing significant improvements to the walking environment in the Fenway neighborhood and giving detailed attention to the needs of people walking, taking transit and bicycling. The proposed transformation of Jersey Street into a pedestrian-only space will provide an exciting new way to experience Fenway Park (on non-game days) and add amenities for residents and visitors to the Fenway neighborhood. We support the proponent’s plans to modify the street system in and around the multi-site project in order to create more space for pedestrians and for people enjoying what will essentially become a new open space in the neighborhood.

Overall we believe the project will benefit pedestrians on the streets and sidewalks of the Fenway. We urge the proponent to continue working with WalkBoston and other advocates and with the City of Boston to refine several elements of the design as the project proceeds.

  • Sidewalk/Bus stop/Bike interactions – The project includes re-designed streets (in particular Brookline Ave.) with new protected bike lanes. We urge the proponent to continue working with WalkBoston, the Boston Disabilities Commission, the MBTA’s Office of Systemwide Accessibility, the Boston Transportation Department and the bicycle advocacy community to ensure that the designs meet the needs of all sidewalk, transit and street users.
  • Transit operations – In order to achieve the mode shares that the proponent, the residents of the Fenway, the employers in the area, the City and all of us interested in reducing GHG emissions hope for, the operations of the many bus routes in the neighborhood will need careful attention to ensure that they are enhanced by the changes in the street system and urban design.
  • Paving surfaces – Some of the sketches shown suggest paving stones or other materials. We ask that all paving materials be fully accessible and comfortable for all people walking or using mobility assistance. We also ask that the proponent take into account the needs of providing good snow clearance on all of the sidewalks and also that they commit to providing such clearance.
  • Sense of welcome for all – The redesign and re-purposing of Jersey Street and all of the city blocks included in the project presents exciting opportunities for walkability. It also presents some challenges to ensuring that the spaces and places are not managed or curated in ways that could feel privatized or exclusive and less than fully welcoming to people of all races, incomes and ages. We urge the proponent to work with diverse community groups and individuals from a variety of Boston neighborhoods to ensure that the sense of welcome includes everyone.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments.

Sincerely,

Wendy Landman

Senior Policy Advisor