Tag: EEA

Comment Letter on Proposed Patrick Subaru Dealership, EEA #16747

Comment Letter on Proposed Patrick Subaru Dealership, EEA #16747

September 11, 2023

Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114

Attn: MEPA Office, Alexander Strysky (via email)

Re: Comments on Proposed Patrick Subaru Dealership, EEA #16747

Dear Alex:

WalkMassachusetts (previously known as WalkBoston) is Massachusetts’ primary pedestrian advocacy organization, working across the Commonwealth with a vision for Massachusetts where people walking – no matter their race, identity, age, ability, or lived experience – feel safe, connected, and valued on our streets and sidewalks. We are writing with comments for the proposed Patrick Subaru Dealership, EEA #16747.

The project site is located at 701 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury, at the corner of Route 9 and South Street. There was a fatal hit & run crash at this location on October 30, 2022 just after 10pm, where 20-year old Ghufran Mutar was struck and killed while crossing Route 9 at the intersection with South Street on her way home from working at CVS. Our fatal crash report released earlier this year showed that this was one of 101 fatal crashes involving pedestrians in 2022, of which 71% were located in environmental justice census block groups, which includes this location.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Route 9 is under MassDOT jurisdiction, and South Street is under local jurisdiction. Route 9 is a two-way divided roadway, with two lanes in each direction and additional left turn lanes at the intersection. There are no sidewalks on either street, and no crosswalks for any leg of the intersection. Route 9 is a barrier to safe walking and biking in many communities across the Commonwealth. The 2023 Strategic Highway Safety Plan prioritizes collaboration: “Beyond state-municipal coordination, this plan also seeks to highlight how external partners and private industry can contribute to improving safety.” We encourage the proponent to include a sidewalk along the project’s South Street frontage, and we encourage the proponent, municipality, and MassDOT to add crosswalks, ADA ramps, and pedestrian signals to make crossing Route 9 at this intersection safer and accessible.

Thank you,

Brendan Kearney
Co-Executive Director, WalkMassachusetts

Comments on L Street Power Station Redevelopment South Boston ENF/Expanded PNF

Comments on L Street Power Station Redevelopment South Boston ENF/Expanded PNF

July 7, 2017

Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew A. Beaton
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
Attn: MEPA Office, Alex Strysky
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston MA 02114

Brian Golden, Director
Boston Planning and Development Agency
Boston City Hall
Boston, MA 02201

Re: EEA No. 15692, L Street Power Station Redevelopment, South Boston
ENF/Expanded PNF

Dear Secretary Beaton and Director Golden:

WalkBoston is pleased to see the proposal for a mixed use development of the large South Boston waterfront site that will include the re-use of the historically and architecturally interesting L Street Power Station. Putting this portion of the City back into a productive use that invites public access is a positive change for the City and for South Boston.

The overall site design will help to integrate this large parcel into the neighborhood, and create new opportunities for people to walk from East 1st Street to the waterfront and help to link the residential portions of South Boston into the site which was long cut off from the community by fences and other obstructions. The partial extension of the local street network onto the site and between and around new buildings proposed for the site seems appropriate in scale. With sidewalks that are sufficiently wide and landscaped, both community residents and people living on-site will be served by the new connections.

Our comments below are focused on questions that we hope the proponent will respond to in subsequent filings about the project.

1. Waterside Pedestrian and Open Space Environment
We understand that the new dedicated harborside freight corridor that will connect Summer Street to Massport’s Conley Terminal and remove heavy truck traffic from East 1st Street will provide very important, and long-desired improvements to the South Boston neighborhood. But this shift will also present challenges; the new harborside route will place an access barrier and significant truck traffic (with its accompanying noise and air pollution) between the development site’s primary open space and the harbor.
We urge the developer to consider creative ways to mitigate the truck route’s impact on the
open space. This could include grade changes that place the open space higher than the truck route (Figure 3.5b may hint at this); landscaping that both masks and frames views,
soundscapes to mask truck noise, and the addition of viewing platforms that allow open space users to gain unimpeded views of the water. There may also be ways to capitalize on the site’s industrial past and on-going use through interpretive elements. WalkBoston is concerned that without such special treatment the open space will not be very attractive to the public.
If possible, the proponent might also explore with Massport whether it would be possible to
schedule truck traffic so that is interferes less with daytime and weekend use of the open space.

2. Encouragement of walking and walking-transit trips
At the direction of the City, the proponent has used South Boston adjusted trip generation rates to develop trip tables for walking/biking, transit and vehicles. However, the site is at a
significant distance from other land uses that would seem to justify such significant numbers of walking trips, and to suffer from overused bus lines and significant distances to the Red and Silver Lines. Figure 5-1 illustrate the 5 and 10-minute walking zones, neither of which include a great many retail, job and civic land uses.
We urge the proponent to develop mitigation measures to make the development a more
realistically mixed mode project. These could include such things as: subsidies to the MBTA to provide more frequent bus service, or creation or partnering with other South Boston
developments to provide shuttle services to the Silver and/or Red Lines.

3. Bicycle facilities
The proponent mentions that Boston has flagged both East 1st Street and Summer Street for
protected bicycle facilities, however Figure 3.5a shows an on-street bike lane.
We urge the proponent to work with the City, and perhaps provide funding for, separated
bicycle facilities on both East 1st Street and Summer Street. The distance of the site from transit and a mix of retail, job and civic facilities will make bicycling a more likely mode of off-site trips than walking.

We look forward to working with the City and Redgate as the project plans are developed in greater detail.

Sincerely,

Wendy Landman
Executive Director

Cc Ralph Cox, Greg Bialecki, Megha Vadula, Redgate
Elizabeth Grob, VHB

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Comments on South Boston Waterfront Transportation Center EEA 8505

Comments on South Boston Waterfront Transportation Center EEA 8505

September 12, 2016

Matthew Beaton, Secretary
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Attn: MEPA Office Analyst: Page Czepiga EEA 8505 and 13367
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114

Re: South Boston Waterfront Transportation Center EEA 8505 and 13367

Dear Mr. Beaton,

WalkBoston appreciates the opportunity to comment on the current proposal for the South Boston Waterfront Transportation Center. We have focused on pedestrian issues associated with this project.

This proposal is quite forward-looking for pedestrians who will be using the facility and/or passing through the site. Users of the Center will be served by pedestrian paths through the site, by the adjacent MBTA Silver Line World Trade Center station and by parking on 9 levels with pedestrian access via elevators and stairs to both D Street and the World Trade Center Avenue Viaduct. As the nine parking levels will be partly located below and partly above the principal level of the Center, the principal pedestrian movements will be centralized at a midway garage floor that corresponds to the level of the World Trade Center Avenue Viaduct. Pedestrian access between transportation modes and exits into the surrounding area will take place primarily at the level of the viaduct.

Several significant pedestrian facilities have been proposed at the viaduct level to integrate the Center into the Seaport and provide connections to business centers and activities in the area, as well as transportation modes that are focused in the area. These viaduct level facilities include:

1. A garage floor that also serves a concentration of a large number of pedestrian movements made at this level.

  • Pedestrian paths could be marked or painted for walkers on the garage floor or developed with imaginative lighting. These walkways would make walking through this large garage safer for walkers by providing a clear path and a physical reminder and warning to drivers. The viaduct level in particular will have many pedestrians.
  • It would be helpful to begin the proposed wayfinding system within the garage with emphasis on information at the elevators and at the viaduct level of the garage. A substantial installation of signs could direct arriving patrons from parking locations toward appropriate exits and show the multiplicity of potential destinations that can be reached by each of the major exits.
  • Smart phone apps could be developed to provide detailed information for pedestrians to use on their phones or pads to find specific routes to desired destinations.

2. A proposed pedestrian bridge between the Transportation Center and the existing Waterside Place building for residents who will be using the garage. The bridge will be connected into the pedestrian network provided for the viaduct level of the Center.

  • Although the bridge will not be used for access between the Center and Congress Street by non-residents, it should be integrated with the wayfinding and pathway system devised by the proponent.

3. A midblock pedestrian walkway between D Street and the World Trade Center Avenue Viaduct on the south side of the Center structure is proposed to aid pedestrians in reaching the variety of destinations around the Center. The walkway provides pedestrian connections from the World Trade Center Avenue Viaduct and the John Hancock and other buildings along D Street. The walkway, to be built primarily at viaduct level (although it slopes down to meet the grade of D Street), will be approximately 18’ wide, well-lighted and roofed for the majority of the distance between the streets that act as a boundary of the Center.

  • This long (xxx) walkway does not seem to be overlooked by any people other than those on the walk itself. We request that MassPort provide some details about how the security of walkers will be assured.
  • This walkway should be weather-protected on the side facing the MassPort Haul Road.
  • The walkway should be signed to guide pedestrians to destinations on either side of the Center. Signage should be integrated into the overall wayfinding network for the Center and proposed networks for the surrounding area.
  • The walkway could be enhanced by the addition of facilities such as benches for walkers and intervening electronic posters or interactive displays to enliven the area.

4. Pedestrian plaza facing D Street. The D Street (east) side of the Center will include a generous landscaped plaza as a major contribution to upgrading the current appearance and softening the edges of the structure.

  • This plaza should also be signed and designed with paths to guide pedestrians to destinations on either side of the Center. Signage should be integrated into the overall wayfinding network for the Center and the district.

5. Pedestrian plaza facing World Trade Center Avenue Viaduct. A large public open space will be provided on the viaduct (west) side of the Center. It will provide space for direct access from the viaduct into the Transportation Center, with connections into the adjacent MBTA World Trade Center Station, a shuttle bus drop-off location on the street, landscaping, bicycle parking (and possibly repair) and information kiosks. Significantly, it will include a covered walkway between the viaduct and the Center. This covered walkway will become part of an extended covered pedestrian facility that will extend between Congress and Summer Streets.

  • The new covered walkway will be a major feature of this project and a harbinger of the future pedestrian network that will extend beyond this location and connect between both the World Trade Center and the Boston Convention and Exposition Center. It should protect pedestrians in all weather conditions.
  • The covered walkway should also be an integral portion of the wayfinding network for the Seaport area. A central focus could be an interactive display that helps walkers find their desired destinations, and tells each how long the walk will be for them in the minutes 3 required to make the connection. The proposal calls for displays of real-time modal availability and schedule information, interactive kiosks and bicycle parking and possibly the availability of pedi-cabs.
  • This large setback seems to set the stage for a future land use that faces World Trade Center Avenue. We think that lively uses along the Avenue would be a good addition to the area’s pedestrian environment.

WalkBoston is excited about the generous additions of elements in this project that will enhance and encourage pedestrian movement throughout the area. Thank you for your consideration of our comments.

Sincerely

Bob Sloane
Senior Planner

Comments on Dorchester Harborwalk

Comments on Dorchester Harborwalk

December 12, 2014

Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
Attn: MEPA Office
100 Cambridge St., Suite 900
Boston MA 02114

RE: Environmental Notification Form for the Neponset River Greenway Segment 3 – MEPA #15286

Dear Secretary Vallely Bartlett:

The Neponset River Greenway is being constructed in several segments, each of which advances the goal of providing access along this regionally important waterfront. In this instance, the proposal will connect two existing walkways along Boston Harbor, with the ultimate goal of extending to the Neponset River walkways that reach the heart of Milton.

WalkBoston wholeheartedly support the proposal and commends DCR in its actions to further construction of waterfront facilities. We applaud DCR for its efforts to cobble together the essential connections to extend both the Harborwalk and the Neponset River Greenway. The walkway will offer an exciting experience, as it focuses on an area all of us have seen from the highway, and few have explored directly. The adjacent National Grid solar panels will be interesting to both children and adults and afford a point of interest unavailable along most pathways. We think the path will immediately become a remarkable highlight on the waterfront, attracting people to the new experience it will provide.

WalkBoston offers two suggestions that we hope DCR might still consider:

• Urban walking and running opportunities – Given the opportunities that the Greenway opens up for walking and running within the urban area, we suggest that DCR consider formalizing the running accommodation by including a soft surface trail adjacent to the paved path. This is particularly relevant because the path is located near neighborhoods that have the greatest need of facilities such as this for recreation.

• Width of the path – We note that the path is proposed to be built with a standard 10-foot width. We hope that the facility can be designed and constructed with adequate space to allow for future widening to provide adequate space for a mix of walkers, runners and bicyclists as its use grows over the coming year. DCR might consider an 11 – 12 foot width now to allow two side-by-side walkers or bicyclists to pass someone coming in the opposite direction.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this project. Please feel free to contact us if there are any questions.

Sincerely,

Robert Sloane
Senior Planner

Comments on Neponset River Greenway Segment 3

Comments on Neponset River Greenway Segment 3

December 12, 2014

Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
Attn: MEPA Office
100 Cambridge St., Suite 900
Boston MA 02114

RE: Environmental Notification Form for the Neponset River Greenway Segment 3 – MEPA #15286

Dear Secretary Vallely Bartlett:

The Neponset River Greenway is being constructed in several segments, each of which advances the goal of providing access along this regionally important waterfront. In this instance, the proposal will connect two existing walkways along Boston Harbor, with the ultimate goal of extending to the Neponset River walkways that reach the heart of Milton.

WalkBoston wholeheartedly support the proposal and commends DCR in its actions to further construction of waterfront facilities. We applaud DCR for its efforts to cobble together the essential connections to extend both the Harborwalk and the Neponset River Greenway. The walkway will offer an exciting experience, as it focuses on an area all of us have seen from the highway, and few have explored directly. The adjacent National Grid solar panels will be interesting to both children and adults and afford a point of interest unavailable along most pathways. We think the path will immediately become a remarkable highlight on the waterfront, attracting people to the new experience it will provide.

WalkBoston offers two suggestions that we hope DCR might still consider:

• Urban walking and running opportunities – Given the opportunities that the Greenway opens up for walking and running within the urban area, we suggest that DCR consider formalizing the running accommodation by including a soft surface trail adjacent to the paved path. This is particularly relevant because the path is located near neighborhoods that have the greatest need of facilities such as this for recreation.

• Width of the path – We note that the path is proposed to be built with a standard 10-foot width. We hope that the facility can be designed and constructed with adequate space to allow for future widening to provide adequate space for a mix of walkers, runners and bicyclists as its use grows over the coming year. DCR might consider an 11 – 12 foot width now to allow two side-by-side walkers or bicyclists to pass someone coming in the opposite direction.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this project. Please feel free to contact us if there are any questions.

Sincerely,

Robert Sloane
Senior Planner