Paul Dudley White Path Archives

Allston Multimodal Project Outline for Purpose and Need Task Force Letter

October 28, 2019

Dear Secretary Pollack, Mr. Miller, and members of the MassDOT Board and Fiscal Management and Control Board,

We, as members of the Allston I-90 Multimodal Project, have appreciated MassDOT’s commitment to an open and collaborative process over the past five years. We are eager to continue this collaboration as the state and federal environmental permitting processes commence. It is therefore extremely disappointing that the project team has refused to share a draft Purpose and Need statement with the Task Force. The development of the Purpose and Need is a crucially important element of the process; we are concerned that denying the Task Force an opportunity to contribute to this essential step will delay the process and jeopardize our collective ability to achieve the best outcome for this project.

We thus respectfully submit an outline of the Purpose and Need, drafted by a number of Task Force members on behalf of the many stakeholders that have participated in the Allston I-90 process to date.

Purpose and Need:

Replace the structurally deficient I-90 viaduct, Cambridge Street Overpass, and Franklin Street Pedestrian Bridge
Improve the functionally deficient I-90 interchange in order to improve highway safety and maximize the amount of land to be made available for non-highway uses
Provide a new network of street connections between the new interchange and existing city streets that prioritizes multimodal operations and safety, and complies with the City of Boston Complete Streets Guidelines, Vision Zero policy, and 25mph speed limit
Reinstate passenger rail service to an area where it was discontinued when I-90 was originally built
Provide a four-track station and associated rail and bridge infrastructure to enable passenger rail service along the Grand Junction line, and transfers between that line and the Worcester-Framingham line
Provide multiple new bicycle, pedestrian, and bus connections between the area south of I-90 and Lower Allston and the Charles River, reconnecting the two halves of the neighborhood that have long been divided by rail and highway infrastructure
Repair the large gap in the urban fabric that has historically separated North and South Allston due to the rail and turnpike open cut design, by providing decking over new rail and highway infrastructure sufficient to support continuity of people-oriented land uses connecting North and South Allston
Expand and enhance the Paul Dudley White Path and parkland along the Charles River in what is currently the most dimensionally constrained and functionally, aesthetically, and ecologically deficient section of the Charles River Reservation as a direct result of the impacts of I-90 and Soldiers’ Field Road
Repair the eroded, manmade edge of the Charles River in order to restore the riverbank conditions and aquatic and riparian habitat of the Charles River, expand tree canopy, minimize untreated stormwater outflows to the River, and provide for stormwater flood resilience
Provide a significantly improved safety, noise, and vibration buffer between highway and rail infrastructure and adjacent residential areas and parklands
Build a new “People’s Pike” bicycle and pedestrian corridor that provides a direct, safe, low-stress connection between the Allston neighborhood and the Charles River, as called for in the City of Boston 2013 Bicycle Network Plan
Address public health, environmental justice, and issues of open space access and equity for residents impacted by the highway, as called for in the City of Boston Open Space Plan 2015-2021

We look forward to continuing to work in an open and collaborative manner with your agencies to expediently permit a project that will meet all of these important needs.

Thank you,
Henrietta Davis, Former Mayor of Cambridge and Task Force member
Jason Desrosier, Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation, Task Force member
Anthony D’Isidoro, Allston Civic Association, Allston resident, and Task Force member
Laura Jasinski, Charles River Conservancy, Task Force member
Harry Mattison, Allston resident and Task Force member
Galen Mook, Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, Allston resident, and Task Force member
Ari Ofsevit, LivableStreets Alliance, Cambridgeport resident, and Task Force member
Jessica Robertson, Allston resident and Task Force member
Bob Sloane and Stacey Beuttell, WalkBoston, Task Force member
Stacy Thompson, Livable Streets Alliance

CC:
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley
State Senator William Brownsberger
State Senator Sal DiDomenico
State Representative Michael Moran
State Representative Kevin Honan
City Council President Andrea Campbell
City Councilor-at-large Michelle Wu
City Councilor Mark Ciommo
Chief of Streets Chris Osgood
Boston Planning and Development Agency Director Brian Golden
Kate Fichter, MassDOT
Michael O’Dowd, MassDOT

Comment Letter on Paul Dudley White Construction Period Maintenance (02/7/19)

February 7, 2019

Stephanie Pollack                                             Leo Roy
Secretary of Transportation Commissioner
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation
Transportation Building                                   251 Causeway Street
10 Park Plaza 9^th Floor
Boston, MA 02116                                            Boston, MA 02114

Dear Secretary Pollack and Commissioner Roy:

We, the undersigned organizations, applaud MassDOT’s decision to rebuild the interchange of I-90 in Allston by reconstructing the Turnpike in a way that will result in wider riverside parkland and, we anticipate, restored riverbank. In addition to its environmental benefits, this will enhance facilities for the walkers, cyclists, and runners who flock to the area for recreation and commuting. We write to respond to the announcement that construction of the I-90 Intermodal Project will require an extended closure of the Paul Dudley White (PDW) path.

We urge you to develop a plan to retain the path during the construction period. We acknowledge that the project design next steps involve extensive mitigation, that stakeholders will continue to actively participate in stakeholder discussions, and that there is an immediate need to flag concerns regarding the PDW path.

The construction of the I-90 Project cannot and should not require closure of the Paul Dudley White (PDW) path for 8-10 years. The number of people who use the path and rely upon it as a commuter route is simply too large (and growing) to result in PDW users’ diversion to Cambridge. The proposed detour routes through Cambridge are difficult to maneuver and involve unsafe situations where path users will be forced to cross dangerous intersections and cyclists will be directed toward narrow sidewalks causing hazardous conditions for pedestrians sharing the walkway.

Our understanding is that closure of the PDW is an anticipated result of construction in the Throat area. We also understand that other parts of the project site, which are not as confined, offer places where the PDW path can be integrated safely with the highway construction. The law requires that MassDOT implement “all possible planning to minimize harm to the . . . recreation area” during and after construction. To comply, MassDOT and DCR must mitigate construction impacts in the Throat area allowing the PDW path to remain open for as much of the construction period as practicable, preferably on land or, if there is no other option, on a temporary structure in the Charles River.

In the past short temporary boardwalks have been built in the Charles River — for example, to bypass the Bowker interchange reconstruction. Temporary boardwalks have been used safely and effectively in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore park in Indiana, Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, New York, and at beaches in the Cape Cod National Seashore and in Duxbury and Sandwich, Massachusetts.

We urge you to incorporate plans to ensure access to the PDW path on the Boston side of the Charles River as you proceed with the difficult design work in the I-90 Throat area. The provision of atemporary Boston-side walking and biking path during construction is a necessary and legally required project element to mitigate any interruption in access to the permanent PDW path and prevent the safety problems that a Cambridge detour would bring to pedestrians and cyclists. Given the potentially lengthy roadway disruptions, alternative modes of transportation on the PDW will be critical to the Project’s success. We further request that the PDW path construction phase plans be added to the agenda for an upcoming Allston Multimodal Project Task Force meeting.

Thank you very much for your consideration and we look forward to your response.

Wendy Landman, Bob Sloane, WalkBoston
Margaret Van Deusen, Pallavi Mande, Charles River Watershed Association
Laura Jasinski, Harry Mattison, Charles River Conservancy
Staci Rubin, Conservation Law Foundation
Michael Nichols, The Esplanade Association
Galen Mook, Executive Director, MassBike
Becca Wolfson, Boston Cyclists Union
Stacy Thompson, Livable Streets

CC:
City of Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh, Chief of Streets Chris Osgood
City of Cambridge, Mayor Marc McGovern, Transportation Program Manager Bill Deignan
Town of Brookline, Transportation Board Chair Chris Dempsey
FHWA, Division Administrator Jeff McEwen, Assistant Division Administrator Ken Miller
Senator Joseph Boncore
Senator William Brownsberger
Senator Sal DiDomenico
Representative Michael Moran
Representative Kevin Honan
Representative Jay Livingstone
Representative Tommy Vitolo

WalkBoston comments on Craigie Dam/Bridge Design Alternatives

Date: January 2, 2019

To: Secretary Stephanie Pollack, Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, Andy Paul, Jackie Douglas,
James Kersten, MassDOT, Commissioner Leo Roy, Jeff Parenti, Dan Driscoll, DCR

Re: WalkBoston comments on Craigie Dam/Bridge Design Alternatives

We are relieved that MassDOT and DCR are committed to acting to improve the safety of people walking and biking on this critical roadway segment.

We have reviewed the options that were presented to the community on December 18^th and have several comments that are detailed below. However, we do not think that the relatively modest improvements that are planned for Spring 2019 are adequate to providing truly safe walking and biking conditions, and we urge MassDOT and DCR to develop more significant plans for safety for the Charles River bridges.

One approach that WalkBoston would like to see explored is the adoption of a pilot 20 MPH speed limit on all the Charles River Bridges from Harvard Square to the Craigie Dam/Bridge that would test an automated speed enforcement protocol. Over the last month we have attended meetings regarding safety and operations for the BU Bridge, the Longfellow Bridge and the Craigie Dam/Bridge. In each case, the completely fixed and limited right-of-way does not allow for the provision of protected bike accommodations within the roadway right-of-way without reducing the number of vehicle lanes. WalkBoston was distressed to hear suggestions by community members at one of these meetings to dedicate one of the sidewalks to bicycles rather than pedestrians in order to free up roadway space for vehicles (a suggestion that we were pleased was simply given, but then not taken up or discussed by any of the state or municipal staff).

MassDOT has already expressed its interest in adding automated enforcement to the state’s safety tools and we urge MassDOT to vigorously support a pilot program for the bridges. Setting and then enforcing a 20 MPH speed limit on all the bridges would significantly increase the safety of bicyclists using on-street bicycle lanes while at the same time allowing the number of vehicle lanes to remain as they are today.

Comments on Design Options A and B

Craigie Dam/Storrow Drive Intersection –

Take the following steps to minimize conflicts between people walking, biking and driving:

For turns from Craigie into Storrow Drive put in place (and enforce) a permanent No Right on Red regulation and include the permanently illuminated NRTOR sign
Set the vehicle for Craigie Dam traffic approaching Leverett Circle stop line back from the intersection (with Don’t Block the Box markings and enforcement) to allow bikes to queue in a bike box ahead of traffic
Provide marked bike lanes from Craigie to Martha Way through Leverett Circle
Tighten the turning radius of the corner from Craigie onto Storrow Drive and provide a bike ramp to the Paul Dudley White Path at the corner rather than having bikes get on the sidewalk before reaching the intersection. The very tight sidewalk space should be reserved for pedestrians.

Museum of Science Driveway and Museum Way/Craigie Intersection

Add crosswalk striping across the Museum of Science driveway.
Narrow the driveway to the greatest extent possible given the truck and bus movements needed for Museum of Science operations.
Consider signalizing the driveway entrance to the Museum of Science in coordination with the Museum Way signal.
Eliminate the conflicting left turn arrow across the WALK signal at the Museum Way crosswalk across Craigie.
Improve the street lighting of the crosswalk across Craigie at Museum Way

Craigie/Land Boulevard/Gilmore Bridge Intersection

Configure the signal timing at the Land Blvd/Craigie/Gilmore Bridge intersection to allow safe pedestrian and bike movements. A detailed description is provided below of the maneuver needed to ride a bike safely through the intersection under current conditions. This is in urgent need of improvement.

“At the intersection with Edwin H Land Blvd/ Gilmore Bridge, to feel safe as a bicyclist I will often violate traffic signals. The problem is that, whether traveling either inbound or outbound, if you wait for the light to change, traffic builds up next to you. When the light turns green, you are forced into the middle of a pack of fast-moving traffic, with cars and trucks rapidly accelerating and changing lanes.

The situation is particularly dangerous when traveling outbound and making a left on Cambridge Street (a route most bicyclists take, as Route 28 gets faster and more dangerous beyond the Cambridge St. intersection). As a bicyclist, if you leave the Gilmore intersection with vehicle traffic, you then have to work your way across 2 lanes of fast-moving traffic to get into your left turn, and then must hold your ground in the middle of four lanes of outbound traffic in order to end up on the right-hand side of the two lane Cambridge St. turnoff. You can also hug the left-hand side of the road by the median strip, but traveling on the left side of the road can be dangerous too.

I have found navigating the Science Bridge is actually safer when breaking the traffic signals. For example, when traveling outbound, if I hit the red light at the Gilmore intersection, there is a break in the signal when I usually run the red light on my bike. The break occurs between the green light for vehicles coming from Charlestown towards Cambridge, and the following green light for traffic moving inbound on 28. Taking the light this way has dangers too – at least one or two vehicles coming from Charlestown almost always speed through their red light (committing their own traffic violation), and you need to be absolutely sure those vehicles have stopped. Nevertheless, this method still allows me to make my way over to the Cambridge St turnoff without needing to cut across vehicle traffic, and feels much safer to me.”

Cc:
State Senator Joe Boncore
State Senator Sal DiDomenico
State Representative Jay Livingstone
State Representative Mike Connolly
Joe Barr, Cara Seiderman, Cambridge
Chris Osgood, Vineet Gupta, Charlotte Fleetwood, Boston
Becca Wolfson, Eliza Parad, Cyclists Union
Stacy Thompson, Steve Miller, LivableStreets Alliance
Galen Mook, Tom Francis, MassBike
Nate Fillmore, Cambridge Bike Safety