Tag: South Boston

Joint Comment Letter Re: Seaport Square Notice of Project Change

Joint Comment Letter Re: Seaport Square Notice of Project Change

June 17, 2022

To: Nick Carter, BPDA
Re: Seaport Square Notice of Project Change

Dear Mr. Carter,

Our collective organizations are pleased to provide comments on the Notice of Project Change for the Seaport Square Project. Overall we are very supportive of the public realm improvements proposed in the NPC, specifically:

  1. The expansion of the amount of open space and green space to be constructed on Block F of the Project. We believe the addition of this space will enhance Seaport Common as a community-oriented gathering place, offering more space for both structured and unstructured outdoor activities in the area.
  2. The inclusion of a direct pedestrian connection between the Harbor Way linear park and Fan Pier Green. The Seaport area is in desperate need of more accessible and direct pedestrian connections throughout the neighborhood. This connection will help close one of these gaps.
  3. The proponent’s commitment to replace paint-only bicycle lanes on the Evelyn Moakley Bridge with protected cycling infrastructure. Protected cycling facilities are long overdue and will both promote more cycling in the neighborhood and help calm the often speeding motor vehicles on the bridge.
  4. The significant increase in the volume of residential uses and percentage of on-site affordable housing to be constructed on Blocks L-3 and L-6 of the Project.
  5. The creation of additional Transportation Network Company (TNC) pick- up/drop-off zones along Seaport Boulevard and Northern Avenue.

The neighborhood, and City as a whole, is in desperate need of additional open space and affordable housing. We believe the proponent is making a good faith effort to address these needs in the NPC. Additionally the proposed project changes are aligned with the City’s mode shift, climate and green space goals and we believe will enhance the overall experience of those traveling to and through the neighborhood.

Stacy Thompson
Executive Director, LivableStreets

Wendy Landman
Senior Policy Advisor, WalkBoston

Becca Wolfson
Executive Director, Boston Cyclists Union

Galen Mook
Executive Director, Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition

Transportation Advocates South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan Comments

Transportation Advocates South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan Comments

April 1, 2022
Jascha Franklin-Hodge
Boston Chief of Streets

Jim Fitzgerald
BPDA, Interim Deputy Director of Transportation & Infrastructure Planning

Re:  South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan

Dear Jascha and Jim:

Our collective organizations offer joint comments on the South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan. Our comments build on the many verbal and written comments we’ve offered over the last few years, both about this plan, and specific projects within the project area. 

While our organizations are eager to see the City tackle the very significant transit needs of this burgeoning part of the City, we continue to worry that this plan lacks the level of City leadership and cohesive vision needed to allow the neighborhood’s residents, businesses and workers to thrive in the years ahead. We would be pleased to meet with you to discuss our comments and our thoughts about how the project could be more effectively advanced.

Our specific concerns are outlined below: 

Coordination + Cohesion: It remains unclear what the big picture goal and overall time frame is for the plan. As presented at the most recent public meeting, the “plan” was offered mostly as a laundry list of current and potent projects and lacked details about the timeline for implementation. It also lacked an appropriate level of coordination with the bike plan and offered no clear plan for improving accessibility for the area. Any successful transit plan must take these interconnected needs into account. 

  • As a first step, we recommend  putting  all of the recommendations into one description and map color coded by timing of implementation (or perhaps overlays by year). The public needs to understand what is happening when and where.
    • A tremendous amount of development is in various stages of planning and permitting, each of which is documenting their anticipated transit, walking, biking, parking and delivery operations. Please provide a consolidated look at all of these proposals and then describe how the plan for transit, sidewalks, bike lanes and roadways can accommodate the anticipated number of people and vehicles. 
    • Distinguish between the projects for which designs and funding are known (with some degree of certainty) and those which are still only ideas.
    • Identify which entity (or entities) will be responsible for paying for, leading on designs and decision-making, and implementing the projects.
    • Multi-agency complications exist on the roads in the neighborhood as well as in transit operations. Please clarify the ownership of the roads among MassDOT, MassPort and City BTD & BPDA.

Much is still unknown or unclear about the actual transit components of this transit plan. While there are proposed high level connections, there is very little detail about how those connections will be achieved. 

Better bus connections are needed: (1) to/from North Station – and not just connecting to South station; (2) along Summer Street; (3) A Street; (4) Silver Line improvements (5) D Street service to Nubian Square (6) Express bus route changes. In order to provide clarity about what this plan will achieve to improve transit, we recommend: 

  • Including information about the schedules of future service – we understand that precise information is not possible, but a vague description of “increased” service is not adequate.
  • Provide information about where funding will come from for both capital and operational investment
  • Provide a description of the current overall capacity of bus service for the district and what the future capacity goals are.
  • Distinguish between public (MBTA) and private shuttle service. Describe how private shuttles are being considered in the process and whether these services will be opened to the public.
  • Provide details about where buses will layover. Should there be a central point they all serve? Convention Center and Silver Line Way are the only remaining locations owned by the State with sufficient land area. 
  • Outline how this process interacts and is coordinated with the MBTA Bus Network Redesign process. 

MBTA Station improvements are critical to the plan

  • Improve bus circulation around Broadway station with vastly improved pedestrian crossings at West Broadway.
  • Build a new headhouse at Broadway Station to get last mile access from the northern side of West Broadway

Accessibility for people with disabilities must be definitively addressed, especially from South Station to A Street (via Congress Street is not an acceptable answer) and Broadway to the whole district.

  • Schedule a meeting with advocates and Boston Disabilities Commission in Spring 2022.
  • Focus on the network and connectivity, not just piecemeal, but rather a full concept of developed routes to serve as many needs as possible.

This plan must also compliment and contribute to better and safer bike conditions, especially on  Summer Street, Congress Street and  A Street.

  • Clarify the intended network and the timing of each piece of the network.
  • Clarify the goals, location and design of the South Bay Harbor Trail, including a discussion of the proposed width of the trail and whether it will be adequate to serve people walking and biking as a commuter route.
  • Prioritize separated bike lanes because bikes must be a core piece of the transportation system. They must be built into the network not just planned on a development-by-development basis.
  • Additionally, we want to see robust bike parking being considered as critical bike infrastructure – not only indoor bike rooms and bike parking that is accessible to residents and workers in new buildings, but on-street (or street-accessible), high-capacity bike parking, and want to ensure it is accounted for with all transportation planning in the area.

Make a final determination that there will be no vehicles, other than emergency access, on Northern Avenue Bridge. There has not been a public meeting about the Northern Avenue Bridge project since April of 2020. At that meeting there was overwhelming opposition to both the proposed design and the proposed allowance of vehicles on the bridge. It is concerning that several of the proposed routes in the South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan assumed some access over the Northern Avenue bridge, when there are still many outstanding concerns about that project. 

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the plan. We look forward to working with you in the months ahead.

Sincerely,

Tom Ready, FPNA

Stacy Thompson, Executive Director, LivableStreets 

Stacey Beuttell, Executive Director, WalkBoston

Wendy Landman, Senior Policy Advisor, WalkBoston

Becca Wolfson, Executive Director, Boston Cyclists Union

Galen Mook, Executive Director, Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition

Jarred Johnson, Executive Director, TransitMatters

Cc Mayor Michelle Wu
Ed Flynn, District 2 City Councilor
Michael Flaherty, At Large City Councilor
Julia Mejia – At Large City Councilor
Ruthzee Louijeune – At Large City Councilor
MassDOT Secretary Jamey Tesler
MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak

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

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

Walking Around South Boston’s Andrew Square

Walking Around South Boston’s Andrew Square

Spurred by engaged citizens and Councilor Ed Flynn’s office, WalkBoston led a pedestrian safety walk around the Andrew Square neighborhood of South Boston on Wednesday, December 4th. Area residents, Andrew Square Civic Association members, Councilor Flynn and staffers engaged in a lively discussion about current threats to pedestrian safety and a history of pedestrian injuries in and along Andrew Square, Old Colony Ave, Preble Street, Dorchester Street and Dorchester Avenue. The area has seen a number of development projects, with a significant amount yet to come in the future along Dorchester Avenue guided by PLAN: South Boston Dot Ave. Walking through the neighborhood, residents and WalkBoston staff noted various safety concerns driven by augmented traffic volume that has negatively impacted people walking or biking within the neighborhood and to the T station.

Attendees offered many potential solutions, including speed reduction, new crosswalks and restriping, road diets, bike lanes, and improved pedestrian signaling. After a snow storm, the walk also provided an opportunity to observe snow removal practices in action and areas of improvement. WalkBoston looks forward to supporting Andrew Square residents in advocating for policies and improvement measures that result in safer streets for everyone.

Development projects in the area impact pedestrian routes.
Parking close to crosswalks reduces visibility and pedestrian safety.
Snow and ice produce new challenges for walkers.