| PROJECT(S) / ISSUE(S) | AFFILIATION | NAME | REQUEST/ SUPPORT/ OPPOSE |
COMMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridge Replacement, Route 27 Over Route 9 and Interchange Improvements | Town of Natick, Board of Selectmen | Charles M. Hughes, Chair | Support | Supports inclusion of the Bridge Replacement, Route 27 (North Main Street) over Route 9 in the FFYs 2021-2025 LRTP. The project will support economic development and quality of life initiatives, and the ability to safely move people through Natick is essential to the Town and Region's continued success. The project will benefit both Natick residents and those who visit the region. |
| I-90/I-495 Interchange & I-495/I-290/Route 85 Interchange | 495/MetroWest Partnership | Paul Matthews & Jessica Strunkin | Request | The 495/MetroWest region has a diverse economic base and high quality of life, however transportation challenges remain. They are concerned how the MPO's new Operations and Management (O&M) approach will meet the needs of the regionally significant projects such as the I-90/I-495 Interchange in Hopkinton, Southborough, and Westborough and the I-495/I-290/Route 85 Interchange in Hudson and Marlborough. They understand the funding constraints but are disappointed by the inability to fund and plan these critical projects. Both projects have completed the ENF process and are high on the list of priorities for MassDOT District 3. They are long-standing priorities of the Partnership. The I-90/I-495 project was included in MassDOT's 2016 CIP as one of the "five projects of particular note." Partnership urges the MPO to include both projects in the LRTP. Offer strong support for the Route 126/Route135/MBTA & CSX Railroad and the Bridge Replacement at Route 27 (North Main Street) over Route 9 (Worcester Street) Interchange Improvements projects included in the LRTP. |
| Operations & Management Programs | Blank | Paul Matthews & Jessica Strunkin (cont.) | Request | The Partnership hopes that the 495/MetroWest region benefits from the several regionwide funding and project categories such as Complete Streets (for example Reconstruction of Taunton Street in Wrentham and Reconstruction of Pleasant Street in Franklin). Bike/Ped (for example the Route 111 Trail in Boxborough and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Phases 2D and 2E in Sudbury), Intersection Improvements (for example Route 20/Landham Road in Sudbury and Route 9/Central Street/Oak Hill Road in Southborough), and Community Transportation/Parking/Clean Air and Mobility. The Partnership expects equitable distribution of such resources across the Boston region. They hope their region's rural and suburban communities are not at a disadvantage compared to their fellow urban MPO municipalities when project selection moves forward. |
| Bridge Replacement, Route 27 Over Route 9 and Interchange Improvements & Route 126/Route135/MBTA & CSX Railroad | Blank | Paul Matthews & Jessica Strunkin (cont.) | Support | Offer strong support for the Route 126/Route135/MBTA & CSX Railroad and the Bridge Replacement at Route 27 (North Main Street) over Route 9 (Worcester Street) Interchange Improvements projects included in the LRTP. |
| I-90/I-495 Interchange | Southwest Advisory Planning Committee (SWAP) | Gino Carlucci, Chair | Request | The subregion's top priority project is improvements to the I-90/I-495 Interchange in Hopkinton. This project is not listed due to financial constraints, and SWAP believes it should be. Request that the project be listed with a notation that there is no funding currently identified for these critical improvements. SWAP understands that planned modifications will include open road tolling which is part of the delay and expense. However, there may be additional federal programs developed in the future that could result in the MPO receiving unanticipated funding. This project needs to be on a list of priorities should funding become available. |
| Operations & Management Programs/Scenario Planning/Prioritizing Major Investment projects | Regional Transportation Advisory Council | Mike Gowing, Chairman | Support / Request | Support the adoption of the Operations and Management (O&M) scenario, rather than the High-Capital Investment Congestion Management scenario or the Current LRTP scenario. Support designating funding for general types of small projects, with specific projects beyond the current TIP period to be selected at a later date. Request that the MPO conduct further analysis of scenarios with additional funding beyond the projected LRTP levels, to illustrate the regional benefits that could be achieved through expanded investment in transportation. Request that the MPO collaborate more closely with MassDOT and the contiguous MPOs (including the MBTA and regional transit authorities) to develop a process where priorities for major investments in the Boston region can be jointly determined. Request that the Regional Transportation Advisory Council continue to provide input as the MPO develops and implements guidelines for funding decisions funding in the 2021 and beyond timeframes. |
| Last Mile Connections | CrossTown Connect Transportation Management Association | Scott Zadakis, Executive Director | Request | This TMA is on the periphery of the MPO boundaries and have limited transportation choices. They are regionalizing some of their services and urge the MPO to do the same and consider connectivity and cross-boundary connections to other RTAs and systems in its planning process so as to be as inclusive as possible to communities that lie between RTAs. Support the decision to focus on operations and management projects, especially the "last mile" shuttle connections, but are concerned that the allocation is too small. The MPO should consider a more robust allocation before adoption of the LRTP. The Fitchburg Commuter Rail schedule should be adjusted to allow for more reverse commuting. They believe that adding an earlier train would encourage people to use commuter rail instead of driving. Reduced fares for reverse commute would also incentivize the use of commuter rail. This could actually increase revenue because trains would not be empty. They support weighing various options and scenarios for increased parking at commuter rail stations. More parking and more peak-period outbound trains will create viable reverse commute for talented workers from the Boston area. |
| North and South Station Link/ Concord Rotary improvements/ intersection and signal improvements in Sudbury/Hudson Rotary improvements/Bike & Ped | Blank | Scott Zadakis, Executive Director (cont.) | Support | Support the future link between North and South Station. Also support Concord Rotary improvements, intersection and signal improvements in Sudbury, and improvements to the Hudson Rotary. Thank the MPO for funding the Assabet River Rail Trail and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trails. Continue to funds these types of projects with an eye toward connecting them to the Fitchburg Commuter Rail line. |
| Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Phase 2D (Sudbury) | Blank | Dick Williamson | Request | Requests an update of the LRTP to reflect that the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Phase 2D is no longer "conceptual." Notes that VHB has been contracted for the 25% design plans, and that the project could be considered for the FFY 2019 TIP. |
| Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Phase 2D (Sudbury) | Town of Sudbury, Board of Selectmen | Leonard Simon | Request | Requests an update of the LRTP to reflect that the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Phase 2D is no longer "conceptual." Notes that the 25% design study began in November 2014, and should be completed by February 2016. |
| Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Phase 2D (Sudbury) | Blank | Louis Hills | Request | More support for BFRT is needed. Requests that Phase 2B be moved back to 2017 and that the Sudbury BFRT phase of design and construction be programmed at the earliest possible dates. |
| Bruce Freeman Rail Trail | Blank | Anne Anderson | Request | Keep the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail on schedule. This a major bicycle and pedestrian corridor. |
| Circumferential Transit | Blank | Schuyler Larrabee | Request | Requests that the MPO support the development of circumferential lines for the MBTA. States that there has been planning for a line that would use the right-of-way through MIT and then through Longwood Medical Area, with extensions on either end. Suggests that the MPO consider a line from Union Square, through Harvard to Harvard Street in Allston, to Brookline Village, and ultimately to the Red Line in the south of the region. |
| Route 9 / Massachusetts Turnpike (Framingham, Natick, & Wellesley) | Resident, City of Somerville | Joel Weber | Request | Suggests diverting Route 9 traffic in Framingham, Natick, and Wellesley to the Massachusetts Turnpike, which could be achieved through removing the financial incentive in the Pike's toll structure, adding a lane in each direction to the Pike, and a road diet on Route 9. Reducing traffic on Route 9 could make the Route 27 over Route 9 bridge replacement unnecessary, and diverting traffic from signalized intersections on Route 9 could reduce collisions and address safety needs identified in the LRTP. A road diet on Route 9 could be an opportunity to make bus service on Route 9 more appealing. Removing the toll from the Pike's interchange with Route 9 in Framingham may be more appropriate depending on the shift in traffic. |
| Park & Ride | Resident, City of Somerville | Joel Weber | Request | Asks if MassDOT, the MBTA, and the MPO have explored opportunities to adjust pricing to better distribute vehicles to adjacent parking facilities with available capacity. The LRTP doesn't have a map highlighting underutilized parking facilities. |
| Bicycle Parking | Resident, City of Somerville | Joel Weber | Request | The LRTP discusses the Community Transportation/Parking and Clean Air and Mobility program but does not have a clear commitment to add bicycle parking at MBTA stations that have a high utilization rate of bike parking. This bicycle parking should be constructed as soon as possible. Additionally new multi-use path connections (Tri-Community Bikeway connected Alewife Brook bike path, Wayside Trail to the Fitchburg Cutoff Path) should be considered at Alewife Station when determining future demand for bike parking. |
| Bike Racks on MBTA Buses | Resident, City of Somerville | Joel Weber | Request | Suggests the installation of bike racks on all MBTA buses. |
| Expanding Green Line Capacity | Resident, City of Somerville | Joel Weber | Request | MassDOT, the MBTA, and the MPO should explore possibilities for improving capacity in the Green Line's central subway tunnel. The organizations should look at the possibility of a grade separated Copley Junction, lengthening platforms to support making 225 foot trains the norm during peak travel times. Future Green Line cars should be 225 foot cars with smart readers at each door. Questions why the Green Line is at capacity. The possibility of building a flyover between Copley and Arlington Stations should be explored. Platforms at Park, Copley, Boylston and Arlington stations should be lengthened, as well as existing surface Green Line stations. Discusses the possibilities of taking the existing outbound E branch track from Boylston Street to Huntington Avenue out of revenue service make it available as a storage track allowing parking for a disabled trains or for overnight storage. |
| McGrath Boulevard (Somerville) | Resident, City of Somerville | Chris Gunadi | Support | Supports inclusion of the McGrath Boulevard project in the LRTP. States that the project will make the area more accessible and pedestrian-friendly, and improve quality of life. |
| McGrath Boulevard (Somerville) | Resident, City of Medford | Kevin Cuddeback | Support | Supports inclusion of the McGrath Boulevard project in the LRTP. |
| McGrath Boulevard (Somerville) | Resident, City of Medford | Patrick Bibbins | Support | Supports inclusion of the McGrath Boulevard project in the LRTP. |
| McGrath Boulevard (Somerville) | Resident, City of Somerville | Karen Molloy | Support | Supports inclusion of the McGrath Boulevard project in the LRTP. |
| Green Line, Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Montvale Avenue Reconstruction, and McGrath Boulevard | Resident, City of Medford | Ken Krause | Support | Supports inclusion of the Green Line Extension, Phases I & II, in the FFYs 2016-20 TIP. States that the project will improve regional mobility, air quality and transportation equity, and generate an estimated $4 billion in related economic development activity. Notes that Medford has already seen a tremendous amount of associated economic development and is benefiting from the nearly completed rail bridge reconstruction over Harvard Street. Supports funding to extend the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (Phases 2B and 2C) as part of the 200-mile Bay Circuit Trail and Greenway. Supports funding to reconstruct and widen Montvale Avenue in Woburn from the I-93 interchange to Central Street, including new sidewalks and wheelchair ramps. Supports inclusion of the McGrath Boulevard project in the LRTP. States that the project will improve conditions for bicycling and walking, and provide safer and more convenient access to Union Square and Washington Street Green Line stations |
| McGrath Boulevard and Bicycle & Pedestrian Projects | Friends of the Community Path | Lynn Weissman & Alan Moore | Support | Supports inclusion of the McGrath Boulevard project in the LRTP. States that the project will make the area more accessible and pedestrian-friendly, and improve quality of life. Urges the MPO to: (1) Continue funding of multi-use paths (2) Shift funding away from highway expansion (3) Prioritize bicycle and pedestrian projects when programming the Clean Air and Mobility funds |
| Green Line/McGrath Boulevard (Somerville) | Resident, City of Somerville | Alan Moore | Support | Supports inclusion of the Green Line to Route 16 and the McGrath Boulevard projects in the LRTP. Other necessary projects include continued funding to support of multi-use paths, shifting funding away from highway expansion and prioritizing bicycle and pedestrian projects with future Clean Air/Mobility funds. |
| Green Line/McGrath Boulevard | Members of the Massachusetts State Legislature | Senator Jehlin, Representative Barber, Representative Garballey, Representative Provost, Representative Toomey | Support | Support the MPO's commitment to both phases of the Green Line Extension which is important to their constituents. Also supports the inclusion of the McGrath Boulevard project in the 2026-2030 time band of the LRTP. |
| Green Line Phase 1, Community Path, Green Line Phase 2, Rutherford Avenue, and McGrath Boulevard | STEP & MVTF | Wig Zamore | Support | Appreciates the work of the Boston MPO and finds the meetings, staff presentations, Board discussion, and public outreach to be exemplary. The certification documents represent appropriate prioritization of sustainable transit and complete streets, with growing regional walk and bike facility emphasis. Applauds the MPO's decision to fund community-based projects at the expense of some larger highway projects. Grateful to see Green Line Phase 1 and Community Path supported by the state. Also grateful to see Green Line Phase 2, Rutherford Avenue, and McGrath Boulevard supported by the MPO. |
| Air Quality | STEP & MVTF | Wig Zamore (cont.) | Request | Regarding environmental impacts of transportation, hopes that the MPO will soon be able to fully recognize the serious impacts of transportation air pollution and noise on nearby residents, workers, and students. Regarding climate, states that it would be helpful to include black carbon from diesel in our climate pollutant inventories and in transportation conformity. With regard to equity, states that it would be beneficial to more fully use disaggregated TAZ level data to really investigate the disparities in transportation neighborhood facilities and transportation exposures. |
| Green Line and Air Quality Conformity | Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) | Rafael Mares | Support/ Request | Supports the Green Line Extension project in the TIP. Requests that the MPO return to its previous practice of conducting a conformity analysis for ozone. A recent court action affirmed the requirement for the MPO to conduct an ozone conformity analysis. CLF understands that the MPO did not plan to continue to abandon this tool but do so on the advice of US EPA. Normally after a region achieves attainment, it moves into a maintenance process. When the 2008 ozone standard was established, the 1997 standard was revoked and Eastern Massachusetts became an "orphan area" where conformity was not required. The court decision determined that this revocation violates the Clean Air Act. Pursuant to this ruling, the MPO would be required to conduct a conformity determination, however, EPA issued a new rule revoking the entire 1997 air quality standard which was presumably the agency's basis for advising MassDOT and the MPO that no conformity analysis was required. This revocation is being challenged again. Since the MPO intends to conduct a greenhouse gas analysis, adding the conformity analysis for ozone will not be an arduous additional step. This will allow the MPO to assure its members and the public that the proposed plan remains consistent with the goal of protecting the region from serious public health threats associated with ozone. |
| Grand Junction Multi-Use Path | Resident, City of Cambridge | Mark Jaquith | Request | Requests inclusion of the Grand Junction Multi-Use Path in the LRTP. States that connecting East Somerville, North Point, East Cambridge, Kendall Square, MIT / Cambridgeport, and Allston Landing to the existing Minuteman, Charles River, and Harborwalk path systems will make bicycle commuting a safer, more accessible alternative for thousands of individuals. |
| Framingham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee | Tom Branham | Request | The overall emphasis and connotation of Boston as the core demotes every other region to insignificance. There is a need to establish permanent regional cooperative intergovernmental forums (for example the MetroWest open space forums). Having open lines of communication could encourage a plethora of new ideas. Serious consideration should be held to defining new standards for a low speed electric personal transportation (wheelchairs, e-assist bikes, Segway's, etc.). Global warming - planning should be done to allow for potential evacuation needs, including the potential for temporary storage of essential transit, rescue and repair vehicles. Seeing more bike and pedestrian awareness in design and overall conceptual design is very encouraging. Provided grammatical and formatting notes and suggestions from reading each chapter. | |
| Bicycle & Pedestrian Projects | Resident, Town of Framingham | William Hanson | Support/ Request | Delighted to see the commitment to infrastructure improvements benefitting pedestrian and bicyclists. As a resident of Framingham, support projects in his community such as the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and the Cochituate Trail. Also supports additional pedestrian crossings across Route 9. States that it would be convenient to be able to download the entire document in one file and to create full document automation with active intra-document links. |
| Bicycle Projects | Blank | David Hutcheson | Request | The LRTP should strongly include rail trails and bicycle and pedestrian access. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Mass Central Rail Trail, Assabet River Rail Trail, and Bay Colony Rail Trail allow for good health. |
| Malden/Revere/Saugus Route 1 Transportation Improvement Project | North Shore Alliance for Economic Development | Chief Elected Officials from Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Middleton, Newbury, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Revere, Swampscott, Wenham, Winthrop, Gloucester, Beverly, Newburyport, Rockport, Peabody, Marblehead, Lynn, Manchester, Nahant | Request | Concerned that the Route 1 Transportation Improvement Project has been removed from the Draft LRTP. Route 1 commuters have been forced to contend with these worsening and intolerable conditions along Route 1 for too long. The chief elected officials are requesting that MassDOT and the MPO (1) Reevaluate the Route 1 Improvement to Identify “specific phases” of the project that will address some of the immediate traffic, safety and environmental concerns that affect communities all along the Route 1 North corridor and (2) Include an identified and appropriate phase of the Route 1 Improvement Project as eligible for funding in the Final LRTP and FFY2016-2019 TIP respectively. By phasing the project and funding a portion of the improvements, some progress can be realized. This stretch of highway creates negative effects and disincentives for private investment, job creation, and economic development on the North Shore. This is a "highway nightmare" on a daily basis. Despite exhaustive efforts and participation by the Alliance, the Commonwealth has not advanced this project. They collectively request that MassDOT and the Boston Region MPO revisit the decision to remove the Route 1 Improvement project from the current Draft LRTP and the FFY 2016-2019 TIP to identify “specific phases” of the project that will address some of the immediate traffic, safety and environmental concerns that affect communities all along the Route 1 North corridor. |
| Malden/Revere/Saugus Route 1 Transportation Improvement Project | Cities of Malden, and Revere, and Town of Saugus | Gary Christenson, Mayor of Malden Daniel Rizzo, Mayor of Revere Scott Crabtree, Town Manager of Saugus |
Request | Dismayed to learn that the Malden/Revere/Saugus Route 1 Transportation Improvement project is not included in the STIP and LRTP. Communities are negatively impacted in terms of commute time and wasted economic opportunity and constitutes an incredible waste of energy, time, and human potential. The three communities propose a three-phase plan over a multi-year period (plan attached). The project segments have within them certain actions that could be approached sequentially over a defined time period. There was a $10 million authorization in the 2013 Bond Bill but was not prioritized in the 2015-2018 TIP. The Commonwealth must take steps that can aid the hundreds of thousands of long suffering Route 1 commuters and hundreds of businesses forced to contend these deplorable conditions. They ask that the Project Selection Advisory Committee meet with the chief executives of the three communities to discuss a path to resolving the issue. Would like this to happen before the final 2016-2020 STIP is approved. |
| Route 4/225(Bedford Street) and Hartwell Avenue Project (Lexington) | Town of Lexington, Planning Board | Aaron Henry, Planning Director | Support | Supports inclusion of the Route 4/225(Bedford Street) and Hartwell Avenue Project in the LRTP. This corridor is a significant link in the regional transportation and economic development network. The Town supports and recognizes that the existing transportation infrastructure needs to be upgraded to support future development. Inclusion of this project is an important step to improve conditions along this corridor. |
| Blank | Resident, City of Cambridge | John MacDougall | Oppose | Concerned about MassDOT's slow progress in meeting the requirements of the 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act. |
| Canton Interchange Project | Three Rivers Interlocal Council (TRIC) | Sarah Raposa | Request | Canton Interchange: Between 2007 and 2015, TRIC has been consistent in supporting the full completion of the Canton Interchange project to alleviate public safety and traffic congestion issues at this location. It is a continuing detriment to quality of life and viability and prosperity of business interests that depend on a functional roadway system capable of handling employee commutes, truck deliveries, and customer access. Full completion has been promised repeatedly over the years. Information on this project has been sparse and this jeopardizes good faith efforts between communities and private developers. Complete funding must be found to move this project forward. |
| I-93/I-95 Interchange in Woburn, Reading, Stoneham, and Wakefield | North Suburban Planning Council | Kristin Kassner | Request | Supports the MPO's decision to shift the majority of funding away from larger projects to fund smaller local projects. They also feel that some portion of the I-93/I-95 Interchange in Woburn, Reading, Stoneham, and Wakefield should be funded or fund feasible transit improvements in the area. This interchange is central to vehicular circulation in the region. There are significant safety problems and it is a high crash location. The safety and congestion issues are highly concerning. The significant amount of drivers in the subregion is a result of a lack of public transportation in the subregion. Many communities are providing alternative transportation options but more is needed. Alternative options must be available and if the interchange is not remedied, the economy of the subregion will be threatened. Requests that a small portion of funding be dedicated to continuing to advance the interchange project and studies should be pursued to identify feasible alternatives for public transportation to serve the subregion. |
| Climate Change | Massachusetts Sierra Club | Cathy Ann Buckley, Chairman | Request | The statement in Chapter 8 that addresses global warming should read "The largest threat the MPO and humanity face is the need to reduce GHG emissions that contribute to climate change, which if unchecked, will impair our transportation system and way of life on an unparalleled scale." This statement should appear at the beginning of Chapter 8, and Chapter 8 should be Chapter 1 of the LRTP because many worthwhile things are included in this chapter. Many of the people that approved the list of projects in the LRTP either did not read or do not believe what is in this chapter. The climate impacts that we are experiencing today are based on the carbon dioxide emissions from the last 100 years. By 2040, the emissions of 1915 to 1940 will fall out and be replaced by the emissions we generate now through 2040. To include significant funds to deal with what we are inviting by our inaction on climate would be intelligent and courageous. To ignore them is politically expedient. With each passing year of inaction we become less able to change this trajectory. The LRTP states that the project mix is expected to show a neutral shift toward meeting the GHG reduction goal. What would someone reading this plan in 2040 think? Perhaps - "what were we thinking, we still had a chance in 2015." Please educate people to the real and potential threat of climate change. Please educate people to the real and present threat of climate change. Publicize that a gallon of gasoline creates twenty pounds of carbon dioxide. Tell us why Massachusetts has made idling illegal. Educate us as to why raising transit fares is bad for our financially neediest residents today and for all of us tomorrow, that a healthy transit system is good for motorists, too. Please lead. |
| Blank | Blank | Cathy Ann Buckley, Chairman (cont.) | Request | Those who study climate know that we are approaching - at an accelerating rate - a point of no return. Accumulating evidence indicates that this may well be the last Plan where we still have a chance to make a positive impact. |
| Alewife/Fresh Pond area in Cambridge | The Fresh Pond Residents Alliance | Arthur Strang | Request | The Alliance is confounded by the complexity, multilayer, independent government offices, each of which has a distinct responsibility quasi-insulated from the other by the structure of management of transportation in Massachusetts. An attempt to list all the management layers includes all the municipalities of the Commonwealth (309), the requirements of the federal government as expressed through the Boston MPO, MassDOT, the MBTA, the DCR, and multiple Secretaries, and the Governor. They do not see this complex multilayer of management is responsible or responsive to the commuter. Each day, the commuter tests the maximum capacity of our roads and our transit systems. We find this daily test inimical to urban neighborhoods and unresponsive to the demands of the urban commuter. Good, skilled, knowledgeable, and dedicated people are operating the commuter system each day. However, there efforts are hindered by the lack of money for maintenance, the lack of clear management from the top as to the best way forward, and the diffusion of transportation authority throughout the government. A clarity of strategy and a redirection of intent is required for mobility in the neighborhoods of rising density in Urban Metropolitan Boston. Specific comments are in regard to the Alewife/Fresh Pond area in Cambridge. Development is adding to congestion and the Red Line is near capacity. The roads are full, especially during commuting hours and it is unlikely that more lane miles will be built in Urban Metropolitan Boston and Complete Streets reduce vehicle lane miles. Commuting hours are lengthening, speeds are falling and commuters will rise dramatically by 2040, over 14% according to the Boston MPO. These conditions are likely to be more severe in many parts of Urban Metropolitan Boston—such as |
| Blank | Blank | Arthur Strang (cont.) | Request | Cambridge, Watertown, Belmont, Arlington, Newton, Brookline, Boston and many others. Transportation funding is tight, and perhaps more important, uncertain. Walking is low cost and enables high density transit. It is inexpensive to making public paths—direct, attractive, safe—especially for development close to transit hubs. Alewife is one example, Kendall Square is another. Road capacity and commuting speeds can increase by raising the density of commuters per vehicle rather than by increasing the number of vehicles through an intersection. Buses, including private, TMA, and public, are inexpensive. Preference for buses, some carrying over 60 commuters at crush capacity, can increase the number of commuters over the roads. The strategic statement of Charting Progress 2040 should be walk, bike, bus, rail. The strategy requires well planned investment in paths that are direct, safe, and attractive, and significantly better management of the operations of buses, subway, and rail, and better management and more money for maintenance of transit. A clear strategy is critical for the rising development around transit centers, for the technology growth centers in Urban Metropolitan, and for older close‐in neighborhoods for which more attractive and safer walking paths can make transportation more neighborhood friendly. Some communities will need more proactive guidance and support to implement strategy. |
| Blank | Blank | Arthur Strang (cont.) | Request | Given fixed, even declining lane space, the only way to accommodate more commuters at a speed and volume relevant to a thriving economy is to increase the ‘density’ of commuters, not the density of vehicles and cars. To do this, government at all levels must act to make transit more attractive. Buses both public and private increase density of commuters. Compared with all other modes of transportation, except walk and bike, the bus is both inexpensive and faster to install. UberPool, Via, Bridj, and other yet to be invented apps attempt more dense utilization of existing capacity—more commuters, whether per vehicle or per traffic lane. Preference on the road for buses and faster bus service can attract riders. Would like to see a strategy within the severe budget constraints for this in the LRTP. The MPO's Operations and Management strategy is a good beginning but needs to go further. A more neighborhood-centric strategy is needed for urban mobility in the future. They do not doubt that infrastructure need to be improved but the urban future should be a combination of walk, bike, bus, applications, transit, rail, and “walk the last mile”. Alewife could be an example of this approach using walking and transit capacity, including enhanced bus service. Improved access to the Alewife T will be relevant only if the capacity of the Red Line is increased. We need to ensure that commuters, other residents, and arriving workers will be able to walk to a wide variety of modern connections, including home, work, school, and, on the way, daycare and the market. |
| Blank | Blank | Arthur Strang (cont.) | Request | There is only one major transit infrastructure investment listed in the LRTP, the Green Line Extension. There are several other major transit investments that are needed if we are to tackle the problem of urban traffic congestion and the current lack of efficient mobility. These include a Red-Blue line connection, other subway line extensions, and major commuter rail improvements. To not even consider these investments until after 2040 is unfortunate, and may undermine the objectives of the Boston MPO. A new commuter station at Alewife on the Fitchburg Line would help. Specific comments: (1) Map 3.2 seems to misrepresent or not report the arterial bottleneck of crossing the Charles River at Gerry’s Landing Road to Soldier’s Field Road. The parallel Memorial Drive is also an arterial bottleneck. (2) Map 3.3 lacks the Alewife T Garage with its daily 100% full capacity. (Does Park & Ride include the T stations? Alewife T is not on the Park & Ride Map.) (3) Map 3.5 does not show the gaps in the bike paths from the Alewife T/Minuteman Commuter Bike Path to Harvard Square and Kendall Square. (4) They support the Transportation Equity Area of Map 3.7, specifically north of the Fitchburg Commuter Line of Alewife and Rindge Avenue and North Cambridge. It should be noted that areas of commercial development (like Alewife or Kendall Square) depend on a full range of workers all of whom need to get there from their residential areas. We also note that there is no bus from Rindge Avenue nor from all of Cambridge directly to the Alewife T a station. Thus, except for getting on the Red Line first, there is no attractive access from anywhere in Cambridge to the eight MBTA bus lines or private bus lines outbound from Cambridge. |