What will a half billion dollar Mass Pike reconstruction do for Allston?
Harry Mattison
Wednesday is the deadline to send comments to MassDOT about the rebuilding of the Mass Pike in Allston, the biggest transportation project in our community since the Pike was built!
It was great to have so many Allston and Brighton residents at the June 17 - now we need even more people to join us in asking for improvements in the current MassDOT design to make it better for people living near the Pike and people using public transportation, walking and cycling on city streets and along the Charles River.
A draft comment letter is below. Sending it "as is" with your name at the bottom is good. Personalizing it with why this is so important to you is even better!
Thanks
Harry
Patricia Leavenworth, P.E.
Dear Ms. Leavenworth,
This half billion-dollar project is too important to be little more than a massive highway project based on inflated future traffic predictions.
Neighbors and advocates have had clear, reasonable, and progressive goals since this project started in 2013:
Reuniting Allston’s North & South neighborhoods by connecting Cambridge Street and Commonwealth Ave.
A new “People’s Pike” off-road, multi-use path for walking and biking to the Charles River, Memorial Drive via the Grand Junction railroad bridge, and Comm Ave.
The transformation of Cambridge Street from an overbuilt speedway into a vibrant neighborhood street with protected bike lanes from Harvard Ave to the River.
Safe and inviting access from all directions to a new West Station transit stop.
Decking over the highway and railyards to reduce noise and air pollution & create a place for buildings, parks, and better travel connections (like the Prudential over the Mass Pike and the Rose Kennedy Greenway over I-93).
Overbuilt roads that encourage more traffic in the neighborhood.
No bus routes connecting Cambridge St and Comm Ave.
Circuitous and unwelcoming routes for people walking and biking to the Charles River and West Station.
A slightly wider sidewalk instead of a real People’s Pike.
A sliver of parkland instead of a true “Allston Esplanade.”
No plan to deck over the highway, but instead, a three-level West Station design that is incompatible with decking.
An extension of Seattle Street that will dramatically increase traffic on neighborhood streets.
Fix the Pike AND Allston
If we do this right, we will have a better highway, a better neighborhood for current and future residents, and safer streets for everyone. We only have one chance to make this a community building, environmental restoration, public health, and economic development project--not just a highway project.
Fix the Charles River parkland
The narrowest section of the Charles River path is next to this project. This project presents an opportunity to create a new “Allston Esplanade” riverfront park (much grander than the 20’ path widening currently proposed by MassDOT) connected to Allston by a “People’s Pike” for pedestrians and cyclists comparable to the Commonwealth Avenue Mall in the Back Bay.
New administration, new start
Governor Baker’s team should take a fresh look at this project and its potential impact and benefits. That means including top-level officials from MassDOT, Housing and Economic Development, DCR, and the City of Boston.
Value for taxpaying citizens
Fixing the Pike is necessary and expensive -- the current estimate is $460 million. We owe it to ourselves to maximize economic development that can help pay for the project. If this project is not creating Boston’s next great neighborhood for people to live, work, and play, we're leaving money on the table and making problems that will be more expensive or impossible to fix in the future.
Thank you for your attention to these important issues.
Sincerely,
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