The following is the text of a letter sent today by Boston's Chief of Streets Chris Osgood to Secretary Stephanie Pollack, regarding the City's feedback on MassDOT's Invitation to Bid for the Railroad Right of Way off of McClellan Highway.
Secretary Stephanie Pollack
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
10 Park Plaza, Suite 4160
Boston, MA 02116
July 22, 2019
Dear Secretary Pollack,
We write to offer comments and a request with respect to MassDOT’s Invitation to Bid for the Railroad Right of Way off of McClellan Highway.
As you know, the parcel of land that is the focus of this ITB parallels Route 1A and serves as a buffer between East Boston and Chelsea Creek. Consequently, this parcel presents important transportation and resiliency opportunities -- opportunities we want to thoroughly examine given the growth in East Boston and the region, as well as projections for sea level rise in the harbor. Moreover, as you are probably aware, the BPDA is currently in the process of a community driven, neighborhood-wide plan for East Boston (“PLAN East Boston”), for which transportation planning is a significant component. As written, the ITB does, in part, consider these transportation opportunities, particularly by requiring space for a shared use path and reserving the opportunity for the MBTA to use any future roadway infrastructure.
We want to ensure, however, that this ITB does not preclude any critical opportunities. Consequently, we ask that you rescind this ITB, so that the State, the City, other municipalities and the community can discuss how this land can best meet our shared goals.
This will give us the opportunity to engage the community and conduct an analysis on the ability of this land to improve mobility and resilience in the Route 1A corridor and have that analysis and engagement inform the next steps. We understand the effort that has gone into the ITB already by your team, and we will work with you on the next steps for planning and engagement with this parcel.
We appreciate your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Chris Osgood Chief of Streets
More on the Route 1A easement issue at eastboston.com
The following is a letter sent by state Representative Adrian Madaro to the Department of Transportation.
May 23, 2017
Secretary Stephanie Pollack
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
10 Park Plaza, Suite 4160
Boston, MA 02116
Dear Secretary Pollack:
I write to express my extreme frustration and disappointment with the implementation of the new traffic patterns at the Sumner Toll Plaza. This has become a major quality of life issue for East Boston residents who are now dealing with a significant increase in traffic on neighborhood streets causing much longer commutes as well as elevated levels of pollution. The results have been unacceptable and the inequity for East Boston residents must be addressed swiftly.
During the planning of the redesign, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) officials ensured the East Boston community that the new traffic patterns would result in a safer, smoother, and more efficient commute through the tunnel. Instead of improving traffic flow, the new design has created traffic backups unseen in East Boston since the pre-Ted Williams Tunnel days. In fact, the current traffic is even worse. Beyond the impact on commuters, this increase in neighborhood and tunnel traffic has dangerous implications for emergency vehicles that cannot get through the gridlock.
In the redesign, traffic impacts to the community were not fully considered. On a daily basis, residential streets in East Boston are entirely congested, including streets that never experienced traffic before. While the transition to all-electronic tolls appears to have improved traffic flow in other areas throughout the State, this particular redesign has resulted in a tremendous step backwards. Simply put, East Boston residents deserve better.
I recognize the ongoing efforts of MassDOT and the Boston Transportation Department to address this issue. However, it has now been over two weeks since the new traffic patterns went into effect and there has been no improvement. In fact, it seems that traffic gets worse by the day. I know that countless engineers from both the City and State are closely monitoring the situation and actively looking for modifications that will improve the flow of traffic. I strongly urge these changes to be put into place immediately. Any such changes must prioritize East Boston residents who deal with the full brunt of the congestion from North Shore drivers trying to get into Downtown Boston, particularly during the morning commute.
East Boston residents face a number of transportation equity issues due, in part, to our geographic separation from the rest of the City. The Sumner Tunnel serves as a vital connection between our neighborhood, Downtown, Storrow Drive, and I-93 North. MassDOT must acknowledge the deficiencies of the current pattern and utilize the significant resources at its disposal to fix this issue expeditiously.
Respectfully,
Adrian C. Madaro
State Representative
