CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND, GOALS, STUDY AREA, EVALUATION CRITERIA, ORGANIZATION 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works Office of Transportation Planning (Planning) initiated the Massachusetts Turnpike Boston Ramps Study in May 2008, in response to the transportation needs spurred by traffic congestion caused by the economic growth in the Back Bay, Longwood Medical Area (LMA), Fenway, and Seaport District neighborhoods in the city of Boston. The overall goal of this project is to investigate the potential for new or revised access to/from the regional express highway network connecting these neighborhoods using the Massachusetts Turnpike in the City of Boston along the segment between Commonwealth Avenue in Allston and Interstate 93 in Chinatown. 1.1 BACKGROUND The section of Massachusetts Turnpike between Route 128 and downtown Boston (labeled the Boston Extension) was constructed between 1962 and 1965 on land purchased from the Boston and Albany Railroad. Construction of the Boston Extension included an agreement with the Prudential Insurance Company for financial support to help build a tunnel under their planned development in the Back Bay. The Boston Extension opened in 1965 with the ramps built in downtown Boston designed to serve trips to and from the west. With the original plan ending the Turnpike at I-93, only traffic headed east on the Turnpike could exit underneath the new Prudential development to access the Back Bay and South End neighborhoods. Traffic from the Back Bay and South End could also only access the Turnpike westbound from ramps on Arlington, Clarendon, and Dartmouth Streets. The Massachusetts Turnpike was extended in 2003 as part of the Central Artery/Tunnel project from its previous terminus at I-93 under Boston Harbor through the Ted Williams Tunnel and ending at a new interchange with Route 1A in East Boston. The new extension provided improved access to the South Boston waterfront and Logan Airport through the construction of new highway interchanges. To provide the missing link between Back Bay and points east along the Turnpike, in 2008 the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority opened a new U-turn ramp at the Allston Tollbooths, allowing vehicles to access the Seaport District from Back Bay by entering the Turnpike headed west, then reversing direction at the Allston Tolls to reach the Seaport District. The opposite move also worked with vehicles able to travel on the Turnpike westbound from the Seaport District to Back Bay by reversing direction at the Allston Tolls to reach the Copley Square/ Prudential exit. Office of Transportation Planning Page 1-1 June 2011
Other than using the U-turn ramp, traffic headed from the Back Bay, Fenway, and LMA toward the Seaport District and Logan Airport must use either Storrow Drive to the north, Boston city streets through downtown, Bay Village, Chinatown, and Leather District to the east, or Boston city streets though the South End and Roxbury to the south. Previous Study The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, the Boston Transportation Department, and the Boston Redevelopment Authority conducted a joint feasibility study of providing an eastbound on-ramp and/or westbound off-ramp on the Boston Extension between Chinatown and Fenway titled the Boston Extension Ramps Feasibility Study" released in 1997. The purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility of adding an additional ramp or ramps to the Massachusetts Turnpike Boston Extension to provide improved access between the Back Bay and Logan Airport and the emerging commercial area in South Boston. The study evaluated sixteen ramp alternatives in the Back Bay and Fenway with first eight alternatives being individual ramps and the remaining alternatives consisting of ramp combinations. The sixteen alternatives are described below. Alternative 1 Arlington Street Eastbound On-Ramp The Arlington Street on-ramp alignment would begin at the Arlington Street/Tremont Street intersection, parallel Herald Street, and merge with the Boston Extension just west of the South Bay Interchange. Alternative 2 Ramp DD Westbound Off-Ramp The Central Artery/Tunnel Project Ramp DD would provide egress from I-90 westbound to the Harrison Avenue/Marginal Road intersection in Chinatown. Alternative 3 Berkeley Street Westbound Off-Ramp The Berkeley Street off-ramp alignment would begin in the vicinity of Washington Street and terminate at Berkeley Street just south of Cortes Street. This alignment would require closure of the existing Arlington Street westbound on-ramp. Alternative 4 Stuart Street Westbound Off-Ramp The Stuart Street off-ramp alignment would begin in the vicinity of Berkeley Street and terminate at Stuart Street in the vicinity of the John Hancock air rights garage at Trinity Place (a small intersecting street). This alignment would require closure of two existing Boston Extension ramps: the Arlington Street westbound on-ramp and the Clarendon Street westbound on-ramp. Alternative 5 Boylston Street Eastbound On-Ramp Office of Transportation Planning Page 1-2 June 2011
The Boylston Street on-ramp alignment would begin at the Bowker Overpass and would merge with the Boston Extension just west of the existing Massachusetts Avenue overpass. Alternative 6 Brookline Avenue Eastbound On-Ramp The Brookline Avenue on-ramp alignment would begin at the existing Brookline Avenue overpass in the Kenmore Square area, run parallel to Lansdowne Street, and merge with the Boston Extension. Alternative 7 Newbury Street Westbound Off-Ramp The Newbury Street off-ramp would begin in the vicinity of the Massachusetts Avenue overpass, run parallel to Newbury Street and terminate at Commonwealth Avenue running under the Bowker Overpass. This alignment would require closure of the existing Massachusetts Avenue westbound on-ramp. Alternative 8 Brookline Avenue Westbound Off-Ramp The Brookline Avenue off-ramp alignment would begin in the vicinity of the Bowker Overpass, run parallel to (and possibly within the right-of-way of) Newbury Street, terminating at Brookline Avenue just south of Kenmore Square. This alignment would possibly require closure of the existing Massachusetts Avenue westbound on-ramp. Alternative 9 Berkeley Street & Ramp DD Alternative 10 Berkeley Street & Brookline Avenue Alternative 11 Stuart Street & Ramp DD Alternative 12 Stuart Street & Brookline Avenue Alternative 13 Newbury Street & Ramp DD Alternative 14 Newbury Street & Berkeley Street Alternative 15 Newbury Street & Stuart Street Alternative 16 Brookline Avenue & Ramp DD The study analyzed the traffic, design/constructability, environmental, urban design, and economics for each alternative and concluded that alternatives west of Massachusetts Avenue were either infeasible from an environmental standpoint, or would not provide sufficient benefit to Back Bay to justify their construction. The study also concluded that the alternatives east of Massachusetts Avenue were also infeasible from issues such as cost, local pedestrian impacts, and safety impacts. After receiving input on the alternatives along with conducting an analysis of their feasibility, the study concluded that none of the alternatives should be carried forward. 1.2 GOALS & OBJECTIVES June 2011 Page 1-3 Office of Transportation Planning
Goals To guide the outcome of the study toward a defined resolution, Planning through the study participation process (see Section 1.6), cooperatively developed three project goals. These goals give direction to the development and evaluation of alternatives. The use of this structure helps maintain a clear purpose for conducting the analysis and clarifying why decisions are made in the course of the project. In addition, the goals prove valuable in later stages for the development of recommendations. Ultimately, the goals will provide the basis for the purpose and need statement necessary for any environmental approvals that may be required. The following statement represents the goals of the Massachusetts Turnpike Boston Ramps Transportation Study: 1. Increase the regional accessibility of Boston's Back Bay with I-93, the Seaport District and Logan Airport. By better connecting these sections of Boston, the hotels, other businesses, and residential areas of Back Bay would by tied more closely with Boston's new convention center, world trade center, marine facilities, and Logan Airport, New England's International gateway. 2. Provide new access to the regional express highway system for Boston's Fenway and LMA to better connect with I-93, the Seaport District, and Logan Airport. 3. Ensure that any transportation improvements are sensitive to the concerns of neighborhoods within the study area (Back Bay, Bay Village, Brighton, Brookline, Cambridge, Chinatown, Fenway, LMA, and South End). The first goal addresses relieving the growing congestion generated by the existing and planned development within the Back Bay and South End neighborhoods of Boston through improved access to the Turnpike. This goal also highlights the importance of improving access between these neighborhoods and the South Boston Waterfront and Logan Airport. The second goal addresses relieving the growing congestion generated by existing and planned development within the LMA and Fenway neighborhoods of Boston through improved access to the Turnpike. This goal also highlights the importance of improving access between these neighborhoods and the South Boston Waterfront and Logan Airport. Office of Transportation Planning Page 1-4 June 2011
The third goal addresses the issue of minimizing impacts any proposed new or revised ramp design would have on the surrounding neighborhoods. While trying to provide a new better connection through the use of the Turnpike, the study will also need to evaluate the shift in traffic in accessing these new ramps. Objectives Planning, through the study participation process (see section 1.6), cooperatively developed the following objectives that describe specific ways that the goals could be accomplished: 1. Study potential new or revised eastbound-on or westbound-off ramps along the Massachusetts Turnpike that would directly serve Boston's Back Bay. 2. Study potential new or revised eastbound-on or westbound-off ramps along the Massachusetts Turnpike that would directly serve Boston's Fenway and LMA. 3. Ensure that any potential new or revised Massachusetts Turnpike ramps do not negatively impact the existing operations along the Turnpike. 4. Ensure that traffic pattern changes caused by new ramps along the Massachusetts Turnpike reduce the traffic volumes along key arterials that travel through adjacent neighborhoods connecting to the Back Bay, Fenway, and LMA. 1.4 PROJECT STUDY AREA Two study areas were defined to focus the study effort, a regional area and a second core area. Within the regional area, EOT will collect existing condition data such as traffic volumes, transit ridership, significant planned developments, bicycle routes, etc. Later in the study, this regional area will be used to evaluate traffic congestion based on various proposed alternatives. The second area represents the core area where all proposed alternatives and extensive traffic analysis will take place. Within this area, Planning will collect environmental, traffic, Turnpike air right parcels, open space, land use, crash data, etc. Both the regional and core areas are shown in Figure 1-1. June 2011 Page 1-5 Office of Transportation Planning
Figure 1-1: Study Area Office of Transportation Planning Page 1-6 June 2011
1.5 PROJECT EVALUATION CRITERIA Evaluation criteria, as defined for the study goals, are the specific considerations that Planning, through the study participation process (see section 1.6), identified to evaluate the benefits and impacts of alternatives developed during the study. These criteria will ensure that recommended transportation improvements provide a sound investment of public transportation funds and that any adverse effects in the study area are minimized. Table 1-1 contains the evaluation criteria. Table 1-1: Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Traffic Congestion Motorized Circulation and Access Transit and Non-Motorized Circulation and Access Safety Neighborhood Impacts Environmental Impacts Business Considerations Cost and Schedule Measure level of service, delays, queues travel times, vehicle route continuity, directness, connectivity bicycle and pedestrian access, changes in access for transit passengers, physical impacts to proposed transit vehicle crashes, changes in pedestrian and bicycle route separation, changes in emergency vehicle access, highway weaves, ramp geometrics noise, cut-through traffic, aesthetics, neighborhood cohesion air quality, wetlands, hazardous material sites, archaeological/historic sites, parks/open spaces access to existing and future development sites, physical impacts to development, parking for customers, truck circulation and access total construction cost and timeframe June 2011 Page 1-7 Office of Transportation Planning
1.6 PARTICIPATION PROCESS The study participation process consisted of three levels, a Working Group, a Study Advisory Group, and general public informational meetings. From the onset of the study through the conclusion, the study participation process provides a means for all interested groups or individuals to be involved. Working Group This group is comprised of the key implementing agencies and provided the study s technical review. The agencies included in this group are the following: Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Boston Transportation Department Boston Redevelopment Authority Central Transportation Planning Staff Metropolitan Area Planning Council Study Advisory Group This group is comprised of the key decision makers and interested groups. The Study Advisory Group meetings are open to the public; however, the flow of these meetings is centered on discussions among group members. The groups or individuals included in this group are the following: All Working Group Members A Better City Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation Asian American Civic Association Asian Community Development Corporation Audubon Circle Neighborhood Association Back Bay Association Bay Village Neighborhood Association Beacon Hill Civic Association Blackstone Franklin Square Neighborhood Association Boston City Hall Councilors Boston University Office of Transportation Planning Page 1-8 June 2011
Chester Square Area Neighborhood Association Chinatown Gateway Coalition Chinatown Main Street Chinatown Neighborhood Council Chinatown Resident Association City of Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation Ellis South End Neighborhood Association Fenway Alliance Fenway Civic Association, Inc. Fenway Community Development Corporation Fort Point Neighborhood Alliance Kenmore Business Association Leather District Neighborhood Association MASCO, Inc Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Massachusetts Port Authority Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay Newbury Street League Old Dover Neighborhood Association St. Botolph Neighborhood Association State Representatives and Senators Storrow Drive Advisory Committee The Chinatown Coalition Town of Brookline Washington Gateway Main Street Worcester Square Neighborhood Association Public Informational Meetings Public informational meetings will be held at key milestones to provide the general public an opportunity to provide advice and input into the study. June 2011 Page 1-9 Office of Transportation Planning