Transportation

MassDOT Holding 2 Meetings About Commonwealth Ave. Bridge Replacement

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced it will be hosting two Pre-Construction Public Meetings for the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Replacement Project:

Tuesday, July 11, 6:30 PM Boston University College of General Studies Jacob Sleeper Auditorium (Lower Level, Room 129) 871 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA

Thursday, July 13, 6:30 PM Newton Free Library, Druker Auditorium 330 Homer Street, Newton, MA

The same presentation will be delivered at each meeting, so participants may choose the most convenient date or location. Please join the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) for a presentation on the upcoming major construction activities for the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Replacement Project. MassDOT and project team staff will describe the Summer 2017 Construction Shutdown (July 26 – August 14) in more detail, review detour routes, and respond to questions. During the shutdown, there will be significant service impacts to all modes of transportation along Commonwealth Avenue in the BU/Saint Paul Street neighborhood and on I-90 (Mass Pike). Please visit the project website, www.mass.gov/MassDOT/CommAveBridge, for a full schedule of the upcoming closures, detour routes and maps, and to sign up for project updates.

Government

Deadline for Comments on Arsenal Street Study Coming Up Soon

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State transportation officials will be taking input from people about the proposed changes to Arsenal Street and other streets in the area through July 10. 
Some changes proposed include redesigning Watertown Square and removing one road from the intersection, improving bus service and improving bicycle accommodations. Click here to see more information on the proposals in the Arsenal Corridor Study Final Draft. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation sent out the following announcement:

MassDOT is conducting the Arsenal Street Corridor Study in Watertown. This study has developed alternatives that are intended to improve transportation conditions on Arsenal Street between Galen Street and Birmingham Parkway. The study has proposed improvements to vehicular, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian uses of the corridor, with a targeted focus on enhancements to bus service along Arsenal Street and locations where the bus service ties into other crossing bus routes. The Draft Final Report was released in June and the project team recently hosted a public information meeting. Comments on the report will be accepted through Monday, July 10, 2017.

Arsenal Street

Council Backs $25 Million in Improvements, Some Question Openness of Process

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After a marathon session, the Town Council unanimously approved a partnership with Athenahealth and the DCR that will bring $25 million in public infrastructure projects to the area in East Watertown around the company’s campus. The funds to pay for 10 proposed projects come from the state via the I-Cubed program, which creates partnerships between public entities (the Town and the Department of Conservation and Recreation) and a private one (Athenahealth). The money comes from additional taxes created by Athena adding more jobs through its campus expansion, and will be used to pay for bonds issued by the state. The projects must be completed within 3 years of the issuance of the bonds. While many residents and some on the Council said the Town would be crazy to pass up $25 million in free projects (or at least that won’t use Watertown residents’s tax dollars) others complained that the list of projects came forward with little public discussion about what made the list.

Fourth of July

MBTA Free Night of July 4, State Halting Road Construction & Free Coffee

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) advises holiday travelers to plan ahead, utilize MassDOT’s many “real time” travel tools and use public transportation if possible to reach their destinations between now and the end of the July 4 holiday weekend, MassDOT officials announced. “This holiday is a great opportunity for the public to use technology tools including www.mass511.com or the GoTime mobile app in order to make informed decisions on routes to take to destinations and the timing of travel,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “If people check real-time travel time information before leaving home then they can make smart decisions about whether to drive or take transit and whether to leave earlier or later. We hope everyone has a relaxing holiday and encourage members of the public to also think about safety as they travel, limit distractions if driving, don’t drink and drive, take frequent breaks and check transit schedules.”

“We expect heavy traffic volumes on our highways during this upcoming holiday period,” said Acting Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “With many people driving to destinations we encourage people to leave extra time to reach their destinations, exercise safe driving behaviors, be patient on the roadways, and consider taking public transit if possible.”

MassDOT is taking steps to facilitate the flow of traffic during the holiday and will be postponing scheduled roadway construction effective at noon, Friday, June 30, with scheduled construction activities resuming with the start of normal business hours on Wednesday, July 5.

Transportation

Road Work on MassPike Starts Soon, Impacts Travel Through Late August

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) sent out a reminder to travelers that due to the upcoming Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Replacement Project, I-90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike) will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes in each direction in Boston between the Allston Interchange and the Beacon Street Overpass beginning on the evening of Friday, July 7. 

After July 7 and until August 28, lane reductions will be necessary and MassDOT will strive to make lane shift decisions in the best way possible to lessen the impact on drivers using the highway. The reduction to three lanes in each direction on July 7 is necessary in order to allow for logistical setups for the replacement of the Commonwealth Bridge over I-90. Crews on July 7 will begin to use the non-travel lanes areas to safely build a crane and place major equipment in the median of I-90. “Travelers are advised that I-90 in Boston will be reduced to three lanes in each direction for 24/7 beginning on Friday, July 7 so our crews can begin putting in place the necessary equipment and logistics for the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Replacement Project,” said Acting Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “We appreciate the cooperation and patience of the traveling public and we encourage people to consider alternative modes of transportation.

Arsenal Street

Major Changes to Watertown Square, Bus Lines Recommended by MassDOT

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Removing one of the roads leading into Watertown Square, splitting up the 70 and 70A into three routes and using technology to improve traffic flow are three of multiple recommendations for improving Arsenal Street in the study done for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The final draft of the Arsenal Street Corridor Study was presented by transportation consultants from VHB at a public forum Thursday at the Watertown Library. Information was gathered for the study during six stakeholder meetings and three public meetings (including the one Thursday) dating back to September 2015. There were a total of nine recommendations, whittled down from the 18 presented at a meeting in October 2016. “We looked at driving, biking, walking and especially public transportation,” said Michael Clark, project coordinator for MassDOT.

Transportation

New Ramp for Mass Pike/128 Interchange Opens on Friday

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has announced that on the evening of Friday, June 23, it will open a newly constructed on-ramp in Weston for vehicles traveling from I-90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike) westbound onto Route 128/I-95 north and southbound. This ramp opening is part of the ongoing work to reconstruct the interchange where toll plazas were removed last fall. In order to facilitate the change this weekend, MassDOT will also close the off-ramp from I-90 westbound onto Park Road and South Avenue/Route 30 westbound beginning on Friday evening for approximately one week. “We are pleased to reach this milestone in rebuilding the Weston interchange,” said Acting Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “Drivers should be aware that as of Friday night there will be a new path of travel in certain directions at the Weston interchange and should also be mindful of the detour route as the off-ramp from I-90 westbound to local roadways will be closed for one week.”

The new ramp will provide additional merging space for traffic entering Route 128/I-95 north and southbound and create a safer connection between the two major interstates.

Bicycles

Protected Bike Lanes Included in Plans for Mt. Auburn Street Renovation

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The long-in-the-planning Mount Auburn Street renovation is taking shape, and Monday night plans for adding wider bike lanes to the major artery were shown to a packed meeting at Town Hall. The meeting brought together the Town Council’s Public Works subcommittee and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee. It came about after a meeting in December 2016 during which residents brought up concerns that the safety of bicyclists were not being included in the planning for Mt. Auburn Street. Talks about the renovation of the road, which goes from Watertown Square through East Watertown to Cambridge, began several years ago.