walkboston

Comment on EENF for The Office and Research Center and the Residences at Assembly

November 23, 2016

Matthew Beaton, Secretary
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Attn: MEPA Office
Analyst: Holly Johnson
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114

RE: EENF for The Office and Research Center and the Residences at Assembly – MEPA #15595

Dear Mr. Beaton,

WalkBoston is a 501©(3) non-profit, pedestrian advocacy organization that makes walking safer and easier in Massachusetts. We have reviewed the EENF and offer the comments below.

The Office and Research Center and the Residences at Assembly is located on a 9-acre site at 5 Middlesex Avenue, Somerville, in close walking proximity to Assembly Station and to existing residential areas of East Somerville. It is planned to become an integral feature of the massive developments already taking shape in Assembly Square. Phase 1 of the proposed Project includes a 188-room hotel, and a 147-unit residential building with 6,000 sf of retail space on the ground floor. Later phases will include offices and residential units. The total space to be constructed within the site may reach 2,000,000 sq ft.

We are concerned that the proponent has not offered significant changes to the walking environment, except on its own site. The nearby Kensington Underpass, one of two connections between residential Somerville and the many worksites and attractions, should become its focus for improvements. The proponent has suggested a U-turn that would complicate pedestrian crossings at the underpass. The proponent should be required to develop improvements for pedestrians and vehicles at the underpass in an integrated way.

Recognizing the advantages of being located in the large Assembly Square complex of developments, the proponent notes that walking and bicycling through Assembly Square and on the paths along the Mystic River will be encouraged. The proponent also emphasizes the access provided to the site by public transportation not only at the new Orange Line rapid transit station, but also on bus lines located nearby on Route 38 and on Broadway in East Somerville. Access to public transit gives significant advantages to the proponent’s proposed complex of both office and residential units that can take advantage of the transportation services concentrated in the environs.

The proponent’s plan includes on-site pedestrian facilities and a plaza in the center of the development. The proponent vows that improvements to pedestrian and bicycling facilities will ensure security and comfort for those walking and biking. Part of these improvements will be a significant wayfinding element that will direct site visitors and users toward significant destinations, show walking times, and including public transportation services. The proponent also hopes to link the fabric of this new district to neighboring East Somerville.

The Assembly Square complex has already established pedestrian facilities throughout the property and highlights the riverside park and paths that make up a substantial pedestrian network. The proponent’s site will be able to take advantage of those improvements and link into them at appropriate locations.

The basic link between this site and East Somerville is the neglected underpass of I-93 at Kensington Street, which has not been updated since the construction of the highway. The proponent should take a leading role in the upgrading of this underpass, to bring to life the proponent’s laudable goal of a more appropriate connection into the surrounding community. Improvements to the underpass would bring about:
1. Improved pedestrian connections from East Somerville into the Assembly Square shopping area to reach proliferating new shopping, entertainment and work locations.
2. Improved pedestrian connections from the East Somerville neighborhoods to the new Orange Line rapid transportation station at Assembly Square.
3. A wayfinding network for pedestrians finding their way into and through the complex set of developments at Assembly Square.
4. Improved pedestrian connections both from Assembly Square as well as the East Somerville neighborhoods to the public transportation routes along Route 38, where bus stops are closer than the Assembly Square Orange Line Station.
5. Clear routes for access from Assembly Square to the major grocery store as well as commercial and public sites such as the library along Broadway in East Somerville.
6. A walking route for residents of East Somerville and people in Assembly Square for recreation and healthy daily activities.
7. Implementation of major goals of the City of Somerville’s “Somervision” program which looks to increase active and alternative transportation options, reduce congestion and promote workplace- and business-based policies and incentives to encourage changes in more choice and to expand bike, pedestrian and public transit use.

Improving the Kensington Underpass by itself is insufficient to protect users. The underpass, which connects East Somerville to Assembly Square near the intersection of McGrath Highway, Fellsway, Route 38 and the I-93 southbound onramp, has two at-grade street crossings where pedestrians must cross heavily traveled routes. The two crossings have painted crosswalks and pedestrian-actuated yellow flashing warning lights. More detailed analysis should be undertaken to assess the current levels of safety for people crossing at this location. Projections of future pedestrian traffic should be undertaken to analyze whether what level of additional safety measures might be appropriate.

Of special concern is the proposal by the proponent of this project that there should be a U-turn that would allow traffic from Assembly Square and this project to use the westbound service road along I-93 (called Bailey Road) to reach a point where it could u-turn into the eastbound service road near Route 28 to provide better access from Assembly Square to I-93 southbound. This would, according to the proponent help by “allowing vehicles to bypass two signals, thereby alleviating congestion.” The U-turn would provide, in essence, a fourth option for exiting the complex and reaching I-93 southbound.

However, with the addition of this U-turn, people trying to cross at the Kensington Underpass crosswalk will always be faced with oncoming traffic at both eastbound and westbound service roads leading into and out of the U-turn. The addition of traffic to the two service roads is a problem for the pedestrians using existing Kensington underpass should be analyzed in terms of any improvements that may be made to increase its use.

Several options might be explored to alleviate this difficulty. One would be to reduce both service roads on either side of I-93 to one lane, so that drivers would not be tempted to bypass a driver who is yielding to a pedestrian in the crosswalk. That option might be sufficient to retain the un-signalized crosswalk.

We appreciate your consideration of our comments.

Best regards,

Bob Sloane
Senior Planner

Brendan Kearney
Communications Manager

————————————————————————————————
Join WalkBoston’s Mailing List to keep up to date on advocacy issues.

Like our work? Support WalkBoston – Donate Now!
Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook

Comment Letter: Tremont Crossing Draft Environmental Impact Report MEPA #14900

November 23, 2016

Matthew Beaton, Secretary
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Attn: MEPA Office
Analyst: Erin Flaherty
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114

RE: Tremont Crossing Draft Environmental Impact Report MEPA #14900

Dear Mr. Beaton,

WalkBoston has reviewed the DEIR for the Tremont Crossing proposal in Roxbury. We believe that the very auto-oriented proposed development is inconsistent with the urban character of the neighborhood and needs to be substantially modified to benefit its neighbors.

Parking Spaces Proposed are Excessive
The development calls for a multi-level parking garage of 1,371 spaces that will generate 8,000 vehicle trips per day. WalkBoston questions the need for such a large garage given that the development will be less than two blocks from Roxbury Crossing and Ruggles Transit Stations, and within a 10-minute walk of Dudley Square that is served by twenty bus lines.

By comparison the two large Target Stores in the Fenway (Boston) and Cambridge have only a couple of hundred parking spaces. Numerous parking studies of big box stores and shopping malls throughout the country have shown that parking lots/garages are underutilized.

The emphasis on parking and downplaying of the use of transit suggests an imbalance for so large a project in the heart of the city. As stated in the 2012 comment letter from Boston Transportation Department a consistent supply of available parking will counteract efforts to encourage alternative travel modes.

Tremont Street Should Not Be Widened
To accommodate the large number of vehicles accessing and exiting the proposed development Tremont Street is projected to be widened to eight or nine lanes. Such a wide roadway at this location is incompatible with the urban character of the street and will create safety hazards to the pedestrians and bicyclists moving to and from the transit services, residences and institutions.

Also, the environmental review should include an assessment of the impact of increased traffic on the busway at Ruggles. Numerous buses leave Ruggles headed for Dudley and WalkBoston has concern that at peak hours buses will be waiting through numerous traffic signal cycles to exit unto Ruggles Street. The result could be a backlog of congestion from Ruggles to Malcolm X Boulevard.

Roxbury Crossing Development Should be Integrated into the Neighborhood
As currently designed, the development will be an island, separated from its neighborhood setting. The proposed development has the opportunity to contribute to the street by creating easy walking access from the transit stations as well as nearby residential developments (Madison Park and Whittier Housing) and institutions (Northeastern University). The Tremont Street Development is located in an area where Transit Oriented Development is particularly appropriate.

Proposed Project Could Acknowledge Changing Retail
The retail environment has changed since the project was proposed 4 – 5 years ago. More and more shopping is done on line and traditional walk-in retail is struggling. Evidence of this is in Dudley Square, the heart of Roxbury. WalkBoston would like to see the City devote greater efforts to supporting viable retail in Dudley. Promoting retail within a 10-minute walk of Dudley will only further depress the market for shops in Dudley Square. However even within the proposed development the liveliness of the retail is questionable given that the proposed network of bridges will connect the garage on the second floor, discouraging patronage of the ground level retail.

Ensure Safety of Major Pedestrian Crossings.
The major pedestrian crossings of Tremont Street will take place at intersections with Ruggles/Whittier Street, South Drive and Prentiss Street. The primary crossing is likely to be at Ruggles/Whittier Street, because of the direct access it provides to the Ruggles MBTA Station. Care should be taken to provide for significant numbers of people wanting to cross Tremont Street at this location. Retention of the median strip in the center of Tremont Street would be useful as a refuge for pedestrians who may not be able to cross the entire width of a widened Tremont Street in one signal cycle. Similarly, leading pedestrian signal intervals should be incorporated to facilitate safe pedestrian crossings at the intersection. Analysis should also be undertaken to determine if a crosswalk is truly needed at South Drive, in view of the nearby Prentiss Street crossing.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this proposal. Please feel free to contact us with questions you may have, and we look forward to hearing how our suggestions are incorporated into subsequent revisions to this plan.

Sincerely,

Wendy Landman
Executive Director

Dorothea Hass
Sr. Project Manager

cc: Councilor Tito Jackson
Byron Rushing, State Representative
Deirdre Buckley, MEPA Director
Dana Whiteside, Boston Planning and Development Agency
Kay Matthews, Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard (FMCB)
Marah Holland, FMCB
Alison Pultinas, FMCB

Acushnet Avenue Walk Assessment

The Acushnet Avenue neighborhood walk assessment supplements the great efforts of the Love the Ave initiative, facilitated by the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, and the recent City of New Bedford’s road safety improvements in the neighborhood. WalkBoston connected with the Love the Ave initiative after a MassDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Enforcement and Awareness Program follow-up meeting. The Community Economic Development Center (CEDC), a community stakeholder and member of the Love the Ave initiative, hosted a meeting to discuss the value of a walk assessment to increase pedestrian safety in the neighborhood, particularly along Belleville Avenue, which separates residential districts from Riverside Park.

Read the full report:
WalkBoston-AcushnetAvenueWalkAssessmentFinal-NewBedford

South End Neighborhood Evening Walk Assessment Springfield

Springfield’s South End neighborhood residents, business owners and other stakeholders have been working to improve safety and to increase investment in the South End for many years. Organizations, such as the Urban Land Institute, and federal programs such as Choice Neighborhoods and the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program (BCJI), have funded efforts to engage community members, work with police, and improve the built environment.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-SouthEndEveningWalkAssessment-Springfield

Comments on Parklet Program Northampton

Considerations for a Citywide Parklet Program
October 21, 2016

To: Wayne Feiden, City of Northampton

From: Stacey Beuttell and Adi Nochur, WalkBoston

As the City of Northampton considers developing parklets at various locations, WalkBoston appreciates the opportunity to provide guidance based upon a review of parklet literature, including parklet guides created by several other municipalities (see Appendix A for a full list of resources reviewed). Parklets can advance numerous goals related to walkability, including expanding the amount of open space available in a community, creating new walkable destinations at specific locations, creating new walking connections along and between key corridors and town centers, and calming traffic by narrowing vehicular travel lanes and providing visual cues to people driving. The traffic calming effects of parklets may be somewhat limited, as much of the literature recommends that they be sited on slower streets with prevailing speed limits of 25 miles per hour or less. However, this does not negate the role that parklets can play more broadly in creating a safer and more comfortable pedestrian environment.

With respect to siting parklets at specific locations, there are a number of programmatic, technical and design criteria for planners to consider. These are further detailed in the attached Parklet Site Evaluation Matrix, which WalkBoston developed based upon the literature review mentioned above. This Matrix is intended to help City staff evaluate potential parklet sites based upon their physical characteristics, as well as their potential to help advance broader goals related to walkability.

As Northampton moves forward with its parklet efforts – including several mobile parklet tests scheduled for the coming months – WalkBoston encourages the City to continue to consider issues related to community engagement, funding and resources, design, maintenance, and evaluation. While the City has already identified several potential parklet sites on city-owned land, community stakeholders may be interested in proposing additional sites on public or private property as well. Under either circumstance, the City will need a process for gauging and/or mobilizing public support to advance individual parklet projects. The City will also have to determine – potentially on a case-by-case basis – who will be responsible for designing, constructing, funding and maintaining parklets, and whether the City itself can or should provide design guidelines and resources towards these ends.

Finally, the City should consider how it might evaluate the success of individual parklet locations and its parklet program overall. A 2011 parklet impact study from the San Francisco Great Streets Project provides some insights in this regard. Through a combination of pedestrian counts, stationary activity counts, pedestrian surveys and business surveys, the Great Streets Project found that the number of people stopping to socialize and engage in positive behavior increased significantly at three parklet locations studied. With the exception of the business surveys, the Great Streets Project utilized all these methodologies both before and after the installation of the parklets. WalkBoston recommends that the City of Northampton pursue similar methodologies both pre- and post-parklet installation to gather both quantitative and qualitative information to evaluate its efforts.

Appendix A: Resources Reviewed

CityLab. “These Whimsical Parklets Promote Walkability.” July 4, 2016. http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2016/07/whimsical-parklets-spring-up-in-covington-kentucky/489794/

Livability. “From Parking to Park.” February 19, 2015. http://www.livability.com/topics/community/from-parking-to-park

Los Angeles Parklet Application Manual

Minneapolis Parklet Application Manual

NACTO Urban Street Design Guide – Parklets. http://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/interim-design-strategies/parklets/

Philadelphia Parklet Program Guidelines

PlanetShifter Magazine. “The Invisible Pedestrian.” June 30, 2013. http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2122

Redding, CA “Recommendations to Improve Pedestrian Safety” report

San Francisco Great Streets Project Parklet Impact Study

San Francisco Parklet Manual

Seattle Parklet Handbook

Smart Growth America Parklet Policy Toolkit

University City District (Philadelphia) “The Case for Parklets” report

UCLA “Reclaiming the Right of Way” toolkit for creating and implementing parklets