Chairs: Dianne Lescinskas, Jennifer Deabler
Minutes: Doreen Miller
Special Guest: Matt Moran, Director of the Transit Team, Policy and Planning Division of the BTD
Total number in attendance: 11
Updates from Matt Moran
- Matt introduced himself and his position within the BTD. He is a resident of Savin Hill living on Sagamore Street.
- He presented a slide show that encompassed:
- A Review of the Ashmont Branch Shutdown
- Area Projects and Plans
- JFK/UMass Station Area Action Plan
- Morrissey Blvd. and K Circle
- Pleasant Street
- Development Review
- Next Steps and Discussion
- Traffic Mitigation Measures included:
- The elimination of double-parking by adding loading zones along Dorchester Avenue.
- Instituting 2-hour parking and 5-minute drop-off areas.
- Improving the signal timing to keep traffic flowing.
- Sidewalk and Street Repair – patches of sidewalk and problematic areas of bike lanes were repaired to enhance safety.
- Bike Routes and Blue Bikes
- Temporary Bike lanes were placed along Park Street.
- Bike corrals were added.
- Pedestrian and bike wayfindings were posted to shuttle stops in coordination with community and advocates.
- The Blue Bikes program was expanded and free passes given to riders impacted by the shutdown.
- Next Steps include:
- Near Term (2024)
- Consider making loading zones and curbside changes permanent.
- Evaluate safety improvements at Buttonwood for spring 2024 implementation.
- Mid Term (within 5 years)
- Look at Columbia Road from I-93 to Edward Everett Square in JFK/UMass study.
- Recommend changes as capital projects.
- Near Term (2024)
- JFK/UMass Station Redesign
- Looking to improve pedestrian access to and through the station.
- Coordinating with the MBTA and City of Boston on near and long-term plans.
- Pleasant Street Improvements
- Curb bump-outs and better sight lines for cars and pedestrians are planned to increase safety.
- 5 intersections are targeted for improvements.
- Work should begin in 2024.
- K-Circle and Morrissey Boulevard
- The City of Boston BTD, MBTA, MA DOT, DCR, and other stakeholders and elected officials are working on redesigning the roadway to prevent flooding.
- A commission has been formed and the next meeting is Tuesday, November 28, 6 PM at Southline on Morrissey.
- Development Review – BPDA and BTD are looking at large and small projects in our area.
Questions and Comments
- A woman was recently seriously injured on the decrepit sidewalk on the Savin Hill Bridge over the expressway. Whose purview is the bridge?
- Answer: The bridge is owned by the state. The chairs will follow up with Rep. Hunt.
- Residents are concerned that there has been little to no communication on the Pleasant Street project or feedback on the final design. According to their notes, the project was supposed to have started in 2021. A two-year delay is not acceptable.
- Answer: Matt apologizes as his department is overwhelmed with 8-9 projects. He promise to do better. The city has also lost an ADA lawsuit on curb ramps and is in the process of replacing over 800 ramps. Matt will reach out to the project managers on the timeline and future public outreach issues. He presumes the project will begin in 2024.
- Will the Buttonwood Street access that was closed during the MBTA shutdown be permanent?
- Answer: They are considering that possibility.
- Will the bump-out at Meaney Playground be green space or remain asphalt?
- Answer: Not sure. Residents were promised a rain garden there.
- Who is managing the collaboration on the JFK/K-Circle project? How involved are developers?
- Answer: Matt Moran’s team, as many sections of the roadways fall under different jurisdictions.
- The JFK station redesign will be a $3 million upgrade. They got good feedback and ideas from the Spring 2023 meeting. Future meetings will be announced and will be in-person as well as hybrid.
- The K-Circle project is a large-scale reconstruction that will run $200-400 million. Officials are on board to finding a viable solution.
- Developers are consulted at meetings.
- Would it be possible to add another on-ramp to I-93 to alleviate traffic off Columbia Road?
- Three different sites were looked at – one off the Beasley Media building on Morrissey, one at the school bus depot off Glover’s Corner along Dorchester Ave, and another off Morrissey at Freeport Street.
- All three were deemed unfeasible. An on-ramp from Morrissey Boulevard before Freeport Street, while seemingly the best choice, would encounter issues with environmental regulations as it would travel over water.
- The Chairs will continue to work with Matt Moran and keep us updated.
- For further inquiries, you can reach Matt at: matthew.moran@boston.gov