Thursday, July 23, 2015

Charles River: Olympics Rapid Transit: neighborhood station stops, alternate route.

Charles River: Olympics Rapid Transit: neighborhood station stops.


1. Introductory.
2. North Harvard and Cambridge Street.
3. North Harvard and Franklin Streets.
4. The alternate route.
5. Prior reports on Green Line A.
6. How you may assist.


1. Introductory.

This is the most recent in a series of reports on the possibility of a streetcar spur which could be commenced at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authorities Green Line B route on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, starting at a point just west of the BU Bridge.  The concept would run close to a number of possible sites for the Olympics 2024 proposal.

My inducement in this proposal is appreciation for plans of the Olympics planners which would undo at least a little of the outrage inflicted on the Charles River by Cambridge and its accomplices.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has reaffirmed my affection for MassDOT, as well, with its recent rejection, again, of Cambridge's demand for passenger service on the Grand Junction railroad through Cambridge with environmental harm to the Charles River and its animals, to air in Cambridge, and to traffic in Cambridge.  MassDOT has repeatedly shown itself to be the adult in a room with the very destructive City of Cambridge and the dreaded DCR.

The street car spur would  run through the wasteland which contains the Brighton - Cambridge exit ramps from I90 (Mass. Pike) and which contains the remnants of an, until recently, vibrant rail yard.  This area is now owned by Harvard University with the very clear intent of moving the Harvard Medical School there sometime in the 21st Century if not later.  The area has some intended uses for the Olympics and, I should think, could contain many more.

The route would continue through the residential North Allston neighborhood past Harvard Stadium and Business School, and connect to the existing Harvard Station on the Heavy Rail Red Line rapid transit at one of three locations.

Here is my map of the concept.




My analysis has brought details of the preferred Green Line A in the Commonwealth Avenue end through the future Harvard Medical School area, and details at the Harvard Station end and how it would connect to the Charles River.

This report will bring the preferred alternative in the residential neighborhood.  The MassDOT presentations have stressed supposed values of two proposed commuter rail stations to the neighborhood.  These two stations would be in the neighborhood.

Here is the enlargement of the proposal showing the two stations and the alternative route which has been suggested.  I will first go into great detail as to the locations where I propose the new stations to be.  Then I will briefly analyze the alternative route.



All Green Line service will be operated two stories below ground.  This will comply with the normal mode of construction of the most recent underground stations.  This will reduce disturbance to residents because of the greater muffling of sound.  At the stations, the upper levels will provide more efficient management of passengers service.

2. North Harvard and Cambridge Street.

Here is a photo taken two blocks into the neighborhood on North Harvard Street.


The cars crossing the road at the far end of the area are on Cambridge Street.  The raised Massachusetts Turnpike (I90) is beyond those cars.  The trees beyond the cars block view of the Mass. Pike.

The last block before Cambridge Street, on the right, contains the yellow apartment building and a retail store on the corner.

Here is a view from the opposite side of North Harvard Street.  Here we see the gas station on the corner which occupies the first block on the left.


These are two photos of the location I propose for the North Harvard and Cambridge Street Station.  Visibility to the public would primarily be from headhouses above ground, with bus stops for access.



These photos show the apartments in the prior photos from the Cambridge Street view.

The Mass. Pike will be coming down and be moved away from Cambridge Street.

Here is a close up shot of the Mass. Pike side of Cambridge Street.  Headhouses would be right and left.


Here is one of the most recent reconstruction plans that I am aware of.  There is still a lot of discussion about specifics.  Nevertheless, the plans show the location of the many small residential properties in the area.



This plan calls for a second branch of Cambridge Street to be constructed between the current Cambridge Street and the relocated Massachusetts Turnpike.  North Harvard and Cambridge Street is the second marked intersection from the left.  In the above photo, the new connecting street would be located exactly where the middle stop light is.

The photos I started with were taken close to the intersection of Hooker and North Harvard Streets.

This area was devastated by the construction of the Mass. Pike.

Here are photos of the area of Cambridge Street around Cambridge and North Harvard, starting at the left on the plan and moving to the right.




I lived in the neighborhood during construction of the Mass. Pike east of this point.  My residence was after demolition and after building of the Mass. Pike to this point.  I assume both sides of Cambridge Street were similar.

There continues to be a very major residential neighborhood which includes significant structures still on Cambridge Street.

Here are photos of the nearby neighborhood.







3. North Harvard and Franklin Streets.

Repeating my station plan, this station would be the higher station on the left, the one closest to the left, marked Station 5.  As the crow flies, I lived about a block to the left of the number 5.



Here are photos of the area closest to Franklin and North Harvard.







Here are photos from the station site toward construction going in by Harvard at the Intersection of North Harvard and Western.  This construction is the same density as Harvard Square.




I would suggest one head house on each side of the Franklin - North Harvard intersection, and two headhouses at North Harvard and Western, with a station name of Franklin Square

Here are further photos of the neighborhood.

The first photo is of a building at Franklin Street and Raymond Street, the first street south and west of the intersection.  I lived in a row house on Mead Street, almost parallel to Franklin and the first street to the west.  We had a shared parking lot behind the buildings on the west side of Franklin Street.
















4. The alternate route.

The map of the proposed route again.



And, once again, the plan above of the reconstruction of the Mass. Pike.



The dark blue street coming out of the middle of the top of plan is Harvard’s proposed new street, Stadium Way.

Stops would be at Stadium Way and Cambridge Street, and Stadium Way and Western Avenue.

If the route looped around and behind Harvard Stadium, there would be a stop at North Harvard and Stadium Way.  I would prefer, if this route were chosen to swing under North Harvard instead and use the stop at “Harvard Way” and North Harvard which would be central for both Harvard Business School and Harvard Stadium.

Construction would be under Stadium Way except that the eastern portion would have to be raised over the reconstructed Mass. Pike.  Maybe it would be possible to bring the Green Line route underground between East Drive Connector and Stadium Way connector.  Otherwise, it would have to be done north of Cambridge Street with an elevated station over Cambridge Street.

I do not like the alternate route.  It would be less expensive than cut and cover under North Harvard Street, but:

a. The location would be severely less valuable to the neighborhood and peripheral to the neighborhood.  North Harvard Street, by contrast, would be very convenient to the neighborhood.

b. That station over Cambridge Street would be highly intrusive.


5. Prior reports on Green Line A.

General analysis:  http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/charles-river-new-green-line-ideal-for.html.

BU Bridge end of Green Line A:  http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/charles-river-green-line-boston.html

Charles River: Green Line A Rapid Transit for Olympics — Harvard Square: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/charles-river-green-line-rapid-transit.html

Charles River - Harvard Square:  Corrections to Green Line A Harvard Station Proposal:: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/charles-river-harvard-square-to-green.html

Charles River, Comments:  Olympics, Green Line A; fraud in Cambridge, MA, USA City Hall”  http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/charles-river-comments-olympics-green.html.

Charles River: Green Line A for Olympics, map with options: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/charles-river-green-line-for-olympics.html

Charles River: Olympics Rapid Transit map reorganized; change Green Line B rapid transit stop name? http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/charles-river-olympics-rapid-transit.html

Charles River: Olympics Rapid Transit: One Harvard Station site for consideration. http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/charles-river-olympics-rapid-transit_18.html

Charles River: Olympics Rapid Transit: A Second Harvard Station site for consideration: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/charles-river-olympics-rapid-transit_19.html

Charles River: Olympics Rapid Transit: A third possible Harvard Station, access from JFK Park: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/charles-river-olympics-rapid-transit_25.html

Charles River: Green Line A, Olympics - Changes in Harvard Station (June 17, 2015): http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/06/charles-river-green-line-olympics.html

Charles River: Olympics Rapid Transit: crossing the Charles, Technical Considerations in Serving Passengers, Business School / Stadium stop:  http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/charles-river-olympics-rapid-transit.html

6. How you may assist.

We have a facebook page named for the Charles River White Geese.  If you would be so kind as to friend the Charles River White Geese on facebook, you are clearly standing up for Earth against some truly vile destroyers lying that they are environmental saints.

All posts on the Charles River White Geese page are condensations of these blog posts with links to the actual post.  By friending, you will be informed of new blog posts by being told of the new facebook posts.

If you wish to do more, there is a link at the top of this blog to a number of suggested actions, along with a button to push if you would like to contribute financing to be used to publicize the problems.  Publicizing the truth is the soundest response to a media monopoly by a massive organization which does a lot of lying, and is aggressively destructive.  The key destroyers are extremely endangered by the truth.  They stay in power by lying about which side they are on.

The short part of this is friend, work and contribute.  The author may be contacted at boblat@yahoo.com.

Additionally, there are neutral parties such as the Governor of Massachusetts who stand to make major political benefit from standing up to the massive waste of funds and resources targeting the Charles River and its animals and environment. The destructive actors, of course, lying, nonstop, about their own sainthood.