Trader Joe’s Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA, has a mural extending above the coolers in the back of the store. It runs almost from one end of the store to the other.
It is a mural of the Charles River viewed from the Cambridge side. It runs, from left to right, from the BU Bridge to the River Street Bridge, the next bridge to the west.
Standing in the foreground, dominating his portion of the mural, is a beautiful Emden White Goose.
That White Goose and the rest of his gaggle have lived and fed at this location, Magazine Beach, for most of the last 33 years. They have been heartlessly barred from their food and their home by the City of Cambridge, MA, and the bureaucrats of the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Trader Joe’s, God bless them, is proudly proclaiming on that mural the great value of the Charles River White Geese, and exactly where the Charles River White Geese should be.
The bureaucrats have stated, in their Charles River Master Plan, their goal of killing off or driving away as many resident animals as they can get away with. They very formally are the destructive enemies of all resident animals who live on the Charles River Basin.
The bureaucrats’ public explanation for starving and heartlessly abusing the Charles River White Geese?
The key manager has loudly and repeatedly proclaimed his intent to do “no harm” to the Charles River White Geese. Even during the most heartless and outrageous of the attacks, he has restated this blatant lie. And clearly this outrage, along with many others, was done without public warning or approval.
Trader Joe’s Memorial Drive is the first or second Trader Joe’s store on the East Coast (perhaps after Coolidge Corner, Brookline). Trader Joe’s Memorial Drive was founded in about 1996, and they have been good friends of the Charles River White Geese.
I understand, talking with the manager this afternoon, that this mural was hand painted across nearly the entire back wall of the store about two years ago. It is beautiful and its very accurate glorifying of these beautiful beings is the sort of feeling that decent human beings have.
They are good people, and most people in Cambridge and the surrounding area are good people.
Then you have the Cambridge Machine which indulges in very much non stop lies about themselves. Those lies are necessary to fool decent people about where the Cambridge Machine and their destructive friends are really coming from.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Letter: Trains use the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge
1. Introduction.
2. Question.
3. Response.
1. Introduction.
We have done several reports on the ongoing attempts to run exit traffic from I 90 (Mass. Pike) to Cambridge by way of the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge.
I got the following email in response to the second of the two reports. Links are provided in my response. I have slightly edited my response without changing its substance.
One explanation may be of value. In both of my photo reports, I point out a highway sign. In the first report, that highway sign is directly ahead if you simply follow the train tracks. In the second report, emphasizing the view from Boston, the sign is quite visible and I point out the connection to the Grand Junction Bridge in that background. The below response includes comment on what is on that highway sign.
I am attaching the usual satellite / areal map of the area from a government environmental report in 2006. I will not bother you with yet another detailed explanation of the photo. Either you do not need it, or, hopefully, the markings on the photo which I put there will be adequate.
The BU Bridge is identified to the right in the photo. The railroad bridge in question is visible running under it.
If that does not work, my explanation in the links, hopefully, will be adequate.
I appreciate a good question.
2. Question.
Isn't it true that the BU railroad bridge (a double set of tracks bridge with tracks only on side) is used daily to move train sections between North and South stations for the commuter rail?
And that this is the only connection between the two without going all the way out to 495?
3. Response.
That is the reason the MBTA study called for widening it by placing a third pathway to the east of the bridge. I believe it was proposed as sort of a cantilever arrangement.
The need for the third pathway is the reason why the machine is conning the bike highway lobby to widen the underpass under Memorial Drive, under the lie that it is for a bike highway.
It will be for a bike highway until Harvard needs its off ramp. Harvard purchased the future Harvard Medical School area several months after the report was published. Also occurring shortly after the report was the approval of a U Turn (which is reflected on that highway sign). The U-Turn makes the Grand Junction conversion viable for both directions rather than just to / from the west, which was the MBTA proposal, until the MBTA "suddenly" discovered that the cost of the project far outweighed the value of a Newton - Cambridge direct bus line. Strange, that limitation was obvious from the beginning.
When Harvard gets its off ramp, the bike highway will be rerouted where it should, responsibly, be put in the first place, to connect to Vassar Street at the point where Vassar Street right turns a few feet from the railroad tracks, and then to Memorial Drive by a much shorter route. I provided photos of the turn / connection in the pair of photo analyses, both from the road and the railroad side. Please check the blog,
The more recent of the pair of reports is at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-reality-of-harvard-universitys.html.
The earlier is at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-harvards-targeted-off-ramp.html.
Also of interest is the immediately prior report, presenting the MassDOT / DCR "connectivity" report, at
http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/charles-river-conductivity-study.html. During the initial presentations of this study, the engineers expressed scorn for the lie that is at the basis of the highway lobby's "bike" highway to connect to Boston. They call the connection impossible.
2. Question.
3. Response.
1. Introduction.
We have done several reports on the ongoing attempts to run exit traffic from I 90 (Mass. Pike) to Cambridge by way of the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge.
I got the following email in response to the second of the two reports. Links are provided in my response. I have slightly edited my response without changing its substance.
One explanation may be of value. In both of my photo reports, I point out a highway sign. In the first report, that highway sign is directly ahead if you simply follow the train tracks. In the second report, emphasizing the view from Boston, the sign is quite visible and I point out the connection to the Grand Junction Bridge in that background. The below response includes comment on what is on that highway sign.
I am attaching the usual satellite / areal map of the area from a government environmental report in 2006. I will not bother you with yet another detailed explanation of the photo. Either you do not need it, or, hopefully, the markings on the photo which I put there will be adequate.
The BU Bridge is identified to the right in the photo. The railroad bridge in question is visible running under it.
If that does not work, my explanation in the links, hopefully, will be adequate.
I appreciate a good question.
2. Question.
Isn't it true that the BU railroad bridge (a double set of tracks bridge with tracks only on side) is used daily to move train sections between North and South stations for the commuter rail?
And that this is the only connection between the two without going all the way out to 495?
3. Response.
That is the reason the MBTA study called for widening it by placing a third pathway to the east of the bridge. I believe it was proposed as sort of a cantilever arrangement.
The need for the third pathway is the reason why the machine is conning the bike highway lobby to widen the underpass under Memorial Drive, under the lie that it is for a bike highway.
It will be for a bike highway until Harvard needs its off ramp. Harvard purchased the future Harvard Medical School area several months after the report was published. Also occurring shortly after the report was the approval of a U Turn (which is reflected on that highway sign). The U-Turn makes the Grand Junction conversion viable for both directions rather than just to / from the west, which was the MBTA proposal, until the MBTA "suddenly" discovered that the cost of the project far outweighed the value of a Newton - Cambridge direct bus line. Strange, that limitation was obvious from the beginning.
When Harvard gets its off ramp, the bike highway will be rerouted where it should, responsibly, be put in the first place, to connect to Vassar Street at the point where Vassar Street right turns a few feet from the railroad tracks, and then to Memorial Drive by a much shorter route. I provided photos of the turn / connection in the pair of photo analyses, both from the road and the railroad side. Please check the blog,
The more recent of the pair of reports is at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-reality-of-harvard-universitys.html.
The earlier is at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-harvards-targeted-off-ramp.html.
Also of interest is the immediately prior report, presenting the MassDOT / DCR "connectivity" report, at
http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/charles-river-conductivity-study.html. During the initial presentations of this study, the engineers expressed scorn for the lie that is at the basis of the highway lobby's "bike" highway to connect to Boston. They call the connection impossible.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Comments on the photos of the Destroyed Nesting Area and on Harvard’s off ramp
1. General.
2. March 11, 2014 photos.
3. February 28, 2014, The reality of Harvard’s new off ramp.
A. Comment.
B. Response.
1. General.
We have received interesting comments on facebook on our two recent reports. I have cleaned up some typos.
2. March 11, 2014 photos.
First Anjell on our report of March 11, 2014, entitled March with the Charles River White Geese, posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-with-charles-river-white-geese.html.
She is responding to the photo of the blocking of the entrance.
Anjell Bejanian
Oh, Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
3. February 28, 2014, The reality of Harvard’s new off ramp.
This report was posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-reality-of-harvard-universitys.html.
A. Comment.
Ari Ofsevit commented:
Wait, how does the Grand Junction bridge go to Harvard? MIT, sure, but it doesn't really go anywhere near Harvard
B. Response.
Hello Ari,
Welcome as a new friend of the Charles River White Geese.
Your question shows you know the turf, somewhat. Your question also shows why the Cambridge Machine has created an organization which runs around lying that they love the Charles River, followed by comments that if you love the Charles River, it is irresponsible to look at anything other than an ancient building that has not been used for 80 years.
The game is to have really major issues hidden through obfuscation tactics that have done a lot of damage in Cambridge during the City Manager regency which dates back to 1974. A lot of organizations have been created during that time which claim to be defending Cambridge and doing exactly the opposite.
One of the most recent fake groups, prior to the Cambridge Machine’s fight to destroy on the Charles River, was a group which claimed to be defending Alewife.
You just had to yell at the private developers exercising their zoning rights and ignore the behavior of the guys who created the zoning. The guys who created the zoning were fighting to destroy their part of Alewife.
The leader of that fake group then bragged of the first bunch of inexcusable destruction of irreplaceable acres of Alewife by her friends.
Please look at this posting on the blog at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-reality-of-harvard-universitys.html, and look at the second posting before it on facebook and on the blog at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-harvards-targeted-off-ramp.html.
The most important tactic of the Cambridge Machine is to lie about which side they are on and then stab their victims in the back.
Additionally, since you are clearly not fully familiar with the area, I am enclosing a map I have repeatedly published with my two reports. It is analyzed in detail in those two reports.
Please review my two postings in great detail.
The short part of the answer is, first, please look with great care at that rail yard / Mass. Pike exit on the far left of the aerial / satellite photo. The rail yard has been vacated. You will note that that area is across the Charles River from Magazine Beach. Further examination indicates that the Grand Junction rail bridge under the BU Bridge directly connects to that rail yard to Cambridge.
Harvard bought this area shortly after the MBTA proved the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge can be used as an exit from the Mass. Pike to Cambridge. An awful lot of environmental destruction is consistent with easing that off ramp into a position where traffic currently using the exits that Harvard now owns can be moved onto the new exit ramp. Other destruction is consistent with sharing the spoils.
Harvard’s recent purchase is larger than the Back Bay neighborhood. It very clearly is the future home of Harvard Medical School and related facilities. I can give you a whole bunch of other reports on that matter, but please start at looking at the reports directly on the point you are asking about and which you clearly have not read.
Thank you very much for your concern.
I think so highly of your comment that I will pass it on on the blog along with another comment on my most recent post.
2. March 11, 2014 photos.
3. February 28, 2014, The reality of Harvard’s new off ramp.
A. Comment.
B. Response.
1. General.
We have received interesting comments on facebook on our two recent reports. I have cleaned up some typos.
2. March 11, 2014 photos.
First Anjell on our report of March 11, 2014, entitled March with the Charles River White Geese, posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-with-charles-river-white-geese.html.
She is responding to the photo of the blocking of the entrance.
Anjell Bejanian
Oh, Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
3. February 28, 2014, The reality of Harvard’s new off ramp.
This report was posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-reality-of-harvard-universitys.html.
A. Comment.
Ari Ofsevit commented:
Wait, how does the Grand Junction bridge go to Harvard? MIT, sure, but it doesn't really go anywhere near Harvard
B. Response.
Hello Ari,
Welcome as a new friend of the Charles River White Geese.
Your question shows you know the turf, somewhat. Your question also shows why the Cambridge Machine has created an organization which runs around lying that they love the Charles River, followed by comments that if you love the Charles River, it is irresponsible to look at anything other than an ancient building that has not been used for 80 years.
The game is to have really major issues hidden through obfuscation tactics that have done a lot of damage in Cambridge during the City Manager regency which dates back to 1974. A lot of organizations have been created during that time which claim to be defending Cambridge and doing exactly the opposite.
One of the most recent fake groups, prior to the Cambridge Machine’s fight to destroy on the Charles River, was a group which claimed to be defending Alewife.
You just had to yell at the private developers exercising their zoning rights and ignore the behavior of the guys who created the zoning. The guys who created the zoning were fighting to destroy their part of Alewife.
The leader of that fake group then bragged of the first bunch of inexcusable destruction of irreplaceable acres of Alewife by her friends.
Please look at this posting on the blog at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-reality-of-harvard-universitys.html, and look at the second posting before it on facebook and on the blog at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-harvards-targeted-off-ramp.html.
The most important tactic of the Cambridge Machine is to lie about which side they are on and then stab their victims in the back.
Additionally, since you are clearly not fully familiar with the area, I am enclosing a map I have repeatedly published with my two reports. It is analyzed in detail in those two reports.
Please review my two postings in great detail.
The short part of the answer is, first, please look with great care at that rail yard / Mass. Pike exit on the far left of the aerial / satellite photo. The rail yard has been vacated. You will note that that area is across the Charles River from Magazine Beach. Further examination indicates that the Grand Junction rail bridge under the BU Bridge directly connects to that rail yard to Cambridge.
Harvard bought this area shortly after the MBTA proved the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge can be used as an exit from the Mass. Pike to Cambridge. An awful lot of environmental destruction is consistent with easing that off ramp into a position where traffic currently using the exits that Harvard now owns can be moved onto the new exit ramp. Other destruction is consistent with sharing the spoils.
Harvard’s recent purchase is larger than the Back Bay neighborhood. It very clearly is the future home of Harvard Medical School and related facilities. I can give you a whole bunch of other reports on that matter, but please start at looking at the reports directly on the point you are asking about and which you clearly have not read.
Thank you very much for your concern.
I think so highly of your comment that I will pass it on on the blog along with another comment on my most recent post.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
March with the Charles River White Geese
Here are a few photos from Saturday, March 8, 2014, at the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
[0581]
The entrance to the area is blocked as more starvation tactics, supposedly, I presume, as safety, but they are being deliberately starved by walling off their food for most of the last 33 years, and it is only humane to allow them a little bit of food across the on ramp to Memorial Drive.
When this opening was created, it was definitely negative for the reason why the closing is up now, for safety reasons, but the ongoing starvation tactics definitely changes things. The blocking will be taken down, obviously, when something more harmful is done.
In addition, the Charles River White Geese are careful jaywalkers. They stand on the side of the ramp until it is safe to cross and only then do they cross. The drivers love them, as do all decent human beings. The negative to their crossing is that they are geese. Once they start crossing, they do tend to meander.
*********
The Charles River White Geese look for what food there is in the remnants of the supposed “amelioration” for the BU Bridge project. This area looks bad. The real bad area is the area that was not damaged by the BU Bridge project. That is the area with the massive destruction of ground vegetation by the Charles River “Conservancy”. The CRC destruction was made worse in the last year by railroad workers and “unidentified” people who came after the railroad workers and made things worse.
Then again, the introduced vegetation that is thriving could very well be yet another example of the outrage at Magazine Beach: bushes which are allowed to grow and grow and grow, blocking movement between the Charles River and Magazine Beach there, and destroying even more of the Destroyed Nesting Area for the permanent residents here.
The area in the middle of the first photo is a small portion of ground vegetation which was neither destroyed by the Charles River “Conservancy” nor by the BU Bridge Project nor by other, various irresponsible workers.
Undestroyed native vegetation, this and others, is consistently the best stuff in the area, and will once again be that when spring comes.
[573, 574, 580]
**********
Passing these photos on in spite of lack of quality.
The white blur is a Charles River White Goose flapping his wings. The two other figures are Mallard Ducks.
[576, 577]
[0581]
The entrance to the area is blocked as more starvation tactics, supposedly, I presume, as safety, but they are being deliberately starved by walling off their food for most of the last 33 years, and it is only humane to allow them a little bit of food across the on ramp to Memorial Drive.
When this opening was created, it was definitely negative for the reason why the closing is up now, for safety reasons, but the ongoing starvation tactics definitely changes things. The blocking will be taken down, obviously, when something more harmful is done.
In addition, the Charles River White Geese are careful jaywalkers. They stand on the side of the ramp until it is safe to cross and only then do they cross. The drivers love them, as do all decent human beings. The negative to their crossing is that they are geese. Once they start crossing, they do tend to meander.
*********
The Charles River White Geese look for what food there is in the remnants of the supposed “amelioration” for the BU Bridge project. This area looks bad. The real bad area is the area that was not damaged by the BU Bridge project. That is the area with the massive destruction of ground vegetation by the Charles River “Conservancy”. The CRC destruction was made worse in the last year by railroad workers and “unidentified” people who came after the railroad workers and made things worse.
Then again, the introduced vegetation that is thriving could very well be yet another example of the outrage at Magazine Beach: bushes which are allowed to grow and grow and grow, blocking movement between the Charles River and Magazine Beach there, and destroying even more of the Destroyed Nesting Area for the permanent residents here.
The area in the middle of the first photo is a small portion of ground vegetation which was neither destroyed by the Charles River “Conservancy” nor by the BU Bridge Project nor by other, various irresponsible workers.
Undestroyed native vegetation, this and others, is consistently the best stuff in the area, and will once again be that when spring comes.
[573, 574, 580]
**********
Passing these photos on in spite of lack of quality.
The white blur is a Charles River White Goose flapping his wings. The two other figures are Mallard Ducks.
[576, 577]
Friday, February 28, 2014
The reality of Harvard University’s Coming New Off Ramp from the Massachusetts Turnpike (I90) over the Charles River in Boston / Cambridge, MA
1. Introduction.
2. Photos of reality.
A. Soldiers Field Road / Storrow Drive.
B. The Massachusetts Turnpike / I90.
C. The Charles River White Geese.
D. A key target.
3. A summary.
1. Introduction.
In our paragraph 3 below, we summarize the outrage by which Cambridge, an irresponsible state agency and their friends are fighting to get an Interstate highway exit to Cambridge for the benefit of Harvard University. This report is a follow on to our report at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-harvards-targeted-off-ramp.html.
The reality is that Cambridge (MA) politics is dominated by a corrupt machine which lies about which side it is on and fools good people into stabbing themselves in the back. They work openly with a well programmed construction lobby fighting for destruction, and the most visible person in the Cambridge machine’s “defense” / fight for destruction of the BU Bridge / Magazine beach area of the Charles River in Cambridge is publicly hand in glove with a very belligerent construction lobby which conducts its meetings on the premises of one of Cambridge’s largest developers.
One of the most destructive parts of the highway lobby lies that it is a “Conservancy” and the supposedly liberal Boston Globe is organizing money contributions to fund this falsely named Charles River “Conservancy.”
2. Photos of reality.
[overview photo]
[photo of connection location.]
There is a mural on the back of the MicroCenter building across from the Magazine Beach playing fields. It memorializes the last fight against massive highway construction in Cambridge. The last time, the destroyers were not lying about which side they are on.
The above are two photos in our recent report. Those photos severely understated the destruction that the Cambridge Machine, through its organization of lies and corrupt tactics is fighting to inflict on Cambridge.
The following photos were taken on February 23, 2014.
The first is a photo of the rail bridge showing the underpass under Memorial Drive and the track area east of the Destroyed Nesting Area and west of the wild area which has seen all its ground vegetation destroyed by the Charles River “Conservancy.”
The irresponsible bicycle activists who meet on the campus of the city’s biggest developer are seeking to widen that bridge and widen that underpass. The lie is that the underpass is being widened for the benefit of these destructive people. The reality is that it is being widened to hold the lanes of the Mass. Pike (I90) off ramp intended to go over the widened rail bridge.
A. Soldiers Field Road / Storrow Drive.
[photo of connection location.]
This photo, the second photo at the top, shows a rail bridge.
Here are some photos from below the rail bridge from beneath and around that rail bridge.
B. The Massachusetts Turnpike / I90.
[photo of connection location.]
I went through a great effort to point out the Mass. Pike straight ahead. Here are photos of the Mass. Pike. The first is taken from the eastern side of the BU Bridge with Commonwealth Avenue to the left. The view is over the traffic lanes of the BU Bridge, showing the Mass. Pike.
The green traffic sign straight ahead is in the background of the above photo.
The following photos are taken from the west side of the BU Bridge. The parking area on the right is straight ahead as you are looking at the photo at the beginning of this section B. The obstructions in the photo are wires of the woven fence next to the sidewalk.
[544, 545, 546]
These photos are, again from Commonwealth Avenue west of the BU Bridge and from the west side of the BU Bridge. They are looking over the Mass. Pike. toward the BU Bridge and toward the rail bridge the Cambridge Machine is fighting to get turned into that off ramp. Notice they never say what they are fighting for.
They just say it is anti Charles River to look at reality. The only “politically correct” thinking, according to the Cambridge Machine is to look at one building which has not been used for 80 years, and pretend everything and everything else does not exist, until the Cambridge Machine pulls corrupt stunts to expand destruction and then that is done as fast as they can get away with.
These photos are, again from Commonwealth Avenue west of the BU Bridge and from the west side of the BU Bridge. They are looking over the Mass. Pike. toward the BU Bridge and toward the rail bridge the Cambridge Machine is fighting to get turned into that off ramp. Notice they never say what they are fighting for.
They just say it is anti Charles River to look at reality. The only “politically correct” thinking, according to the Cambridge Machine is to look at one building which has not been used for 80 years, and pretend everything and everything else does not exist, until the Cambridge Machine pulls corrupt stunts to expand destruction and then that is done as fast as they can get away with.
The eastbound lanes of the Mass. Pike are nearest the camera. As we demonstrated in our last report, extending the existing track straight ahead going over the rail bridge readily connects with the westbound lanes, further from the camera.
All that is necessary to connect to the added lane on the rail bridge is to run a ramp over the field on the far side of the highway. The ramp would run from the east bound lanes over the westbound lanes, and then over the field.
[547,548,549]
Here are views of that field from further toward Cambridge on the BU Bridge. You can see the field, the Mass. Pike, and Commonwealth Avenue. This includes views of the Mass. Pike going under Commonwealth Avenue.
[541,542,543]
Here are views from Commonwealth Avenue and from BU property.
Clearly there is plenty of room to run that off ramps from this side of the Mass. Pike.
The railroad in these photos is the main line from Downtown Boston to Worcester.
[550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557]
C. The Charles River White Geese.
The goal of the state bureaucrats is to kill off or drive away all animals living on or near the Charles River. This is stated in their public planning document which the Cambridge Machine treats with the same great respect as they do the belligerently lying state bureaucrat whose key lies got them this far. They implement the latest proposals for expansion of destruction through corrupt tactics.
The Charles River White Geese are offensive to these incompetent bureaucrats and corrupt “activists” because they are living beings who live on the Charles River of their own initiative. They are offensive to the rotters because nobody was paid to install them. They are free. They installed themselves. They are loved by decent human beings.
They are the most visible, most beloved part of a free ecosystem. All pre-existing animals in it are intended to be destroyed.
They have no value to these incompetents. Nobody was paid to put them there.
From the point of view of the rotters, the Charles River White Geese must be destroyed.
[571]
Look carefully, these are the beautiful beings targeted by corrupt tactics and lies. The destroyers cannot succeed with honorable behavior.
D. A key target.
[568]
This is the rail bridge. The goal is to widen it with an addition to its right.
Straight ahead is a very quiet area which has a few minor trains a day. The trainmen are responsible and respectful of the environment and the Charles River White Geese.
The Charles River White Geese use this area heavily in nesting season. The males strut and show off for the females.
The area to the right used to be heavily vegetated. All ground vegetation to the right has been destroyed by the Charles River “Conservancy.” It has not returned. Poisons?
The area to the left is the nesting area. When things have gotten particularly bad, geese have nested next to rails.
Almost all native ground vegetation to the left was destroyed by the Charles River “Conservancy”, or the BU Bridge project. Damage has been magnified by irresponsible workers.
Straight ahead is an underpass for Memorial Drive. The portion under Memorial Drive holds two lanes of traffic.
A highway lobby which gives the appearance of belligerently irresponsible bicyclists is fighting to widen that underpass to three lanes.
The people pulling their strings do not tell them there is a responsible alternative for a bike highway to Memorial Drive. (Photos in the prior report.) The people pulling their strings do not tell them that their goal of connecting to the dangerous bicycle highways on the Boston side is impossible
The people pulling the strings will stab this highway lobby in the back when Harvard has its off ramp in line.
3. A summary.
[overview photo]
[photo of connection location.]
[photo of underpass]
The Cambridge Machine tells people that, if people support the Charles River, they must ignore the problems of the Charles River, especially those created by an irresponsible government of the City of Cambridge and its irresponsible friends in the environmentally incompetent Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The Cambridge Machine has a woman whom it calls its point person in “defending” Magazine Beach, by telling people to ignore Magazine Beach’s very real problems. This woman is an active supporter of the highway lobby, that very destructive bunch of bicycle activist who meet on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of Cambridge’s largest developers. The fake defender was key in the Cambridge Machine’s corrupt abuse of voting process in the Cambridge Machine’s bizarre “vote” to double the area of the problems at Magazine Beach. AND SHE BRAGS OF HER SUPPORT FOR THIS HIGHWAY LOBBY.
A major part of the environmental outrage is Harvard University’s very clear plans to move the Harvard Medical School to the former rail yards and current I90 (Mass. Pike) exit across the Charles River from Magazine Beach to the rail bridge under the BU Bridge and then to Memorial Drive.
A photo of the area is above, along with a photo of the area of connection to I90 / the Mass. Pike. A lot more detail is included in our post on the matter at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-harvards-targeted-off-ramp.html.
The state agency has a goal to kill off all animals in the Charles River Basin. They have cruelly and deliberately been starving their most visible victims, the Charles River White Geese for years. How they have been walling off Magazine Beach with a bizarre wall of bushes.
The Cambridge Machine has explained the bizarre wall on the grounds that their friends are too incompetent to chop down bushes. Then the Cambridge Machine indulged in blatantly corrupt behavior to expand the problems. Part of the corruption clearly encourages the destruction of hundreds of trees which are in the way of moving traffic from the future location of Harvard’s Medical School to Memorial Drive.
Governor Patrick’s bond authorization bill, H3332, provides $24 million for the destruction under the euphemism “Historical Parkway.” A fraudulently named Charles River “Conservancy” has obtained “approvals” claimed to support the outrage through the lie of “underpasses.” They have claimed that the $24 million of destruction is ancillary to the $4 million of “underpasses”, underpasses opposed by the Department of Transportation which would be responsible for the “underpasses.”
Harvard bought their future Medical site shortly after the local public transportation agency, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, demonstrated it is possible to create that off ramp.
The leader of the Cambridge Machine’s fake protection is in the middle of another con game, the con game to the irresponsible bicyclists that they are going to destroy the environment for their benefit and link a bike highway to Boston, a goal which responsible state managers have called impossible.
Key in this particular outrage is that the bicycle activists (meeting on the MIT campus) are being used as stalking horses, primarily to widen the railroad underpass under Memorial Drive. It is only wide enough for two lanes. Harvard needs three, so the bicyclists are being lied to that it is being widened for them.
In our report, we have shown the responsible way to connect the bike highway to Memorial Drive, the route that will be used after Cambridge and their state agency stabs the extremists in the bicyclist lobby in the back.
This report shows much more detail in this irresponsible attack.
2. Photos of reality.
A. Soldiers Field Road / Storrow Drive.
B. The Massachusetts Turnpike / I90.
C. The Charles River White Geese.
D. A key target.
3. A summary.
1. Introduction.
In our paragraph 3 below, we summarize the outrage by which Cambridge, an irresponsible state agency and their friends are fighting to get an Interstate highway exit to Cambridge for the benefit of Harvard University. This report is a follow on to our report at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-harvards-targeted-off-ramp.html.
The reality is that Cambridge (MA) politics is dominated by a corrupt machine which lies about which side it is on and fools good people into stabbing themselves in the back. They work openly with a well programmed construction lobby fighting for destruction, and the most visible person in the Cambridge machine’s “defense” / fight for destruction of the BU Bridge / Magazine beach area of the Charles River in Cambridge is publicly hand in glove with a very belligerent construction lobby which conducts its meetings on the premises of one of Cambridge’s largest developers.
One of the most destructive parts of the highway lobby lies that it is a “Conservancy” and the supposedly liberal Boston Globe is organizing money contributions to fund this falsely named Charles River “Conservancy.”
2. Photos of reality.
[overview photo]
[photo of connection location.]
There is a mural on the back of the MicroCenter building across from the Magazine Beach playing fields. It memorializes the last fight against massive highway construction in Cambridge. The last time, the destroyers were not lying about which side they are on.
The above are two photos in our recent report. Those photos severely understated the destruction that the Cambridge Machine, through its organization of lies and corrupt tactics is fighting to inflict on Cambridge.
The following photos were taken on February 23, 2014.
The first is a photo of the rail bridge showing the underpass under Memorial Drive and the track area east of the Destroyed Nesting Area and west of the wild area which has seen all its ground vegetation destroyed by the Charles River “Conservancy.”
The irresponsible bicycle activists who meet on the campus of the city’s biggest developer are seeking to widen that bridge and widen that underpass. The lie is that the underpass is being widened for the benefit of these destructive people. The reality is that it is being widened to hold the lanes of the Mass. Pike (I90) off ramp intended to go over the widened rail bridge.
A. Soldiers Field Road / Storrow Drive.
[photo of connection location.]
This photo, the second photo at the top, shows a rail bridge.
Here are some photos from below the rail bridge from beneath and around that rail bridge.
B. The Massachusetts Turnpike / I90.
[photo of connection location.]
I went through a great effort to point out the Mass. Pike straight ahead. Here are photos of the Mass. Pike. The first is taken from the eastern side of the BU Bridge with Commonwealth Avenue to the left. The view is over the traffic lanes of the BU Bridge, showing the Mass. Pike.
The green traffic sign straight ahead is in the background of the above photo.
The following photos are taken from the west side of the BU Bridge. The parking area on the right is straight ahead as you are looking at the photo at the beginning of this section B. The obstructions in the photo are wires of the woven fence next to the sidewalk.
[544, 545, 546]
These photos are, again from Commonwealth Avenue west of the BU Bridge and from the west side of the BU Bridge. They are looking over the Mass. Pike. toward the BU Bridge and toward the rail bridge the Cambridge Machine is fighting to get turned into that off ramp. Notice they never say what they are fighting for.
They just say it is anti Charles River to look at reality. The only “politically correct” thinking, according to the Cambridge Machine is to look at one building which has not been used for 80 years, and pretend everything and everything else does not exist, until the Cambridge Machine pulls corrupt stunts to expand destruction and then that is done as fast as they can get away with.
These photos are, again from Commonwealth Avenue west of the BU Bridge and from the west side of the BU Bridge. They are looking over the Mass. Pike. toward the BU Bridge and toward the rail bridge the Cambridge Machine is fighting to get turned into that off ramp. Notice they never say what they are fighting for.
They just say it is anti Charles River to look at reality. The only “politically correct” thinking, according to the Cambridge Machine is to look at one building which has not been used for 80 years, and pretend everything and everything else does not exist, until the Cambridge Machine pulls corrupt stunts to expand destruction and then that is done as fast as they can get away with.
The eastbound lanes of the Mass. Pike are nearest the camera. As we demonstrated in our last report, extending the existing track straight ahead going over the rail bridge readily connects with the westbound lanes, further from the camera.
All that is necessary to connect to the added lane on the rail bridge is to run a ramp over the field on the far side of the highway. The ramp would run from the east bound lanes over the westbound lanes, and then over the field.
[547,548,549]
Here are views of that field from further toward Cambridge on the BU Bridge. You can see the field, the Mass. Pike, and Commonwealth Avenue. This includes views of the Mass. Pike going under Commonwealth Avenue.
[541,542,543]
Here are views from Commonwealth Avenue and from BU property.
Clearly there is plenty of room to run that off ramps from this side of the Mass. Pike.
The railroad in these photos is the main line from Downtown Boston to Worcester.
[550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557]
C. The Charles River White Geese.
The goal of the state bureaucrats is to kill off or drive away all animals living on or near the Charles River. This is stated in their public planning document which the Cambridge Machine treats with the same great respect as they do the belligerently lying state bureaucrat whose key lies got them this far. They implement the latest proposals for expansion of destruction through corrupt tactics.
The Charles River White Geese are offensive to these incompetent bureaucrats and corrupt “activists” because they are living beings who live on the Charles River of their own initiative. They are offensive to the rotters because nobody was paid to install them. They are free. They installed themselves. They are loved by decent human beings.
They are the most visible, most beloved part of a free ecosystem. All pre-existing animals in it are intended to be destroyed.
They have no value to these incompetents. Nobody was paid to put them there.
From the point of view of the rotters, the Charles River White Geese must be destroyed.
[571]
Look carefully, these are the beautiful beings targeted by corrupt tactics and lies. The destroyers cannot succeed with honorable behavior.
D. A key target.
[568]
This is the rail bridge. The goal is to widen it with an addition to its right.
Straight ahead is a very quiet area which has a few minor trains a day. The trainmen are responsible and respectful of the environment and the Charles River White Geese.
The Charles River White Geese use this area heavily in nesting season. The males strut and show off for the females.
The area to the right used to be heavily vegetated. All ground vegetation to the right has been destroyed by the Charles River “Conservancy.” It has not returned. Poisons?
The area to the left is the nesting area. When things have gotten particularly bad, geese have nested next to rails.
Almost all native ground vegetation to the left was destroyed by the Charles River “Conservancy”, or the BU Bridge project. Damage has been magnified by irresponsible workers.
Straight ahead is an underpass for Memorial Drive. The portion under Memorial Drive holds two lanes of traffic.
A highway lobby which gives the appearance of belligerently irresponsible bicyclists is fighting to widen that underpass to three lanes.
The people pulling their strings do not tell them there is a responsible alternative for a bike highway to Memorial Drive. (Photos in the prior report.) The people pulling their strings do not tell them that their goal of connecting to the dangerous bicycle highways on the Boston side is impossible
The people pulling the strings will stab this highway lobby in the back when Harvard has its off ramp in line.
3. A summary.
[overview photo]
[photo of connection location.]
[photo of underpass]
The Cambridge Machine tells people that, if people support the Charles River, they must ignore the problems of the Charles River, especially those created by an irresponsible government of the City of Cambridge and its irresponsible friends in the environmentally incompetent Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The Cambridge Machine has a woman whom it calls its point person in “defending” Magazine Beach, by telling people to ignore Magazine Beach’s very real problems. This woman is an active supporter of the highway lobby, that very destructive bunch of bicycle activist who meet on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of Cambridge’s largest developers. The fake defender was key in the Cambridge Machine’s corrupt abuse of voting process in the Cambridge Machine’s bizarre “vote” to double the area of the problems at Magazine Beach. AND SHE BRAGS OF HER SUPPORT FOR THIS HIGHWAY LOBBY.
A major part of the environmental outrage is Harvard University’s very clear plans to move the Harvard Medical School to the former rail yards and current I90 (Mass. Pike) exit across the Charles River from Magazine Beach to the rail bridge under the BU Bridge and then to Memorial Drive.
A photo of the area is above, along with a photo of the area of connection to I90 / the Mass. Pike. A lot more detail is included in our post on the matter at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-harvards-targeted-off-ramp.html.
The state agency has a goal to kill off all animals in the Charles River Basin. They have cruelly and deliberately been starving their most visible victims, the Charles River White Geese for years. How they have been walling off Magazine Beach with a bizarre wall of bushes.
The Cambridge Machine has explained the bizarre wall on the grounds that their friends are too incompetent to chop down bushes. Then the Cambridge Machine indulged in blatantly corrupt behavior to expand the problems. Part of the corruption clearly encourages the destruction of hundreds of trees which are in the way of moving traffic from the future location of Harvard’s Medical School to Memorial Drive.
Governor Patrick’s bond authorization bill, H3332, provides $24 million for the destruction under the euphemism “Historical Parkway.” A fraudulently named Charles River “Conservancy” has obtained “approvals” claimed to support the outrage through the lie of “underpasses.” They have claimed that the $24 million of destruction is ancillary to the $4 million of “underpasses”, underpasses opposed by the Department of Transportation which would be responsible for the “underpasses.”
Harvard bought their future Medical site shortly after the local public transportation agency, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, demonstrated it is possible to create that off ramp.
The leader of the Cambridge Machine’s fake protection is in the middle of another con game, the con game to the irresponsible bicyclists that they are going to destroy the environment for their benefit and link a bike highway to Boston, a goal which responsible state managers have called impossible.
Key in this particular outrage is that the bicycle activists (meeting on the MIT campus) are being used as stalking horses, primarily to widen the railroad underpass under Memorial Drive. It is only wide enough for two lanes. Harvard needs three, so the bicyclists are being lied to that it is being widened for them.
In our report, we have shown the responsible way to connect the bike highway to Memorial Drive, the route that will be used after Cambridge and their state agency stabs the extremists in the bicyclist lobby in the back.
This report shows much more detail in this irresponsible attack.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Harvard University Receives Environmental Approval
Environmental approval was received by Harvard University for projects in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, all very close to the Charles River. It was issued on February 14, 2014, but only announced in the February 26, 2014, edition of the Environmental Monitor, the official state environmental notice publication.
This does not include, as I recall, the future Harvard Medical School site or the various machinations with regard to I90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike), the proposed off ramp to Cambridge and the many environmental outrages on the Cambridge side of the Charles River resulting therefrom.
URL of the approval is http://www.env.state.ma.us/mepa/mepacerts/2014/sc/eir/14069deir.pdf.
It runs 37 pages.
I have not read it and may not for awhile. I am in the middle of a very large follow up report with many photos on concerning Harvard’s / the Cambridge Machine’s off ramp to Memorial Drive.
This does not include, as I recall, the future Harvard Medical School site or the various machinations with regard to I90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike), the proposed off ramp to Cambridge and the many environmental outrages on the Cambridge side of the Charles River resulting therefrom.
URL of the approval is http://www.env.state.ma.us/mepa/mepacerts/2014/sc/eir/14069deir.pdf.
It runs 37 pages.
I have not read it and may not for awhile. I am in the middle of a very large follow up report with many photos on concerning Harvard’s / the Cambridge Machine’s off ramp to Memorial Drive.
Sunday, February 09, 2014
Photos: Harvard’s Targeted Off Ramp Location which looks like the source of a lot of Charles River destruction.
1. Reality proves a bunch of lies false..
A. General.
B. Reality.
2. Nice words on the photos posted last Sunday, and on the Charles River Connectivity Report.
A. Goose Photos, February 2, 2014:
B. Charles River Connectivity:
3. The rest of my photos from Sunday, February 2, 2014.
4. Context.
A. Harvard Medical School relocation.
B. Con game with irresponsible bicycle activists with Cambridge connection..
[2006 aerial photo]
1. Reality proves a bunch of lies false..
A. General.
Last Sunday, February 2, 2012, I took a number of photos on the Charles River.
I published photos more directly associated with the Charles River White Geese at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-charles-river-white-geese-in.html.
Since then, I have been thinking over how best to present the balance of the photos, which have to do with the off ramp from I-90 (Mass. Pike) Harvard is targeting for the railroad bridge under the BU Bridge. This clearly is the source of a lot of the dirty tricks and destruction going on.
On February 5, I passed on to this blog a preliminary state report on Charles River Connectivity. This has been in the works since 2011. In the meetings, the planners scoffed at the “underpass” proposal which is the con game tactic being used to destroy hundreds of trees between Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge, four bridges (including the BU Bridge) to the east of the Magazine Beach playing fields. The trees are being destroyed to straighten out Memorial Drive so that it can handled the traffic from the I90 off ramp. The “underpasses” were condemned as environmentally destructive and just more Cambridge nonsense.
The con being used to get that off ramp in is that they are proposing a bike highway for widening the railroad bridge, but the planners at the preliminary meeting I attended in 2011 commented that such a bike highway would be nonsense. The lie is that the proposed bike highway would connect with existing bike highways on the Boston / south side. The planners in 2011 commented that it simply could not be done.
The report I passed on goes into great detail as to improvements needed to improve connectivity of traffic around the Charles River. Neither of these Cambridge Machine pieces of nonsense are recommended, as far as I can see.
That report is at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/charles-river-conductivity-study.html.
On February 7, 2014, I passed on a shortened version of the blog report to the Governor. If you would like to read the shortened version provided the Governor, my comments on the Charles River White Geese facebook page are essentially identical to the communication to the Governor.
Basically I will go through the on the ground photos and then put them into context in the later sections of this report.
B. Reality.
[0524]
This shot brings the lies together and proves them lies.
This photo is taken from the Boston end of BU Bridge above the railroad bridge passing under the BU Bridge.
Storrow Drive / Soldiers Field Road and the Boston side bike highway are visible at the lower part and buildings along Comm. Ave. are visible in the upper part.
The green sign is above the westbound side of the turnpike.
The railroad track is the one track of the Grand Junction railroad route in use in this area. At the bottom of the photo is the vestigial portion of the two track bridge which used to hold a second railroad track.
The plans are to add a third area to the left which will hold one lane, the off lane, carrying traffic from I90 (Mass. Pike) to Cambridge, MA, so that Harvard can build its Medical School / other facilities on the current off ramp from I90 to the Brighton neighborhood of Boston and to Cambridge, MA.
The existing track will become the lane from Cambridge to I90. The empty, former track, area will hold the Grand Junction railroad track.
In the very middle of the photo is a railroad bridge. Under the railroad bridge is Storrow Drive / Soldiers Field Road. This is the boulevard which follows the southern side of the Charles River in Boston. It is the corresponding highway to Memorial Drive which follows the river on the northern side of the Charles River in Cambridge.
On the left side of the photo is a tree. At the top of the photo are more trees, probably on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. Below the trees is a large building, part of the Boston University Campus. Below that large building and partially obscured by the first tree I mentioned is an automobile. Look ahead of the automobile, and you can see that green sign and the highway the automobile is traveling on. The automobile is traveling outbound / westerly on the outbound / westerly side of I90, the Massachusetts Turnpike.
As I said, the track you see is targeted to be the ramp which takes traffic from Cambridge to the Massachusetts Turnpike. All you have to do to connect to the roadway that car is on is to run the ramp straight ahead.
Not really seen is the inbound / eastbound traffic on I90 / the Mass. Pike. That traffic is beyond the car. Blowing up this photo, it is possible that side of the Mass. Pike can almost be seen in the very middle of the shot. On the other hand, I might be imagining that.
All that is necessary to connect that traffic to the inbound ramp to Cambridge which is proposed to the left of the railroad track you see is to construct a roadway from the eastbound side of the Mass. Pike over the westbound side of the Mass. Pike.
When the Mass. Bay Transportation Authority proposed this connection, the MBTA commented that this arrangement would only accommodate traffic between Cambridge and areas west.
Within months, Harvard bought the off ramps from the Mass. Pike to Brighton and Cambridge. Within months a U turn was approved in the area to the right of this photo allowing traffic going west on the Mass. Pike (I90) to turn around and go east, and thus to make this off ramp viable for traffic going between Cambridge and both directions on the Mass. Pike (I90).
2. Nice words on the photos posted last Sunday, and on the Charles River Connectivity Report.
Anjell Benjanian commented:
A. Goose Photos, February 2, 2014:
Yes, they r well and alive!--- Made my day Robert, and thankssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
B. Charles River Connectivity:
This helps a bit or a lot in me knowing more, but, I am still not really clear. But so good of u Robert, to have done this much work finding out about it.-- thanks and more thanks, and want to know more about the well being of the geese.-- thank u VERY MUCH
Ed: The planners who wrote the Charles River Connectivity report noted the lack of connection between the BU Bridge and the bike highways on that side of the Charles River. They did not recommend any connection. Verbally they called the connection impossible.
But the Cambridge Machine is lying to destructive bike activists, people they will shaft when / if that off ramp is built. Then the bike highway will connect to Memorial Drive by way of the L on Vassar Street which comes close to the tracks where the bike highway will meet Harvard’s off ramp, if at all.
3. The rest of my photos from Sunday, February 2, 2014.
[2006 aerial photo]
[0522]
The concrete (?) running up the left side of the photo is the eastern sidewalk of the BU Bridge. The metallic line to its right is decorative, and strong protection for pedestrians.
Straight ahead is a large building which contained a Cadillac - Olds dealer for half a century or more. It is now owned by Boston University. Directly below the Cadillac Olds building is Commonwealth Avenue. At this point, both Commonwealth Avenue and the BU Bridge are constructed on air rights above I90 (the Mass. Pike). The brownish coloration is a field which has been left to nature since the Mass. Pike construction in the 1970's. The Mass. Pike runs through this area. The change in color between the field and Commonwealth Avenue is the Mass. Pike.
That field would be used for construction of the ramp from the inbound / eastern direction of the Mass. Pike to the inbound / northern ramp off the Mass. Pike to Cambridge.
Below the Grand Junction is the Boston Side bike highway the Cambridge Machine is tempting the destructive bike activists with. There are signs in the area of that bike highway warning of the muggings which have occurred in the area at night.
The supposed reason for the massive destruction of environment including trees in Governor Patrick’s House Bill H3332 (Historic Parkways) is to duplicate this dangerous area and destroy hundreds of trees in the process (while keeping the destruction as secret as possible).
I do not have the slightest idea what the barge is there for.
[0525]
The mostly frozen Charles River is shown against the Boston shore.
The monstrous buildings straight ahead are new Boston University dormitories.
The line at the foot of the buildings is the Mass. Turnpike. This segment of the Mass. Pike is the only portion of I90 built in Boston on air rights.
Below the Mass. Pike is Storrow Drive / Soldiers Field Road.
If you follow the river up to the bend, you and see vehicles on Soldiers Field / Storrow. If you look above it and below the brown building to the left of the dormitories, you can see the elevated Massachusetts Turnpike / I-90.
The thin structure at the very right is probably in the area where Harvard now proposes to build a massive expansion, an area larger than Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, purchased by Harvard in 2004 / 2005. This includes off ramps from the Mass. Pike to Brighton and Cambridge.
I90 is depressed from its eastern extremity at Boston Logan Airport to the Commonwealth Avenue / BU Bridge intersection. It rises above the rail yards which Harvard now owns and intends to use for the Harvard Medical School. The comparison to adjacent properties varies after the rail yards.
The next bridge across the Charles River west from the BU Bridge is the River Street Bridge. River Street is called Cambridge Street in Boston. Cambridge Street goes over the Mass. Pike which is at ground level under and beyond Cambridge Street and eventually is raised again.
4. Context.
A. Harvard Medical School relocation.
[Aerial Photo / 2006 / Harvard Med - DNA]
This photo is a cropped and marked up version of a state photo in a 2006 environmental report. I have copied it twice above for reference.
The Charles River is the blackish (black and white photo) expanse running from the central portion of the right side of the photo to the top of the photo about a third of the way from the far left.
On the left side of the photo, occupying all of the photo except the bottom is what I understand is now an empty railroad yard along with the existing exits from I90 to Cambridge and the Brighton neighborhood of Boston. The area is much larger than is shown.
Harvard’s key purchase in this area from the state occurred just months after a report from the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority determined that the railroad bridge under the BU Bridge could be widened to add a lane so that the widened rail bridge would contain a two lane off ramp and one railroad track. The continuing railroad track connects this purchased area to railroad storage associated with Boston’s North Station.
Harvard’s holdings are larger than Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood.
Harvard has attempted to get the state to create a subway spur from the Red Line subway stop in Harvard square (further to the left and above the Charles River) to a location near the Harvard / Longwood Medical Center in the Fenway area of Boston. The proposal would connect the subway spur to a supposed bus tunnel proposed to connect from a location near Boston’s Kenmore Square (Green Line Subway) to Louis Pasteur and Longwood and then to a location near the Ruggles Station (Orange Line subway). I have done an extended analysis of this proposal on this blog. The Louis Pasteur Station would provide excellent connections to the Longwood / Harvard Hospitals.
Harvard has announced intention to move the Harvard School of Public Health to its holdings in Allston. Clearly this is being done to allow hospital expansion in place of the Harvard School of Public Health. In an even more obvious location for Harvard Hospital expansion is the Harvard Medical School which, in turn, is also very close to the Louis Pasteur stop. The Harvard Medical School currently abuts and is to the east of the Harvard School of Public Health,.
Clearly, Harvard’s holdings in Allston are targeted for the relocation of the Harvard Medical School, and Harvard’s Red Line spur is intended to have the state provide a shuttle service from the relocated Harvard Medical School to give its medical students ready access to the Harvard Hospitals in the Longwood / Harvard Medical Area.
B. Con game with irresponsible bicycle activists with Cambridge connection..
I have done a detailed photo essay on the responsible way to construct the (according to the Cambridge Machine) sanctified north south bike route.
Looking at this aerial photo, there is a thick highway running south of the Charles River from the BU Bridge to the future Harvard Medical School area. The BU Bridge is the nearly vertical crossing of the Charles River toward the right side of the photo. It is marked, as is the railroad bridge below it.
Compare this aerial photo to photo 0525 which I analyzed above.
[0525]
On the right hand side of the aerial photo is an “M” which is the beginning of “Memorial Drive” on the less cropped version of this aerial photo. Directly above the “M” is a street whose segment in this photo is L shaped. This is Vassar Street.
The railroad crosses the bridge in almost a straight line and comes very close to the point of the L of Vassar Street.
The corrupt situation in Cambridge is telling irresponsible bike activists that Harvard’s off ramp over the railroad bridge is their future bike highway. The responsible route for the bike highway is to connect to Memorial Drive by taking a narrow strip connecting the point of the L to the railroad.
[2013 / 05 / 05-17A / 04 15 Vassar Street]
This is the L of Vassar Street. The white building fronts on Vassar Street and backs to the railroad. The responsible place for the bike path is the near side of the white building.
The following photo is of the railroad side of the white building.
[2013 / 05 / 05-17A / 07 18 Gd Jctn, Bk Hwy]]
That is the route the con artists will “suddenly” discover when Harvard decides to go forward with the off ramp over a widened railroad bridge, widened to “allow” the stalking horse bike highway. The reality, however, is not widening the railroad bridge for the bike highway because the promise is impossible of connection to the bike highway on the Boston side, so the bridge will not be widened as part of the bike highway.
The real con is the Memorial Drive railroad underpass. Memorial Drive starts at the right, with that M on top of it and runs through the photo basically parallel to the Charles River, leaving the photo just to the right of the Charles River. The underpass will hold two railroad tracks. It is not enough for the 2 lane off ramp and one railroad track. It is also not wide enough for the bike highway and two railroad tracks. The con is to widen the underpass “for the” bike highway which would then do even more destruction to the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
This is the current underpass viewed from next to the Destroyed Nesting Area.
[2013 / 06 DNA / 06-23A / 0206]
The above three photos are part of the much more detailed photo analysis which I published concerning the fraud being inflicted on the irresponsible bike activist highway lobby.
The precursor to this highway is the northern of the crushed gravel highways which has been built in the Destroyed Nesting Area, photo taken on January 11, this year. The lower part of the gravel was wantonly dumped by workers associated with the DCR..
[0505]
This bike route is much longer, much more time consuming and much more expensive than just cutting over to Vassar Street, but the destructive bicyclist highway lobby are being promised a bike highway over the Charles, and this route will be the “Oh, I am so sorry” alternative, the first shafting of some destructive people.
The second shafting will be to put the bike highway where it belongs.
A. General.
B. Reality.
2. Nice words on the photos posted last Sunday, and on the Charles River Connectivity Report.
A. Goose Photos, February 2, 2014:
B. Charles River Connectivity:
3. The rest of my photos from Sunday, February 2, 2014.
4. Context.
A. Harvard Medical School relocation.
B. Con game with irresponsible bicycle activists with Cambridge connection..
[2006 aerial photo]
1. Reality proves a bunch of lies false..
A. General.
Last Sunday, February 2, 2012, I took a number of photos on the Charles River.
I published photos more directly associated with the Charles River White Geese at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/photos-charles-river-white-geese-in.html.
Since then, I have been thinking over how best to present the balance of the photos, which have to do with the off ramp from I-90 (Mass. Pike) Harvard is targeting for the railroad bridge under the BU Bridge. This clearly is the source of a lot of the dirty tricks and destruction going on.
On February 5, I passed on to this blog a preliminary state report on Charles River Connectivity. This has been in the works since 2011. In the meetings, the planners scoffed at the “underpass” proposal which is the con game tactic being used to destroy hundreds of trees between Magazine Beach and the Longfellow Bridge, four bridges (including the BU Bridge) to the east of the Magazine Beach playing fields. The trees are being destroyed to straighten out Memorial Drive so that it can handled the traffic from the I90 off ramp. The “underpasses” were condemned as environmentally destructive and just more Cambridge nonsense.
The con being used to get that off ramp in is that they are proposing a bike highway for widening the railroad bridge, but the planners at the preliminary meeting I attended in 2011 commented that such a bike highway would be nonsense. The lie is that the proposed bike highway would connect with existing bike highways on the Boston / south side. The planners in 2011 commented that it simply could not be done.
The report I passed on goes into great detail as to improvements needed to improve connectivity of traffic around the Charles River. Neither of these Cambridge Machine pieces of nonsense are recommended, as far as I can see.
That report is at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/charles-river-conductivity-study.html.
On February 7, 2014, I passed on a shortened version of the blog report to the Governor. If you would like to read the shortened version provided the Governor, my comments on the Charles River White Geese facebook page are essentially identical to the communication to the Governor.
Basically I will go through the on the ground photos and then put them into context in the later sections of this report.
B. Reality.
[0524]
This shot brings the lies together and proves them lies.
This photo is taken from the Boston end of BU Bridge above the railroad bridge passing under the BU Bridge.
Storrow Drive / Soldiers Field Road and the Boston side bike highway are visible at the lower part and buildings along Comm. Ave. are visible in the upper part.
The green sign is above the westbound side of the turnpike.
The railroad track is the one track of the Grand Junction railroad route in use in this area. At the bottom of the photo is the vestigial portion of the two track bridge which used to hold a second railroad track.
The plans are to add a third area to the left which will hold one lane, the off lane, carrying traffic from I90 (Mass. Pike) to Cambridge, MA, so that Harvard can build its Medical School / other facilities on the current off ramp from I90 to the Brighton neighborhood of Boston and to Cambridge, MA.
The existing track will become the lane from Cambridge to I90. The empty, former track, area will hold the Grand Junction railroad track.
In the very middle of the photo is a railroad bridge. Under the railroad bridge is Storrow Drive / Soldiers Field Road. This is the boulevard which follows the southern side of the Charles River in Boston. It is the corresponding highway to Memorial Drive which follows the river on the northern side of the Charles River in Cambridge.
On the left side of the photo is a tree. At the top of the photo are more trees, probably on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. Below the trees is a large building, part of the Boston University Campus. Below that large building and partially obscured by the first tree I mentioned is an automobile. Look ahead of the automobile, and you can see that green sign and the highway the automobile is traveling on. The automobile is traveling outbound / westerly on the outbound / westerly side of I90, the Massachusetts Turnpike.
As I said, the track you see is targeted to be the ramp which takes traffic from Cambridge to the Massachusetts Turnpike. All you have to do to connect to the roadway that car is on is to run the ramp straight ahead.
Not really seen is the inbound / eastbound traffic on I90 / the Mass. Pike. That traffic is beyond the car. Blowing up this photo, it is possible that side of the Mass. Pike can almost be seen in the very middle of the shot. On the other hand, I might be imagining that.
All that is necessary to connect that traffic to the inbound ramp to Cambridge which is proposed to the left of the railroad track you see is to construct a roadway from the eastbound side of the Mass. Pike over the westbound side of the Mass. Pike.
When the Mass. Bay Transportation Authority proposed this connection, the MBTA commented that this arrangement would only accommodate traffic between Cambridge and areas west.
Within months, Harvard bought the off ramps from the Mass. Pike to Brighton and Cambridge. Within months a U turn was approved in the area to the right of this photo allowing traffic going west on the Mass. Pike (I90) to turn around and go east, and thus to make this off ramp viable for traffic going between Cambridge and both directions on the Mass. Pike (I90).
2. Nice words on the photos posted last Sunday, and on the Charles River Connectivity Report.
Anjell Benjanian commented:
A. Goose Photos, February 2, 2014:
Yes, they r well and alive!--- Made my day Robert, and thankssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
B. Charles River Connectivity:
This helps a bit or a lot in me knowing more, but, I am still not really clear. But so good of u Robert, to have done this much work finding out about it.-- thanks and more thanks, and want to know more about the well being of the geese.-- thank u VERY MUCH
Ed: The planners who wrote the Charles River Connectivity report noted the lack of connection between the BU Bridge and the bike highways on that side of the Charles River. They did not recommend any connection. Verbally they called the connection impossible.
But the Cambridge Machine is lying to destructive bike activists, people they will shaft when / if that off ramp is built. Then the bike highway will connect to Memorial Drive by way of the L on Vassar Street which comes close to the tracks where the bike highway will meet Harvard’s off ramp, if at all.
3. The rest of my photos from Sunday, February 2, 2014.
[2006 aerial photo]
[0522]
The concrete (?) running up the left side of the photo is the eastern sidewalk of the BU Bridge. The metallic line to its right is decorative, and strong protection for pedestrians.
Straight ahead is a large building which contained a Cadillac - Olds dealer for half a century or more. It is now owned by Boston University. Directly below the Cadillac Olds building is Commonwealth Avenue. At this point, both Commonwealth Avenue and the BU Bridge are constructed on air rights above I90 (the Mass. Pike). The brownish coloration is a field which has been left to nature since the Mass. Pike construction in the 1970's. The Mass. Pike runs through this area. The change in color between the field and Commonwealth Avenue is the Mass. Pike.
That field would be used for construction of the ramp from the inbound / eastern direction of the Mass. Pike to the inbound / northern ramp off the Mass. Pike to Cambridge.
Below the Grand Junction is the Boston Side bike highway the Cambridge Machine is tempting the destructive bike activists with. There are signs in the area of that bike highway warning of the muggings which have occurred in the area at night.
The supposed reason for the massive destruction of environment including trees in Governor Patrick’s House Bill H3332 (Historic Parkways) is to duplicate this dangerous area and destroy hundreds of trees in the process (while keeping the destruction as secret as possible).
I do not have the slightest idea what the barge is there for.
[0525]
The mostly frozen Charles River is shown against the Boston shore.
The monstrous buildings straight ahead are new Boston University dormitories.
The line at the foot of the buildings is the Mass. Turnpike. This segment of the Mass. Pike is the only portion of I90 built in Boston on air rights.
Below the Mass. Pike is Storrow Drive / Soldiers Field Road.
If you follow the river up to the bend, you and see vehicles on Soldiers Field / Storrow. If you look above it and below the brown building to the left of the dormitories, you can see the elevated Massachusetts Turnpike / I-90.
The thin structure at the very right is probably in the area where Harvard now proposes to build a massive expansion, an area larger than Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, purchased by Harvard in 2004 / 2005. This includes off ramps from the Mass. Pike to Brighton and Cambridge.
I90 is depressed from its eastern extremity at Boston Logan Airport to the Commonwealth Avenue / BU Bridge intersection. It rises above the rail yards which Harvard now owns and intends to use for the Harvard Medical School. The comparison to adjacent properties varies after the rail yards.
The next bridge across the Charles River west from the BU Bridge is the River Street Bridge. River Street is called Cambridge Street in Boston. Cambridge Street goes over the Mass. Pike which is at ground level under and beyond Cambridge Street and eventually is raised again.
4. Context.
A. Harvard Medical School relocation.
[Aerial Photo / 2006 / Harvard Med - DNA]
This photo is a cropped and marked up version of a state photo in a 2006 environmental report. I have copied it twice above for reference.
The Charles River is the blackish (black and white photo) expanse running from the central portion of the right side of the photo to the top of the photo about a third of the way from the far left.
On the left side of the photo, occupying all of the photo except the bottom is what I understand is now an empty railroad yard along with the existing exits from I90 to Cambridge and the Brighton neighborhood of Boston. The area is much larger than is shown.
Harvard’s key purchase in this area from the state occurred just months after a report from the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority determined that the railroad bridge under the BU Bridge could be widened to add a lane so that the widened rail bridge would contain a two lane off ramp and one railroad track. The continuing railroad track connects this purchased area to railroad storage associated with Boston’s North Station.
Harvard’s holdings are larger than Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood.
Harvard has attempted to get the state to create a subway spur from the Red Line subway stop in Harvard square (further to the left and above the Charles River) to a location near the Harvard / Longwood Medical Center in the Fenway area of Boston. The proposal would connect the subway spur to a supposed bus tunnel proposed to connect from a location near Boston’s Kenmore Square (Green Line Subway) to Louis Pasteur and Longwood and then to a location near the Ruggles Station (Orange Line subway). I have done an extended analysis of this proposal on this blog. The Louis Pasteur Station would provide excellent connections to the Longwood / Harvard Hospitals.
Harvard has announced intention to move the Harvard School of Public Health to its holdings in Allston. Clearly this is being done to allow hospital expansion in place of the Harvard School of Public Health. In an even more obvious location for Harvard Hospital expansion is the Harvard Medical School which, in turn, is also very close to the Louis Pasteur stop. The Harvard Medical School currently abuts and is to the east of the Harvard School of Public Health,.
Clearly, Harvard’s holdings in Allston are targeted for the relocation of the Harvard Medical School, and Harvard’s Red Line spur is intended to have the state provide a shuttle service from the relocated Harvard Medical School to give its medical students ready access to the Harvard Hospitals in the Longwood / Harvard Medical Area.
B. Con game with irresponsible bicycle activists with Cambridge connection..
I have done a detailed photo essay on the responsible way to construct the (according to the Cambridge Machine) sanctified north south bike route.
Looking at this aerial photo, there is a thick highway running south of the Charles River from the BU Bridge to the future Harvard Medical School area. The BU Bridge is the nearly vertical crossing of the Charles River toward the right side of the photo. It is marked, as is the railroad bridge below it.
Compare this aerial photo to photo 0525 which I analyzed above.
[0525]
On the right hand side of the aerial photo is an “M” which is the beginning of “Memorial Drive” on the less cropped version of this aerial photo. Directly above the “M” is a street whose segment in this photo is L shaped. This is Vassar Street.
The railroad crosses the bridge in almost a straight line and comes very close to the point of the L of Vassar Street.
The corrupt situation in Cambridge is telling irresponsible bike activists that Harvard’s off ramp over the railroad bridge is their future bike highway. The responsible route for the bike highway is to connect to Memorial Drive by taking a narrow strip connecting the point of the L to the railroad.
[2013 / 05 / 05-17A / 04 15 Vassar Street]
This is the L of Vassar Street. The white building fronts on Vassar Street and backs to the railroad. The responsible place for the bike path is the near side of the white building.
The following photo is of the railroad side of the white building.
[2013 / 05 / 05-17A / 07 18 Gd Jctn, Bk Hwy]]
That is the route the con artists will “suddenly” discover when Harvard decides to go forward with the off ramp over a widened railroad bridge, widened to “allow” the stalking horse bike highway. The reality, however, is not widening the railroad bridge for the bike highway because the promise is impossible of connection to the bike highway on the Boston side, so the bridge will not be widened as part of the bike highway.
The real con is the Memorial Drive railroad underpass. Memorial Drive starts at the right, with that M on top of it and runs through the photo basically parallel to the Charles River, leaving the photo just to the right of the Charles River. The underpass will hold two railroad tracks. It is not enough for the 2 lane off ramp and one railroad track. It is also not wide enough for the bike highway and two railroad tracks. The con is to widen the underpass “for the” bike highway which would then do even more destruction to the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese.
This is the current underpass viewed from next to the Destroyed Nesting Area.
[2013 / 06 DNA / 06-23A / 0206]
The above three photos are part of the much more detailed photo analysis which I published concerning the fraud being inflicted on the irresponsible bike activist highway lobby.
The precursor to this highway is the northern of the crushed gravel highways which has been built in the Destroyed Nesting Area, photo taken on January 11, this year. The lower part of the gravel was wantonly dumped by workers associated with the DCR..
[0505]
This bike route is much longer, much more time consuming and much more expensive than just cutting over to Vassar Street, but the destructive bicyclist highway lobby are being promised a bike highway over the Charles, and this route will be the “Oh, I am so sorry” alternative, the first shafting of some destructive people.
The second shafting will be to put the bike highway where it belongs.
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