Silver Line Gateway
Extension of Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
to Chelsea and East Boston
Design Public Hearing
Chelsea, MA
April 1, 2014
Introduction / Design Process
Design Team
– Joe Pavao, PE, MassDOT Project Manager
– John McCormack, MBTA Project Manager
– Frank Astone, PE, AECOM
Municipal and Agency Partners
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City of Chelsea
EEA
MBTA
MassDOT
Massport
Project Phasing
• Phase I – MassDOT
– Busway and BRT stations at Mystic Mall, Box District,
and Eastern Avenue;
– Washington Avenue bridge replacement;
– Shared-use path
• Phase II – MBTA
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Commuter rail station at Mystic Mall;
Decommissioning of existing commuter rail station
BRT station at Downtown Chelsea
Evaluation of Busway traffic signal systems
Project Goal
• Enhance transit access, mobility, and
economic development potential in
Chelsea and East Boston
• Replace a functionally obsolete
bridge
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Public Outreach
Project
Development
Phase
Alternatives
Analysis
Event/Meeting
Location
Agenda
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March 13, May
Chelsea City Hall, •
Public Meetings 01, June 19, and
Council Chambers
Sept 18, 2013
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Stakeholder
Briefings
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Date(s)
Various
Various
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Chelsea City Hall,
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Council Chambers
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Expanded
Environmental
Notification
Form (EENF)
EENF Public
Meeting and
Site Visit
25% Design
Design Public
Hearing
April 1, 2014
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Chelsea City Hall,
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Council Chambers
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Single
Environmental
Impact Report
(SEIR)
SEIR Public
Comment
Period
Following SEIR
filing in Spring
2014
Written comments
•
submitted to
MEPA
December 9,
2013
Civic Engagement Plan
Project Background/Alternatives
Route and station location options and
impacts
Analysis results
Recommended alternative
Chelsea Collaborative
Neighborhood associations
Permits required
Recommended alternative update
Potential environmental impacts and
benefits
Project update
Progress / details from 25% design
Questions and answers
Public comment period established by
MEPA
Planning Study Overview
• About 5 miles long
• Diverse mix of land
uses
• Many recent state
investments
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Silver Line Transitway
Williams Tunnel
Airport Station
Coughlin Bypass Road
Chelsea Street Bridge
Grand Junction purchase
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Proposed Project Elements
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Project Schedule
Phase I
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July 2014
November 2014
Spring 2015
Dec 2016
Advertise for construction
Anticipated notice to proceed
Start construction
Substantial Completion of Construction
Phase II
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2014 - 2015
Spring 2015
Fall 2015
Dec 2017
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Design development
Finalize bid documents & advertise
Bidding & award construction contract
Substantial Completion of Construction
Performance – Seaport Access
No Build
Performance
Measures
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Bus
Commuter
Rail
Silver Line
Gateway
Blue Line
Busway
Downtown Chelsea to World Trade Center, Boston
Travel Time
39 min
36 min
37 min
15-19 min
Transfers
3
1
2
0
Reliability
Low
High
Medium
High
Airport Blue Line Station to World Trade Center, Boston
Travel Time
NA
NA
20-26 min
7-11 min
Transfers
NA
NA
1
0
Reliability
NA
NA
High
High
Notes:
No-Build travel times are based on MBTA Trip Planner tool.
Range of travel times for Silver Line Gateway are for surface and underground WTC stations, respectively.
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Busway Alternative - Ridership
• CTPS Travel Demand Forecasting Results –
Year 2035
• Results as compared to No-Build Alternative
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Busway – Everett Avenue
BRTPlatform
Platform
BRT
BRT Platform
BRT Platform
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Busway – Spruce Street
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Busway – Arlington Street/Sixth Street
BRT Platform
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Busway – Downtown Chelsea Station
BRT Platform
BRT Platform
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Busway – Washington Avenue
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Busway – Broadway
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Busway – Box District Station
BRT Platforms
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Busway – Library and Marlboro Streets
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Busway – Cottage & Bellingham Street
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Busway – Eastern Avenue Station
BRT Platform
BRT Platform
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BRT Station Example – Eastern Avenue
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BRT Station Example – Box District
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Busway / Shared Use Path – Typical
Section
Busway Adjacent to Active Railroad –
Typical Section
Washington Avenue Bridge
• Rated as functionally obsolete
• Silver Line Gateway has resulted in new
design concept for the bridge replacement
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Two Lane Busway Beneath Bridge
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Washington Avenue Bridge - Stage 1
Stage 1 Total Duration
17 months including utility relocations
(Bridge Closure 8 to 10 months)
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Washington Avenue Bridge - Stage 2
Stage 2
Total Duration
7 months
Stage 2 Total Duration
7 months
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Washington Avenue Bridge – Key Issues
• Heard Street wall/barrier needs to be crash tested. May
require temporary road closure
• Underpinning of 63 Washington Avenue due to close
proximity of south abutment. Needed to accommodate 2way busway beneath.
• Utility work involved. Temporary support of existing
utilities on east side and vaults at Heard St. intersection.
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Cross Section of Completed Bridge
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Chelsea Commuter Rail Station
• MassDOT/MBTA’s Commitment:
- Modern station
- Accessible to all users
- Convenient connections with Silver Line Gateway
• Accessibility Regulations and MBTA Design
Standards
• Significant physical constraints to meeting
these regulations and standards at existing
Chelsea Commuter Rail Station
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Relocated Chelsea Commuter Rail Station
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Shared-Use Path
• Ongoing coordination with
EOEEA, City of Chelsea and
consultants to incorporate
design of proposed shared
use path
• Proposed from Eastern
Avenue Station to Chestnut
Street
• Approximately ¾ mile long
• Separated from the busway
in some sections via
vegetated swales
• Innovative design approaches to coordinate the path
and the busway alignments and crossing points
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Potential Environmental Impacts
• Impacts have been reviewed consistent
with the EENF Certificate, including:
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Hazardous Materials
Utilities
Parking
At-Grade crossings
Air Quality
Wetlands/Water Resources
Stormwater
Coastal Zone
Key MEPA Dates
• Expanded Environmental Notification Form
– Filed with MEPA – November 15, 2013
– Secretary’s Certificate Issued – December 27, 2013
• Single Environmental Impact Report (SEIR)
– Addresses items identified in the EENF Certificate
– SEIR filed with MEPA on March 31, 2014
– Public comment period ends May 2, 2014
– Final design to address items in SEIR Certificate
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Questions
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