Urban Ring Phase 2
Proposed Circumferential Transit Project
Urban Ring
Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting
July 28, 2009
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Urban Ring Phase 2
Agenda
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Notice of Project Change
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Alignment changes
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Phasing plan
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Special Review Procedure
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Boston MPO Regional Transportation Plan
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Urban Ring Phase 2 implementation
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Discussion
Urban Ring Phase 2
NPC – Alignment Changes
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Mystic River Crossing: Everett – Sullivan Square
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DCR – concerns about environmental impacts
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Longer travel time (Rt 16, Rt 28 in mixed traffic)
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City of Boston redesign of Sullivan Sq – potential for
bus connection to T station
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Retain Assembly Square service
Allston Connection
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Railyard-level alignment through Allston Landing
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Stadium Way – Barry’s Corner – North Harvard St.
Urban Ring Phase 2
NPC – Alignment Changes
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Review Columbia Point Service
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JFK Library, proposed Kennedy Institute for US Senate
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Proposed Columbia Point master plan, mixed use
development
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UMass Boston master plan, potential bus lanes
LMA Connection
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Identify interim surface routing
Urban Ring Phase 2
Ev e re tt
Wellington
Downtown
Chelsea
Station
Me df or d
So merv i lle
RDEIR/
DEIS
Alignment
Assembly
Square
Chel sea
Sullivan
Square
Harvard
Square
Ea s t
Bo s t o n
New
Lechmere
Airport
Ca mbri dg e
Logan
West
Garage
Cambridgeport
Kendall /
MIT
Al ls to n
World
Trade
Center
Yawkey
Broadway
BU Bridge
LMA
Ruggles
Washington
Street
Br o ok lin e
So uth B o s to n
Newmarket
Dudley
Square
Ro xb ury
JFK/UMass
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Urban Ring Phase 2
Do rch es t er
Ev e re tt
Me df or d
So merv i lle
Chel s ea
Northern Tier
First Implementation Stage
NPC
Alignment
Ea s t
Bo s t o n
Ca mbri dg e
Logan
West
Garage
Al ls to n
Kendall /
MIT
Southern Tier
Br o ok lin e
S o uth B o s to n
Ro xb ury
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Urban Ring Phase 2
Do rch es t er
Urban Ring Phase 2 – Phasing Plan
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Northern Tier: Logan Airport – Kendall Square
- $486 m (2009 $)
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First BRT implementation phase
Southern Tier - $2,220 m (2009 $)
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Early actions – service improvements, low-cost
infrastructure improvements
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Major infrastructure items – Fenway/LMA tunnel,
Charles River crossing, Allston connection
Urban Ring Phase 2
Northern Tier: Logan – Kendall
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Benefits
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Cost-effectiveness
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Environmental justice
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Economic development
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Service characteristics/
independent utility
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Me df or d
So merv i lle
Chel sea
Ea st
Bo st o n
Logan
West
Garage
Ca mbri dg e
Feasibility/ROW and
abutter issues
Issues, impediments
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Resolution of Sullivan
Square redesign
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CSX property needs
Urban Ring Phase 2
Kendall /
MIT
Southern Tier – Early Actions
Service Improvements
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Evaluate potential service improvements
(constrained by MBTA/EOT finances)
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Work with MBTA to review and rationalize bus routes
and service, identify potential to enhance service in
Urban Ring corridor
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Work with MBTA, municipalities to identify
opportunities for
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Bus signal priority
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Queue jump lanes
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Enhanced amenities in corridor – shelters, traveler
information
Urban Ring Phase 2
Southern Tier – Early Actions
Potential Low-Cost Infrastructure Investments
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Albany St bus lanes - $1 m
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Mountfort St. corridor
improvements - $14 m
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LMA – interim surface
improvements – TBD
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Ruggles Station
improvements - $33 m
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B
Ca m b r i d g e
Albany Street
Buslanes
Alls to n
Mountfort Street
Corridor
Improvements
Melnea Cass Blvd. busway
- $27 m
Albany Street bus lanes $1-2 m
Mass Ave bus lanes - $1-2
m
Columbia Point bus lanes –
TBD
Urban Ring Phase 2
Melnea Cass Blvd.
Busway
Br o o kl i n e
Interim Surface
Improvements
Fenway/LMA
So ut h
Albany Street
Buslanes
Ruggles Station
Improvements
Southern Tier Potential Early Actions
Mixed Traffic
Buslane
Busway (Surface)
LMA Surface Routing
(ongoing coordination with City of Boston
and area stakeholders)
Ro x b u r y
Massachusetts
Avenue
Buslanes
Do r ch e st e r
Southern Tier
Major Infrastructure Elements
Camb r id g e
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Fenway/LMA
tunnel - $1,850 m
Charles River
Crossing/ GJRR
Alls to n
Allston
Connection
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Charles River
crossing - $130 m
Br o o kl i n e
So u
Fenway/LMA
Tunnel
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Allston connection
- $82 m
Southern Tier
Major Infrastructure Elements
Mixed Traffic
Buslane
Busway (Surface)
Busway (Tunnel)
Busway (Tunnel) Alignment Options
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Urban Ring Phase 2
R ox b u r y
Dor ch e st e r
Fenway/LMA
Tunnel
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Cost – up to $1.7 B
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Benefits
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Travel time, reliability
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Service to densest
concentration of trip
demand in corridor
Kendall /
MIT
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line
Major Impediments
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Tunnel financing
Mixed Traffic
Buslane
Busway (Surface)
Busway (Tunnel)
Proposed Stop
Route Options
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Urban Ring Phase 2
Roxbury
Area of Ongoing
Analysis
Charles River
Crossing
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Cost - $ 130 M
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Benefits
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Travel time savings
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Reliability
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Key life science
corridor connection
Cambridge
Kendall /
MIT
Major Impediments
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CSX negotiation
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Ongoing CSX
operations
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Fort Washington, MIT
development parcel
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BU Academy site
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kline
Mixed Traffic
Buslane
Busway (Surface)
Busway (Tunnel)
Proposed Stop
Route Options
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Urban Ring Phase 2
Area of Ongoing
Analysis
Allston
Connection
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Cost - $ 82 M
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Benefits
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More direct routing
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Travel time, reliability
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Key life science
corridor connection
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Al l st o n
Major Impediments
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CSX negotiation
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Beacon Park Yard
consolidation,
relocation
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Cambridge
Mixed Traffic
Buslane
Harvard development
timing
Urban Ring Phase 2
Busway (Surface)
Busway (Tunnel)
Proposed Stop
Br oo k l i n e
Route Options
Area of Ongoing
Analysis
NPC – Special Review Procedure
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Administrative Consent Order: EOT – DEP, Sep 1, 2000
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MIS and ENF by June 1, 2001
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FEIR w/in 3 years of ACO – OR – EENF requesting MEPA Special Review
Procedure + 1st phased review document by Sep 1, 2003
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Proposal for low cost measures (Phase 1)
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Deadlines extended by subsequent ACO amendments,
MEPA actions
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Existing deadlines
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Urban Ring Phase 2 FEIR/FEIS – December 31, 2009
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New Starts application, approval to enter PE
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Substantial completion of PE
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Urban Ring Phase 3 DEIR/DEIS – December 31, 2011
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Urban Ring Phase 3 FEIR/FEIS – TBD
Urban Ring Phase 2
Boston MPO – Regional Transportation Plan
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2007 RTP must be updated due to changes to State
Implementation Plan (SIP)
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FHWA, FTA have not accepted “new” Boston Region
Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs) since SIP changes
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Draft RTP revision under consideration by Boston MPO
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Constrained to reasonable financial assumptions –
FHWA, FTA requiring prioritization of projects
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Draft RTP includes East Boston Haul Road
Urban Ring Phase 2
Boston MPO – Regional Transportation Plan
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Draft includes SIP commitments
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Green Line Extension to College Avenue, Union Square
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Fairmount Branch improvements
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1,000 new parking spaces
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Red-Blue Connector design
Proposal under review to flex highway funds to transit
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Green Line Extension to Route 16
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Assembly Square Orange Line station supplement
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Wonderland Station improvements
Total Boston MPO expansion (highway and transit)
program, 2009 – 2030 = $1.9 billion (2009 $)
Urban Ring Phase 2
Next Steps
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Urban Ring consultant procurement
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Scope under development (informed by MEPA Certificate)
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Early action analysis – service review, low-cost improvements
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Planning for Northern Tier – pre-New Starts application work
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Continued coordination on Southern Tier major infrastructure
elements
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
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Boston Region MPO
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Continue coordination to maximize overall project in application,
while pursuing early implementation
Next RTP in 2011 – project must be in RTP to apply for New Starts
Urban Ring Phase 2
Discussion
Please visit our website at
www.theurbanring.com
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Urban Ring Phase 2