Thread by @PeoplesPike

In today's @GlobeOpinion, @Steph_Pollack tells @reneeloth "but to not have a public conversation because of ideological opposition to any idea of a viaduct, I simply don’t accept that"
bostonglobe.com/2020/07/03/opi…

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth There was 4.5 years of public conversation about how to replace the viaduct from April 2014 when @MassDOT held project's first public meeting through Jan 2019 when @Steph_Pollack published this 15 page report
mass.gov/doc/decision-o…

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT In Nov 2019, @MassDOT & @USDOTFHWA wrote that "the public submitted over 575 comment letters... several overarching themes were identified" including "lack of support for the Highway Viaduct variation"
mass.gov/doc/national-e…

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA Last month, @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike
@RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon wrote "Many of our residents and institutions are not convinced that a highway viaduct option best achieves those goals, perpetuating a divide between residents and the river; we stand with them."

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike @RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon Quoting @Steph_Pollack again from her 2019 report "The #Allston Multimodal Project has been the subject of intense public engagement and design development for more than 4 years"
To be clear, there has been lots of public conversation & it strongly rejected a new highway viaduct

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike @RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon And the reason that so many people, including 2019 @Steph_Pollack, rejected a new highway viaduct is not "ideological", it is based on the many negative impacts of a highway viaduct and the many benefits of a highway on the ground

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike @RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon A new highway viaduct is bad for transit
- It restricts the Worcester Line to single track operation for years while I90 construction closes highway lanes
- It makes it hard or impossible to create 2-track rail service connecting the Worcester Line #Allston and @kendallnow

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike @RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon @kendallnow A new highway viaduct is bad for access to @charlesriver, because this 250' long enclosed walkway seems unlikely to be celebrated in a future column by @anthonyflint when the alternative could be so much better bostonglobe.com/2020/06/29/opi…

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike @RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon @kendallnow @charlesriver @anthonyflint The new @MassDOT highway viaduct design is taller, steeper, and wider than what is there today. How loud would the truck noise be? What would it look like from the Boston & Cambridge river parks? Will stormwater/sand/salt from the road be treated before entering the river?

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike @RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon @kendallnow @charlesriver @anthonyflint A new highway viaduct is bad for economic development and urban design, because new city streets would need to be steeper to climb up to the highway ramps

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike @RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon @kendallnow @charlesriver @anthonyflint And a new highway viaduct will cost more to build, cost more to maintain, and cost more to eventually replace.
pioneerinstitute.org/press_releases…
@MaryZforMass @PioneerBoston

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike @RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon @kendallnow @charlesriver @anthonyflint @MaryZforMass @PioneerBoston None of this is "ideological"
It is well-grounded, fact-based, and developed over the course of multiple years with extensive political and community involvement.
@cinemachagrin

@GlobeOpinion @Steph_Pollack @reneeloth @MassDOT @USDOTFHWA @marty_walsh @SenDiDomenico @staterepmike @RepKevinHonan @LizBreadon @kendallnow @charlesriver @anthonyflint @MaryZforMass @PioneerBoston @cinemachagrin @threadreaderapp unroll