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Reading these threads there seems to be a lot of frustration and complaints about the process of the air rights parcels. What seems to be missing though is an understanding that financially they just don't make any sense. They either need a super tall tower or to be mostly on terra firm with...

I appreciate all of your comments. I think my objections were pretty detailed and clear if slightly longwinded. The indicated proposal is unlikely to work and is poor development policy. 1. These are expensive parcels to develop. Principles of public policy suggest developing the cheaper ones...

The value of the land is net of the development costs. Building over the tracks on small floorplates adjacent to a 25' retaining wall is expensive. And the value for the developer with low story buildings is small. The 'cheaper land' has lower construction costs but nearly as good access and...

Davem, Thank you for your thoughtful response. I think we agree on a lot of the basics, but I believe there are still problems with the economics. No doubt air rights parcels are expensive construction and the fact virtually none are being built even during the present boom much less the last...

You are basically right. At least in London, it's like a slightly updated / better or just different version of Au Bon Pain. It's nothing to write home about, but nothing to complain about either. And given the state of the sandwich market in London where the main competitor is Marks & Spencer...

There are a few things I don't understand about this proposal. What is the economic rationale for this proposal? What is really to be gained from it. At best I can see a few small buildings (3-5 stories are too small), 100% covering of the Mass Pike which is frankly nice to have rather than...

FWIW, I frequently use Hailo, which with some small exceptions, I found to be convenient, effective, transparent and easy to use. OTOH I recently tried to use Uber (because Hailo was not available in the suburban area I was in), and something went wrong in the system and the cab never came...

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos Fair point. And I understand your frustration and I completely agree. In my view, the issue is a political leadership one. The government funds the MBTA, in part, it has every right and opportunity to speak forcefully on this issue to insist on the...

Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos I used the Green line D branch during afternoon rush hour recently. As a frequent and longtime commuter from about 10 years ago and following extensive experience in Washington and London (Circle / District more similar to Green line) I was surprised...

So here’s my opening gambit of a concept for Pike Eastbound Off and On Ramps in the BU Area. The goal is to create an alternate route for the Bowker so it and Storrow can be downgraded. This proposal would be an alternative to an Eastbound interchange at Bowker. The Westbound On/Off would...

Basically agree with both of you. It's a fair observation that I had not wholly considered. Obviously the existing homeowners aren't ever going to want anything to change. But Harvard's new plan is going to bring change, and it will likely include more students, traffic and many things. Not to...

Thanks for doing this. I think this piece might be the most critical of all the connected projects (i.e. Bowker / Storrow / Ramps) because given the temp repairs for Bowker, it sounds like it will be the first one to happen and a lot of choices will get poured into concrete. Surprisingly, I...

Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway Let's not forget the Mass Horticultural Society's Winter Garden for Parcel 22 at Dewey Square. A pitch I actually worked on many years ago. We can all appreciate the thought behind dedicating the available land to civic and community uses represented by these...

I don't object to the idea. It would be great if there was three grade separations in existence from day one (1) transit (2) flood control (3) express roads (4) local roads and transit. But even assuming all the geometry works, the costs are going to be immense. You are basically seeking to...

In my view the majority of these access points need to be farther west similar to Davem's proposals and the 'BU'-location for eastbound ones. Eastbound These are very close to the I93 interchange and are likely to get caught up in its traffic during the peak or to 'cause' traffic because of the...

Following up on CSTH’s original comments yesterday about identifying a comprehensive planning strategy for Bowker. I also welcome all the hardwork put in by Davem, CSTH, kenmore and ant to propose alternatives. The goal of this post is to promote a vision of a comprehensive planning process as...

What about narrowing it into a one-way Westbound with no parking (or one side if you must). Take the extra few feet at the wall and this should be sufficient. FWIW, I would do a similar thing on Newbury / the north side. You can already traverse the Bowker eastbound here along the river. As...

Globe article on construction of the new Boston Public Food Market at 136 Blackstone St. although it apparently won't open until early 2015.

Also in reference to F-line today (#322). The Bowker / Mass Ave Eastbound on ramp proposal (similar to yours) appears to have been dropped following the June 1 2011 MassDot meeting. See alternative 4 (page numbers not provided). In fact all 3 Eastbound on ramp alternatives from this 'study'...

I'm confused at why you, and others, say Eastbound ramps are not an option. From Dec 4 2013 meeting (see presentations below) Bowker Overpass Reconfiguration Alternatives, which they claim to be studying and analysing, including Alts 3 and 4, pages 14 and 25 (pt 1) - 9 (pt 2), include a 4 ramp...