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I will agree that the lack of communication by the MBTA here is a cause for concern, but it is not inherently problematic that they start BNRD without restoring all pre-COVID service. The ultimate goal should be to provide all of the service specified by BNRD; the question is how to get there...

This is a great description about the various levels of service that can be provided along GJ, but there's a few points I'd like to respectfully disagree with. First, there is a very really possibility that LRT will block the adoption of a sealed corridor (moving from phase 2 to 3), not just...

To add on here, a moderate amount of this route already has bus priority projects in the works (River St and parts of Western Ave), while the rest of it (besides Everett St) is in MBTA's Bus Priority Vision (map below). If the bus infrastructure upgrades are happening regardless, a traffic-free...

As someone who is not a fan of the outsize influence educational institutions have here, this feels like a major exaggeration of the circumstances. Firstly, we do not know how MIT would react to grade separation proposals along GJ because no formal studies have been performed. As far as we know...

The costs of the proposal here and NSRL are nowhere close to each other. The report shows a maximum cost of $323 million over all alternatives and even if this is viewed as optimistic, running regional rail-style trains along this corridor every 15 minutes for $500 million is very doable. On the...

The area just south of Sullivan and east of 93 isn't exactly urban paradise. I'm not personally familiar with the area, but it seems pretty desolate and full of surface parking. I don't know if yard space is the best use of land that close to rapid transit interchange, but I also doubt anything...

Running along Vassar or Albany St. is barely a detour and would likely add less than 10 seconds to travel time through the area. The additional cost of going around is also likely not huge, given that the tracks would already need to be elevated (or deeply tunneled) over Main St. In general...

These should probably be viewed as an upper bound for costs (assuming competent management/design). Also, a significant amount of value can come from just the West Station to Sullivan/North Station segment, which is already mostly grade-separated, could likely be done with no tunneling, and...

It seems likely that Eversource would be more amenable to elevated rail on this corridor than MIT. Looking at the Siting Board Decision (pages 66 and 71 in particular), MIT was opposed to the construction occurring on Vassar St due to the high density of existing utilities for their microgrid...

Another brief point: Maverick to Aquarium (or State) is a quite poor example of a short trip that is too expensive. The fact that this provides one of only a few direct transportation connections to Eastie from downtown (and the only one accessible without a car), makes it quite valuable...

I don't have strong opinions on distance-based fares, but I did want to push back on the negativity of shorter transit trips becoming cycling trips. While I agree that flat fares make quick cycling trips more attractive relative to transit, having these trips occur on bike is neutral at worst...

Is there any reason for the absolute lack of ambition (at least in terms of service) currently being stated for East-West Rail? The only reason I could think of framing this as one additional round trip to Springfield is to under-promise and over-deliver, but it still seems absurd. Just one...

I'm curious to see how much local push back this gets. Basically everything about this project is great: increases grid reliability, cleans up the industrial lots in poor shape, adds a significant amount of green space and permeable surfaces, fixes narrow sidewalks, and should reduce traffic...

That's completely reasonable. It wouldn't surprise me if enforcing a white roof is either very difficult or impossible for the city, but it would clearly help. However, instead of continue to guess why more open space was desired, I decided to find out if any justification had been given. BPD...

This is one of the best projects I've seen recently in AB. There's tons of new housing, significantly less parking than units, and it's located near 3 decent bus routes as well as Boston Landing. The bike network is dramatically improving in this area (on Leo Birmingham, North Beacon, and...

Radio tower, studios could make way for apartments on Leo Birmingham Parkway in Brighton "A developer has filed plans to replace a building housing radio stations and an antenna tower on Leo Birmingham Parkway across from Lincoln Street in Brighton with an eight-story, 338-unit apartment...

I'd honestly be completely fine with it if the ZBA had clear and consistent open space expectations. This is a completely reasonable ask, but it should have come up much sooner and shouldn't be delaying the project.

I imagine the desire for open space is not for a park space, but to provide greenery that can combat the urban heat island affect in this part of Allston. IMO, this is one of the few things that I think is reasonable to ask of new development. However, this definitely should have been...

Board likes proposed Allston apartment building but tells developer to come back with some more open space on the lot "The Zoning Board of Appeal yesterday rejected plans for a 14-unit apartment building - with three affordable units - at 17 Linden St., saying that while they and the Boston...

You're completely right, and I don't think I articulated my concerns with this correctly in my first post. This is a great way to add some much needed housing to Allston with gentle density. However, it would not be allowed under any S+S zones. It is one floor to tall for S2, and doesn't have...