Allston-Brighton Infill and Small Developments

Matthew said:
subsidized Hubway membership
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Will they work to have a Hubway station on-site/nearby? This intersection is about halfway between Packards Corner and Union Square, so seems like a nice place to fill in a station. Having dedicated space for this on-site would help.
 
dwash59 said:
Will they work to have a Hubway station on-site/nearby? This intersection is about halfway between Packards Corner and Union Square, so seems like a nice place to fill in a station. Having dedicated space for this on-site would help.
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I thought about that, and perhaps it is something to bring up during the Article 80 process.

Not sure where it would go though (perhaps in front of the building in place of the bus stop, if it is successfully relocated).

Allston Village is currently a bit lacking in Hubway access. Although there are stations at Union Square, the so-called 'Green District', and Packard's Corner, these aren't readily accessible to Harvard & Brighton. It's not the worst situation, but it does leave a bit of a hole in the bike share map that is awkward for a system that relies on being a tight-knit network.

Rumor has it that a station was considered for the alley opposite of Glenville, but I haven't seen any movement. The Hess Station on Brighton has plenty of room, and would be well-located, but I suspect that they aren't interested.
 
Matthew said:
Looks like 89 Brighton Ave PNF was posted a lot sooner than I'd thought it would be:

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/11ff5cdd-c2b9-4fce-a6ed-cb8a8e350d29
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(a) Loaner bikes is interesting, but I find that hard to believe as a long-term amenity.

(b) The transit screen seems ridiculous in the age of smartphones. And even less useful as it isn't at a bus stop or someplace one could use it to make transit decisions. Inside the cafe would be maybe useful as one could decide when to get up to catch the 57.

(c) Looks to me like ~1/3 of the spaces are tandem spots. That's one way to encourage people not to use their cars.

(d) They mention the 501 and 503. They point out that these are basically reverse commuting in the stops at the project site (outbound in the morning, inbound in the evening). I've often wondered if one can hop on these in the morning, rest a few minutes at Brighton Center, but still stay on the bus to get downtown? And the opposite in the evening?

(e) any speculation on whether elimination of Budget will improve or worsen moving season? Used to seeing lots of Budget trucks staging on Brighton Ave.
 
dwash59 said:
(e) any speculation on whether elimination of Budget will improve or worsen moving season? Used to seeing lots of Budget trucks staging on Brighton Ave.
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I imagine the combination of schools adding more on-campus housing, a goal to saturate the market with more affordable housing options (per the mayor), the fact that other car/truck rental options exist throughout the city, and removing all that Budget frontage along Linden Street will improve the flow of traffic/people during moving season.

I'm excited for this project--it would be nice if Harvard Street between Cambridge St. & Brainerd Road was redeveloped with more developments like this.
 
Yeah there's a few nasty, nasty plots down by the post office that are mainly used for storing vehicles. Lots of barbed wire and fencing. Really sad.

Cambridge Street itself is slowly gaining some steam so I can imagine it would spread around the corner too.

The intersection used to be such a nice place.

HarvardAveCambridgeStc1910_Lo.jpg


HarvardAveLibraryc1926BPL%20Lo.jpg


Note the unpaved roads vs the nice sidewalks and smooth trolley tracks.

All those buildings are still there, many with productive uses too. It just feels like such a shitshow with the murderous level of car traffic. Doesn't help that the park in front of the old depot was turned into a parking lot, either.
 
If only Malvern Street was extended over the Pike realignment to N. Harvard Street and Packards Corner was rearranged accordingly (tunnel the green line under this intersection!!!), that would relieve SO MUCH traffic from Harvard Ave considerably! It would improve permeability through a lot of Allston a lot, thereby managing traffic a lot better than it is now.

Beautiful old photos, BTW.
 
Regarding extending Malvern St over the Pike, there is a comment deadline ending on Wednesday for the Mass Pike Allston reconstruction project. A sample letter is below. Sending it "as is" with your name at the bottom is good. Personalizing it with why this is so important to you is even better.

July 1, 2015

Patricia Leavenworth, P.E.
Chief Engineer
MassDOT
10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116
dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.us

ATTN: Bridge Project Management, Project File No. 606475

Dear Ms. Leavenworth,

This half billion-dollar project is too important to be little more than a massive highway project based on inflated future traffic predictions.

Neighbors and advocates have had clear, reasonable, and progressive goals since this project started in 2013:

  1. Reuniting Allston’s North & South neighborhoods by connecting Cambridge Street and Commonwealth Ave.
  2. A new “People’s Pike” off-road, multi-use path for walking and biking to the Charles River, Memorial Drive via the Grand Junction railroad bridge, and Comm Ave.
  3. The transformation of Cambridge Street from an overbuilt speedway into a vibrant neighborhood street with protected bike lanes from Harvard Ave to the River.
  4. Safe and inviting access from all directions to a new West Station transit stop.
  5. Decking over the highway and railyards to reduce noise and air pollution & create a place for buildings, parks, and better travel connections (like the Prudential over the Mass Pike and the Rose Kennedy Greenway over I-93).

MassDOT has said that you are listening, but your current design does not show it. Instead, MassDOT proposes:

  1. Overbuilt roads that encourage more traffic in the neighborhood.
  2. No bus routes connecting Cambridge St and Comm Ave.
  3. Circuitous and unwelcoming routes for people walking and biking to the Charles River and West Station.
  4. A slightly wider sidewalk instead of a real People’s Pike.
  5. A sliver of parkland instead of a true “Allston Esplanade.”
  6. No plan to deck over the highway, but instead, a three-level West Station design that is incompatible with decking.
  7. An extension of Seattle Street that will dramatically increase traffic on neighborhood streets.

I hope that as this project progresses, you will place greater emphasis on the following four priorities:

Fix the Pike AND Allston
If we do this right, we will have a better highway, a better neighborhood for current and future residents, and safer streets for everyone. We only have one chance to make this a community building, environmental restoration, public health, and economic development project--not just a highway project.

Fix the Charles River parkland
The narrowest section of the Charles River path is next to this project. This project presents an opportunity to create a new “Allston Esplanade” riverfront park (much grander than the 20’ path widening currently proposed by MassDOT) connected to Allston by a “People’s Pike” for pedestrians and cyclists comparable to the Commonwealth Avenue Mall in the Back Bay.

New administration, new start
Governor Baker’s team should take a fresh look at this project and its potential impact and benefits. That means including top-level officials from MassDOT, Housing and Economic Development, DCR, and the City of Boston.

Value for taxpaying citizens
Fixing the Pike is necessary and expensive -- the current estimate is $460 million. We owe it to ourselves to maximize economic development that can help pay for the project. If this project is not creating Boston’s next great neighborhood for people to live, work, and play, we're leaving money on the table and making problems that will be more expensive or impossible to fix in the future.

Thank you for your attention to these important issues.

Sincerely,
<name>
<address>
 
So 1047 Comm is 1 commercial space and 220 single occupancy units, per the BRA website:

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/projects/development-projects/1047-commonwealth-avenue

I'm having a hard time matching what we see in the construction pics with what's on the BRA's site. Did this change again?

Some newb questions: Are they using wood because they had to build on the existing 2-story structure? And am I crazy to think that a six-story building filled with 220 students probably shouldn't be made of wood? Or is fireproofing that good nowadays?
 
Yeah the billboard has some kind of separate easement they have to maintain, unfortunately.
 
GW said:
Some newb questions: Are they using wood because they had to build on the existing 2-story structure?
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Cheap and quick to construct.

And am I crazy to think that a six-story building filled with 220 students probably shouldn't be made of wood? Or is fireproofing that good nowadays?
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What's intelligent and what's legal are different things.

The law says fireproofing is that good. I would argue that the evidence suggests otherwise. Avalon Edgewater fire
 
Per UHub, one of the Charlesview projects (Western, Telford, and SFR) is potentially receiving a parking cut (from 150, down to 72), while plans are calling for 5 extra units (from 80 to 85). Here's the notice of project change. Normally I'd say go for it - but this site isn't exactly overflowing with transit options, the space count was high to begin with, but I'd rather have the sub 1:1 unit/parking ratios over in Southie and along Dot Ave/SWC. I'll glaldy take it here too, don't get me wrong - just though it's odd given the relative isolation of Brighton above the Pike
 
^ Considering that used to be my hood I have to disagree. It's a 20 minute walk to both Harvard Square and Allston. The 86, 70, and 70a all run down Western Ave and connect to the red line, all together it's a pretty decent frequency of service. The site is also an 8 or so minute walk to the 66 bus.

The neighborhood is also surprisingly walkable. The supermarket is RIGHT THERE, there are a couple of bars and restaurants, and of course Herter Park. It's only going to get more walkable once Continuum opens. Also, the best bike access to downtown.
 
I forgot about the 70, that's true. By relative isolation, I mean relative to the parking-heavy developments that sit adjacent to proper rapid transit access. I wouldn't have thought LA would be the one to fire a salvo in favor of less parking, but I'm glad it's happening (or at least has the whiff of a possibility of it happening).

I'll be honest though, I'm rarely over on Western - and I grew up around the corner in Cambridge, never really considered there to be anything useful around save for the skating rink so I'm glad you're checking my cynicism.
 
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