Boston 2024

Why is everyone acting like an Olympic Village would be surplus? There's a chronic shortage of transit-accessible housing in Metro Boston. And yet there are plenty of locations that, if you dropped an apartment village on them, would instantly become desirable:

Sullivan Sq-Community College
Maverick-East Boston Piers
Lynn (with Blue line extension)
Northpoint
Wellington-Rivers Edge
Suffolk Downs
Convention Center

....units at any one of these would be quickly absorbed.

Somerville says it needs 6,000 units to go with the Green Line in order to stay afforable
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news..._hikes_along_green_line_route_in_somervi.html

Would they complain if they got 20k?

Arlington VIrginia got something like 40,000 new units in the years immediately after their subway opened. The real question in Boston has always been, why have we never gotten anywhere near that along our subways? (answer: neighbors accept quarter billion dollar stations and then assume their life should not change)
 
You could also add the often mentioned Beacon Yard to that list, and I'd add Newmarket, South Bay, and Inner Belt in as well. These are all spots that are currently being redeveloped, planning for redevelopment, or strongly on the radar for redevelopment. As is, putting in the housing that would go into just a handful of them and you'd have an Olympic Village slash housing shortage (at least partial) solution. And hey, what's really the difference between an "Innovation Apartment" and an athlete's village dorm? A couple finishes? In any case, doesn't seem like much of a stretch to me.
 
Arlington said:
Lynn (with Blue line extension)
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I I think that all the Olympic venues should be around proposed BLX stations in order to force the expansion (and really, the Blue Line is the most reliable and expandable anyway). Put the village in West Lynn brownfields and the stadium is in Beacon Park and extend the Blue Line both ways to reach those points.
 
cozzyd said:
I I think that all the Olympic venues should be around proposed BLX stations in order to force the expansion (and really, the Blue Line is the most reliable and expandable anyway). Put the village in West Lynn brownfields and the stadium is in Beacon Park and extend the Blue Line both ways to reach those points.
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I don't think anything that hasn't already been studied can possibly be on the table for 2024. BLX to Lynn is maybe doable because it is fairly straightforward, though I think you'll find it hard for "Boston" Olympics to give one of the crown jewel public benefits to Lynn or any other non-Boston address. I predict the Athlete Village has a Boston address.

BLX to Beacon Park? No way. Not studied and even it was, there is so much law suit potential that it would be insane to put that in the critical path. Its a recipe for disaster, but more likely a recipe for rejection by either the USOC or IOC.
 
The more I stare at Beacon Park and the MBTA 5 year plan with lots of "Indigo" lines everywhere, the more I warm up to the idea of that as the centerpiece of an Olympics. As we've been over and over a zillion times, DMU is not full rapid transit, but it is good for commuting.

First consider the post-games aftermath. Picture a whole new neighborhood at Beacon Park with maybe 8,000 of new apartment units (they need 16,000 beds, not units) anchored by the MBTA's new West Station. This place would have a 1-seat DMU or CR ride to (Yawkey with a bit of a walk to) LMA, BBY, SS, Kendall, NS, and obviously points west. It has direct highway access which, like it or not, remains attractive to businesses. It really could be another Seaport, but a little less glamorous without the water and skyline.

While I love the idea of Somerville getting the SSS, a stadium doesn't need rapid transit headways, does it? It could be tucked away a 10 minute walk from West Station. You could go to your favorite Fenway sports bars to pre-game and then hop the train from Yawkey to West for the game.

During the games the trains might run a few cars longer or a little more frequently. It gums up freight schedules and those grade crossings in Cambridge, but its only 2-weeks, right?



All that said, the Olympics is not what makes West Station and Beacon Park a good idea. The feasibility is there on its own. The Olympics would just guarantee it gets built more quickly than the Seaport.
 
Here's an ArchBoston Challenge: How do we set up facilities to provide the most excuses to infrastructure improvement? What are the exact facilities? What infrastructures?

The general reason for those here who wants the Olympics is generally an excuse to see stuff constructed before 2024 rather later or at all.

We should note that we should leave out projects as it seems it will be (probably) built before 2024. This means both 93-95 exchanges, Pike Straightening with Beacon Yards, Fairmount DMU, and GLX. Also South Coast Rail despite we all hate it. Assigning a soccer stadium to something along GLX is probably wasteful loss of an excuse as it is probably going to be built though it may help ensure GLX doesn't stop suddenly or done poorly.

So here what I can think up so far:

Venues needed to be built(based on what I am reading above so far, some maybe better off using an existing facility):

Olympic Village
Olympic Stadium (though can something like a refurbish Harvard Stadium be used, even better if the village was placed in the Beacon Yards)
Velodrome
Beach Volleyball
Whitewater
Soccer Statidum

Infrastructure

Studied or discussed in the real world at some point in history
DMU upgrades (Worcester line probably)
BLX to Lynn/Salem
Red-Blue Connector
Pike On-Ramps
Somehow improving Southeast Expressway (I-93 south of tunnel)
Somehow improving Northern Express (I-93 north of tunnel)
Extend Orange Line South to Roslindale (OLX?)
Green Line Signal System Update
Partial Urban Ring

Idea never brought up by real officials but maybe possible (not means I necessarily want them to happen even if possible)?

Chelsea subway?
Fairmount should be one
Bring back the A-Line via spitting at BU Bridge to Beacon Yards via Pike and beyond to Watertown?
Worcester Electrification? (may actually been mentioned on by state officials, but I'll put it in this category)
Can the old Red Line tunnel that Harvard made the MBTA preserve be useful?
Blue Line river line to Beacon yards?


So what I can tell. It seems, assuming we place Olympic Stadium and/or Olympic Village on the Beacon Yards. It can at least help spur DMU Worcester line. But possible provide an excuse to add Pike ramps (like the eastbound ramps in another thread if it is really possible). Kinda crazy, but fun to imagine if this can turn into hitting multiple areas. As in an excuse to extend Blue line to Charles MGH but onward to Beacon Yards, branch Green Line from BU Bridge to Beacon yards then to Watertown (or maybe Blue Line?), use the old Red Line tunnel and extend to also service Beacon Yards as a new branch or Urban Ring, add Pike Ramps AND be an excuse to finally fix the Green Line signals.

Maybe we can position the Beach Volleyball and Velodrome to push for BLX to Lynn/Salem and to Charles MGH? Throw something to Northeastern for OLX?

I'm having a real hard time to tie in anyways to give excuse to Chelsea.

Whitewater is probably totally worthless in terms of an infrastructure excuse.

If something like that would happen, I would say the Olympics was worth it.
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Here's something fun, Googling around reading when it was only hypothetical speculation.
http://atleagle.blogspot.com/2010/02/could-boston-and-bc-host-olympics.html
http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2012/07/27/olympics-in-boston/
http://europeendless.wordpress.com/2004/05/21/900000-people-needed-for-a-boston-olympics/
 
fattony said:
First consider the post-games aftermath. Picture a whole new neighborhood at Beacon Park with maybe 8,000 of new apartment units (they need 16,000 beds, not units) anchored by the MBTA's new West Station. This place would have a 1-seat DMU or CR ride to (Yawkey with a bit of a walk to) LMA, BBY, SS, Kendall, NS, and obviously points west. It has direct highway access which, like it or not, remains attractive to businesses. It really could be another Seaport, but a little less glamorous without the water and skyline.
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Don't forget the B Line. Any redevelopment worth its salt is going to have a pedestrian crossing of the Turnpike and remaining tracks, and given that the Olympics would be riding BU's facilities hard those connections would be foregone conclusions. Beacon Park would be about 1/4 mile from Babcock St. Station.

In a crazy world, the segment of the Urban Ring that branches from Comm. Ave. to Harvard could be built as far as the athletic complex (but not across the river) by 2024 to provide a light rail link between Downtown, BU and whatever Olympic venues and facilities are built on the Allston Campus. The crazy part of that is the B Line tunnel, which has never been studied AFAIK. Still, that's slightly more realistic than BLX and is definitely a part of the MBTA's aspirational plans with or without the Games.

fattony said:
All that said, the Olympics is not what makes West Station and Beacon Park a good idea. The feasibility is there on its own. The Olympics would just guarantee it gets built more quickly than the Seaport.
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Absolutely, and that's exactly how the Olympics in Boston should be approached. Whatever is built or changed or invested in should be obvious with or without the Games. The only place I'd disagree with you is on what exactly should be at Beacon Park. I'd use that for venues, since a residential neighborhood probably isn't Harvard's long-term plan for that area. Put the village in SBW (I like the hotel conversion idea) or NorthPoint and connect it to Beacon Park with DMUs.
 
So I was amused enough at the imagining the Olympics based around Beacon Park Yards with Red, Green, and Blue line service that I actually made a picture.

G2fZODG.jpg


Because Beacon Park Rail Yards does require straightening and reworking of the ramps of the Pike to be possible, that part is probably more grounded or at least being discussed by the Commonwealth. I should release a version that only looks at the ramps with both a non-Storrow Drive version and a Storrow Drive version. I took the time to do the ramps too. I think the colors are intuitive enough. Rest of the commentary is in the picture.


With direct Pike off-ramps, Red Line, Green Line, Blue Line, and DMU Commuter Rail. This is probably the most can be done to handle the Olympics.

Hmmm... I didn't commented in the picture, the Red and Blue line can be its own Urban Ring Line.

What do you guys think?
 
ant8904 said:
So I was amused enough at the imagining the Olympics based around Beacon Park Yards with Red, Green, and Blue line service that I actually made a picture.

G2fZODG.jpg


Because Beacon Park Rail Yards does require straightening and reworking of the ramps of the Pike to be possible, that part is probably more grounded or at least being discussed by the Commonwealth. I should release a version that only looks at the ramps with both a non-Storrow Drive version and a Storrow Drive version. I took the time to do the ramps too. I think the colors are intuitive enough. Rest of the commentary is in the picture.


With direct Pike off-ramps, Red Line, Green Line, Blue Line, and DMU Commuter Rail. This is probably the most can be done to handle the Olympics.

Hmmm... I didn't commented in the picture, the Red and Blue line can be its own Urban Ring Line.

What do you guys think?
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Good time to repost this, I think... :)

http://goo.gl/maps/hJKI3
 
The most we're likely to ever get to Lower Allston is the DMU station on the Framingham Line. Maybe we could get the connection to Allston that Harvard wants, and that will probably be a Green Line branch that would tie into the system at the BU Bridge (with the B having been buried at least that far up Comm Ave). Blue won't make it west of Charles/MGH until Boston is ready to part with Storrow (which the Olympics won't help with). Red certainly won't get split for a stub line to a dead-end in Allston.
 
It's too bad there isn't a mountain with the necessary vertical drop within a reasonable distance from Boston. Otherwise Boston would be a perfect host for the Winter Olympics.
 
mass88 said:
It's too bad there isn't a mountain with the necessary vertical drop within a reasonable distance from Boston. Otherwise Boston would be a perfect host for the Winter Olympics.
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Good point. The highest minimum vertical drop required for any event is 800 meters (2625 feet) for men's downhill skiing.

To find this, one would need to travel well over 100 miles outside of Boston. The most prominent mountain within 100 miles of Boston is Mount Shaw, near Lake Winnipesaukee, at the top of the Ossipee Mountains in New Hampshire. Mount Shaw has a prominence of 2340 feet and an elevation of 2990 feet above sea level, and it would be impossible to squeeze 2625 feet of vertical drop onto it.

Looking a bit farther we have Stratton Mountain, VT (2410 ft prominence, 3940 ft elevation), or Mount Greylock, MA (2470 ft prominence, 3487 ft elevation), which would also be tough to get that amount of vertical and at that point it's not really a Boston Olympics.
 
Greylock's a state park with no current ski runs. I imagine it'd be a nightmare to get anything cut there. The best and maybe only option would be Loon, but that's a two hour drive. That might be fine for some of the other events, but probably too far for a marque event like skiing.
 
underground said:
Greylock's a state park with no current ski runs. I imagine it'd be a nightmare to get anything cut there. The best and maybe only option would be Loon, but that's a two hour drive. That might be fine for some of the other events, but probably too far for a marque event like skiing.
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Yes. Exactly. There are no good options. And Loon is not tall enough for an official downhill competition, and too far away from Boston.
 
I think the only East Coast mountains (that currently have ski resorts) that could feasibly host the Alpine events are White Face out in Lake Placid (which will probably never get to host the Olympics again ), Sugarloaf and Sugar Bush. I think the requirements would be 2,800-3,000 feet of vertical drop.

It really is too bad this area lacks the height because Boston would be a slam dunk and I would think safe to assume it would have already hosted the Winter Olympics.
 
Well the HSR from Boston to Montreal could have a stop at Burlington/Stowe. Add that to the Olympic infrastructure list ;)
 
This means (as I've said before) that New Hampshire or Vermont would be a better place than Boston to host a Winter Olympics.
 
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