Boston 2035

DZH22 said:
Just returned from my time machine trip... here is Boston in 2035.

IMG_0729.jpg
Click to expand...

Way to just piss off everyone in Boston!
 
whighlander said:
I guess it must have been one hell of a drought -- I don't see the Charles, Mystic or even Boston Harbor
Click to expand...

From across the Charles

IMG_0720.jpg


From the Harbor

IMG_0721.jpg


Go Boston Go!!! 2035 woooo hoooo!!!!!
 
whighlander said:
My optimal T would extend all heavy transit lines out to Rt-128 (Red past Alewife, Orange past OakGrove, Blue past Lynn to Salem and perhaps Peabody, Orange past Forest Hills)

At Rt-128 there is a specially zoned large region (size of Boston Common) encouraging moderately intensive development (12 to 15 stories) with office, retail, commercial, light industry / R&D & mixed income appartment, highrise condos and town houses

This junction would also feature commuter rail amd where appropriate intercity rail to expand the commuter collection area further radially and then large parking garage with "kiss and ride" large bus terminal with both local and circumferential dedicated shuttle buses
Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinking as well. Also want to extend the Blue Line out to Waltham. If they build an Island in the charles, like Cram proposed, we can extend the Blue Line from MGH, under the Charles to Cram's Island where it will have 2-3 stops, depending on the size of the island, then under the Charles again to near Boston U. Still haven't figured out on a route to Waltham yet.
 
I've had that idea, too, but in my version, the Blue Line connects to Red at Charles/MGH, then crosses the river to Grand Junction, serving Cambirdgeport before crossing back at BU, to hop on to the Worcester ROW.
 
HenryAlan said:
I've had that idea, too, but in my version, the Blue Line connects to Red at Charles/MGH, then crosses the river to Grand Junction, serving Cambirdgeport before crossing back at BU, to hop on to the Worcester ROW.
Click to expand...

Charlie, Henry -- what no Red Line to Rt-128 in lexington either via the old Rail ROW or otherwwise via the RT-2 median?

Even without TOD -- a giant Alewife-scae garage just off Rt-2 at Rt-128 is a definite winner for the Hub & Spoke functions
 
I should clarify -- my endpoint on the Blue Line is probably not Waltham. My thinking is that the Line needs to go somewhere. Many focus on the idea of using it to replace portions of the Green Line, but I'd prefer to see it bring transit to new areas, which is where I see similarity with Charlie's idea. I would keep it on the Worcester ROW, though, at least as far as Brighton. After that, I'm less sure, but might see it continuing through Newton, then branching to Riverside.

My red line idea would be a branch that goes to Watertown. As for what to do beyond Alewife, I haven't thought much about it, but probably the original proposal as you've mentioned would make the most sense. On the South Side, I'd extend from Ashmont to Mattapan Square.
 
Kahta said:
http://g.co/maps/syzc9
Click to expand...

Kahta

I think you will never get the NIMBYs to let you go to Hanscom - they would presume it was a ploy to make Hanscom become a an airport with real scheduled flights

It makes more sense to develop the Boston Edison / Town of Lexington recycling sites on Harwell Ave into an Alewife-scale parking garage, with bus terminal -- this would enable a new 76 Bus Route to leave hartwell ave for hanscom and continue down Rt-128 to the growing core at Winter Street in Waltham returning via Wyman, Smith and Spring St. to Rt-2A then 2 to Rt-128 down to Hartwell Ave via the 4-225 Exit
 
whighlander said:
Kahta

I think you will never get the NIMBYs to let you go to Hanscom - they would presume it was a ploy to make Hanscom become a an airport with real scheduled flights

It makes more sense to develop the Boston Edison / Town of Lexington recycling sites on Harwell Ave into an Alewife-scale parking garage, with bus terminal -- this would enable a new 76 Bus Route to leave hartwell ave for hanscom and continue down Rt-128 to the growing core at Winter Street in Waltham returning via Wyman, Smith and Spring St. to Rt-2A then 2 to Rt-128 down to Hartwell Ave via the 4-225 Exit
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's frustrating-- I happen to know a number of people that work in the defense industry and because of the nature of their work, their work needs to be located at a fully secure location. Given the inevitable downsizing that is going to be taking place in the future with regards to defense spending, MA should try to position itself as a place to consolidate DoD related work to MA because of the talent pool that Hanscom, Natick, and a few other facilities are close to.

Anecdotally, the the industry has already started fairly aggressive cost reduction in preparation for the inevitable budget cuts, so I'm guessing it's only a matter of time until we start seeing further R/D facility consolidation.
 
Kahta said:
Yeah, it's frustrating-- I happen to know a number of people that work in the defense industry and because of the nature of their work, their work needs to be located at a fully secure location. Given the inevitable downsizing that is going to be taking place in the future with regards to defense spending, MA should try to position itself as a place to consolidate DoD related work to MA because of the talent pool that Hanscom, Natick, and a few other facilities are close to.

Anecdotally, the the industry has already started fairly aggressive cost reduction in preparation for the inevitable budget cuts, so I'm guessing it's only a matter of time until we start seeing further R/D facility consolidation.
Click to expand...

Kahta -- excelent points

I always thought that becasue of our local idiot politcians blew several opportunities for Greater Boston to become the home of leading-edge DOD and other Federal Research in C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) stuff.

Several times our local idiots favored proteting any change in the status quo DOD Bureaucracy over giving some of tha past up for the future --- (e.g. BRAC and other internal consolidation) -- now even the rare post of a Lt General in charge of the R&D at Hanscom has slipped to a much more mundane Major General mostly incharge of paper shifflers

I think that we have one more good chance to retain significant Research and Development by insuring that the idiots who we elect understand the misson criticality (to both the DOD and the Boston Region) of the remaining Federal R&D facilities in the area:

Lexington: Lincoln Laboratoy -- primarily for Air Force -- Defense systems core technology
Bedford: Mitre -- Systems Engineering for DOD and other Federal Agencies
Natick: U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center-- dismounted soldier-related
Cambrdge: Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT -- nanotech
Cambtidge: John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center -- transportation and logistics expertise
Falmouth; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute -- Navy oceanographic and related USGS

All of these are jewels -- and should be so considered by everyone -- they are far more important to the regional economy than Foxboro / Suffolk Downs Casinos and even the Patriots & Foxboro Casino
 
whighlander said:
Kahta -- excelent points

I always thought that becasue of our local idiot politcians blew several opportunities for Greater Boston to become the home of leading-edge DOD and other Federal Research in C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) stuff.

Several times our local idiots favored proteting any change in the status quo DOD Bureaucracy over giving some of tha past up for the future --- (e.g. BRAC and other internal consolidation) -- now even the rare post of a Lt General in charge of the R&D at Hanscom has slipped to a much more mundane Major General mostly incharge of paper shifflers

I think that we have one more good chance to retain significant Research and Development by insuring that the idiots who we elect understand the misson criticality (to both the DOD and the Boston Region) of the remaining Federal R&D facilities in the area:

Lexington: Lincoln Laboratoy -- primarily for Air Force -- Defense systems core technology
Bedford: Mitre -- Systems Engineering for DOD and other Federal Agencies
Natick: U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center-- dismounted soldier-related
Cambrdge: Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT -- nanotech
Cambtidge: John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center -- transportation and logistics expertise
Falmouth; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute -- Navy oceanographic and related USGS

All of these are jewels -- and should be so considered by everyone -- they are far more important to the regional economy than Foxboro / Suffolk Downs Casinos and even the Patriots & Foxboro Casino
Click to expand...

Don't forget this either: http://wikimapia.org/4237639/NASA-Mission-Control-historic-proposal
 
I honestly think this is an awesome idea. But, it would never happen, its too good of an idea unless the political climate and NIMBYs in this state suddenly change in 2035, I hope so.
 
Cool thread :)

Having grown up in the Concord area, I'm pretty sure it's the town of Concord that's prevented Rte 2 from being upgraded to a true highway through it's space. There are some powerful nimbys in that town. Maybe I'm wrong on that, but if it were a simple matter of funding I would think they'd just do it in the next few years when they fix the Concord/Lincoln corner, but as far as I know, they aren't. Concord wants to keep those at grade signal crossings. The best solution, given their sentiments that I can think of, is running Rte 2 like Comm Ave and Huntington Ave run beneath Mass Ave in Boston, express underpasses with at grade exit lanes.
 
^ And it needs to be a "real highway" because...?
 
I don't think it does, nor do I want it do be. I do think that the underpass scheme like the Mass Ave bypasses at Comm Ave, Huntington Ave and Mem Drive would do wonders for traffic flow through Concord on Rte 2 though.
 
BussesAin'tTrains said:
Cool thread :)

Having grown up in the Concord area, I'm pretty sure it's the town of Concord that's prevented Rte 2 from being upgraded to a true highway through it's space. There are some powerful nimbys in that town. Maybe I'm wrong on that, but if it were a simple matter of funding I would think they'd just do it in the next few years when they fix the Concord/Lincoln corner, but as far as I know, they aren't. Concord wants to keep those at grade signal crossings. The best solution, given their sentiments that I can think of, is running Rte 2 like Comm Ave and Huntington Ave run beneath Mass Ave in Boston, express underpasses with at grade exit lanes.
Click to expand...

CZ wrote:
Re: Boston 2035
^ And it needs to be a "real highway" because...?
Click to expand...


Busses & CZ -- it was a combination of powerful, rich, well-connected NIMBYs mostly in Lincoln and some in Concord that stopped Rt-2 at Rt-128

The original plan would have developed Rt-2 from the Innerbelt in Cambridge (effectively where Alewife is located) to I-190 with major interchanges at Rt-128, I-495. I-290 was similarly to have been completed eastward to the Turnpike in Weston.

Even after the Innerbelt, NE and SW expressways died and Rt-128 got designated as I-95 -- Rt-2 was still going to be completed to Interstate standards all the way to I-495

However, a combination of locations for exchanges, some access issues (Sandy Pond Rd.) and some rather big name land-takings killed it.

Hopefully the incremental approach to improvement will succeed where the wholesale approach failed. The growth of western Middlesex County has been stymied due to the lack of Interstate-class highway access -- this will be particularly true as Worcester County develops over the next few decades and I-190 ends-up forming a branch of the Boston outermost loop from the Turnpike through Worcester I-190 and N and E through Southern Hampshire connecting with Manchester @ I-93 and on to Pease Tradeport / Portsmouth terminating @ I-95 on the coast. Rt-2 becomes much more vital as a connector to this loop relieving I-495 and Rt-3
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top