Re: B.U. East Campus Center (100 Bay State Rd)
Pardon me if this has already been posted (here or elsewhere) but the Boston Courant newspaper reports that BU is in negotiation with the city of Boston to buy Cummington, Blanford, and Hinsdale streets. These are the streets between Commonwealth Avenue and the Massachusetts Turnpike. Warren Towers, Morse Auditorium, and the College of Communications are inside those parameters. The streets would be closed to all but emergency vehicles. The price for Blanford Street has not been determined; the price for the other two would be $11.45 million. A closing could happen by the end of October.
I dont understand this transaction. These streets are defacto private as only people with BU business use them. Theres absolutely no other reason for anyone else to drive there.
So why pay money to close them....? Why not just close them anyway, with city approval?
The street in front of Photonics, Babbit street, has been closed off for years as well. Vehicles with special transmitters can access it when needed.
Did BU pay the city for this as well?
One great change would mean that there would be less delays on the B line as one of the light cycles for Cummington/Comm would be eliminated. The T would now only have to stop if a vehicle going east on Comm Ave activated the sensor for a U turn.
Of course, the MBTA would have to be smart enough to reprogram that light.
Looking at the silver line, we'll be skiing in hell before such a progressive change is instituted.
Likewise, the Blanford Street track crossing could be eliminated (pedestrian only). Traffic from Sliber Way would be forced to turn right.
Cars wanting to go east could either turn right and then U turn at St Marys, or more intelligently, simply use the Granby street crossing.
OR, close the Granby street crossing and keep Blandford.
Either way, the comm ave reconstruction included WAAAAY too many vehicle crossing points on the B line, most uneeded.