Regarding Charles-MGH in particular, two of the three alternatives in the 2021 R-B Concept Design Report proposed building new exits north and south of the Cambridge/Charles circle to replace the headhouse exit. The headhouse would then be made entirely paid area, acting as connection between the Red Line platforms and the underground concourse level. Both exits will lead to the concourse.
Of course, that's not feasible for Lechmere. If this was somewhere with better design capabilities and funding, we would have seen an overhead bridge across the highway...
Honestly, I wish Lechmere would end up being more like Charles MGH. Charles is on a rotary. Cars have to slow or occasionally stop.
The steel bollard-lined narrow 3-lane passage where you cross from the T to MGH is designed urban density. Hard curbs with notional shoulders that say to drivers approaching the intersection, "Hey, idiot! You're in a city. This is not 93 yet! Slow the hell down!" With the same thing
on the other side in front of CVS (2 sets of 2 lanes divided by brick and hard curbing) on a bend, drivers are given the language to cover the brake instead of fluttering the accelerator. In my opinion there's no overpass needed. The main problem with Charles Circle is that the West End doesn't allow through traffic from the Science Park/Martha Road side. Crappy 60s car-centric "park" housing crap which makes Cambridge Street eat all the West End traffic - and ALL West Enders drive. It's am enclave, not a neighborhood. I digress.
Powderhouse Square is not a good 'end' example to compare to what Lechmere could be. Powderhouse is a 6 street clusterfuck of access with minimal slowing measures on approach (speed encouraged), virtually no traffic calming curves either. And that park in the middle? It's like
Doherty's has
sponsored Frankenstein (<please watch) to drum up business. My smaller Lechmere rotary would not have any people friendly amenities in the middle. It would be a fenced-off statuary or a fountain maybe surrounded by flower bedding. Calm. Thoughtful.
Not this.
I think the entire corridor around the McGrath Highway needs to atone for the sins of its creators. The need for that much infrastructure is gone. We could eliminate 25-50% of the width to add park and TOD housing parcels. What was built should not have been, and should not continue to be. We need to stop putting the needs of lead-foot suburban commuters ahead of people who can and will live there if we let them. Lechmere is in a city. It should act like it.
Overall, design should be denser, slower, calmer, smarter. I'd suggest this thinking should inform every 'Square' conversation along the GLX.
