Eversource is looking to build a new transformer the Prospect St substation. Hopefully, they can be convinced to clear the way for a Porter extension.
It’s a key part of the grid. They might be able to relocate it at great expense, but I doubt there are better alternatives than a rebuild in situ.
I wonder if they could work with a developer on burying it, like Kendall.
Prospect St. they'd punch through the loose fill of the retaining wall with reinforced concrete arches...no actual span mods there. Then the substation equipment would have to be jacked up and moved back 15-20 ft. Webster Ave. overpass is way overdue for complete replacement since it's ancient and has got a posted weight limit; MassDOT for whatever reason simply has nothing scheduled there long-term yet. It's wide enough for 4 tracks on the native Fitchburg ROW because it's old enough to have spanned the last time the Fitchburg had 4 tracks, but you'd have to make the replacement span a little wider because GLX would still be merging back onto the main from the station turnout by that point. All of the other bridges out to Beacon St. should be wide enough, though I'm not sure if the 1982 replacement span for Washington St. was any narrower than its predecessor. *Maybe* Washington needs a touch, but Dane is definitely more than wide enough and Beacon should be wide enough.@F-Line to Dudley or others - Do you know what the bridge replacement needs would be here? Is it every bridge to Porter or just 1? View attachment 21528
Oh lord a building that spans the track and fills in the whole Prospect/Newton/Webster triangle with a substation in the basement would be incredible.
Clearing out the Newton/Emerson triangle for a megablock on the other hand wouldn't be easy. There is one abandoned home that could easily be taken by eminent domain, and a commercial property that doesn't get much use and seems buyable, but that still leaves you with 7 houses to buy out, and I know some of those folks - they're politically well connected and wealthy enough that they'd be hard to motivate financially. You can see how they represent a little island of NR zoning and are not part of the official Union Square MPD area:
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That makes Porter GLX sound relatively easy. Park St. is not grade separated though, I imagine it would need to be. Do you know why that was never grade separated when all the other crossings in the ROW are?Prospect St. they'd punch through the loose fill of the retaining wall with reinforced concrete arches...no actual span mods there. Then the substation equipment would have to be jacked up and moved back 15-20 ft. Webster Ave. overpass is way overdue for complete replacement since it's ancient and has got a posted weight limit; MassDOT for whatever reason simply has nothing scheduled there long-term yet. It's wide enough for 4 tracks on the native Fitchburg ROW because it's old enough to have spanned the last time the Fitchburg had 4 tracks, but you'd have to make the replacement span a little wider because GLX would still be merging back onto the main from the station turnout by that point. All of the other bridges out to Beacon St. should be wide enough, though I'm not sure if the 1982 replacement span for Washington St. was any narrower than its predecessor. *Maybe* Washington needs a touch, but Dane is definitely more than wide enough and Beacon should be wide enough.
Answering my own question somewhat:That makes Porter GLX sound relatively easy. Park St. is not grade separated though, I imagine it would need to be. Do you know why that was never grade separated when all the other crossings in the ROW are?
From USQ twitter. They've cut the fence on Prospect for the entrance to the elevator
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If nothing is done before March peds are going to have a bad time on their first trip to Union Square. The Somerville Ave / Prospect St. traffic light timing needs some work as well. The wait times for a walk signal are long, so you’re going to have a train load of people waiting on the corner of the construction site of 10 Prospect for 2+ minutes where there currently is no sidewalk.Anyone see any plans on how they plan to re-configure the lanes on the prospect st bridge? No way that 3-foot sidewalk can remain once there's foot traffic to/from the station. The area is also pretty hostile to bikes and peds (and cars I guess since the bridge is constantly backed up). Maybe they can barrier-separate the entire east-side of the bridge and make a two-way cycletrack and sidewalk in a 20-foot width, while squeezing the two car lanes into 20-feet at the western side?
The city?/developer? built out a curb extension to get around the traffic signal foundations - the rest of that sidewalk is accessible for width -- but not for slope. But, I think the elevator might provide an accessible path of travel for someone who doesn't want to freewheel down the sidewalk toward Somerville Ave. I think a tactical cycle track like that is going to be challenging since there's already a bus lane that would have to be removed if that were to happen.Anyone see any plans on how they plan to re-configure the lanes on the prospect st bridge? No way that 3-foot sidewalk can remain once there's foot traffic to/from the station. The area is also pretty hostile to bikes and peds (and cars I guess since the bridge is constantly backed up). Maybe they can barrier-separate the entire east-side of the bridge and make a two-way cycletrack and sidewalk in a 20-foot width, while squeezing the two car lanes into 20-feet at the western side?