RandomWalk
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We shall forever be cursed with William Callahan’s infrastructure choices, just like NYC is cursed with Robert Moses.
I think many of us are pretty convinced the flooding concerns are a smoke screen for allowing the MassDOT to build what they want to build, a viaduct.
Protecting this section of the Pike or SFR is not going to make either road passable in flood situations, as both roads flow into other major flood zones, not addressed by this reconstruction.
I think many of us are pretty convinced the flooding concerns are a smoke screen for allowing the MassDOT to build what they want to build, a viaduct.
Protecting this section of the Pike or SFR is not going to make either road passable in flood situations, as both roads flow into other major flood zones, not addressed by this reconstruction.
In hindsight it's good that Callahan forced the Turnpike all the way through Boston, because if it had ended at Allston (as FHWA and ex-Governor Volpe wanted at the time) to connect to the proposed Inner Belt Expressway, then the Pike would forever remain just a stub end at Allston. because the Inner Belt was never built. So the Mass Pike was built all the way through to Fort Point Channel, so it provides a core east-west transportation route and connection to Logan.We shall forever be cursed with William Callahan’s infrastructure choices, just like NYC is cursed with Robert Moses.
In hindsight it's good that Callahan forced the Turnpike all the way through Boston, because if it had ended at Allston (as FHWA and ex-Governor Volpe wanted at the time) to connect to the proposed Inner Belt Expressway, then the Pike would forever remain just a stub end at Allston. because the Inner Belt was never built. So the Mass Pike was built all the way through to Fort Point Channel, so it provides a core east-west transportation route and connection to Logan.
Wouldn’t it end at BU Bridge where the Inner Belt was to cross into Cambridge?Interesting what-if there but if the Pike ends in Allston does a new CBD develop out in that area since getting into "downtown Boston" would be quite difficult from the west.
Yes, that was what FHWA/USDOT wanted.Wouldn’t it end at BU Bridge where the Inner Belt was to cross into Cambridge?
But I-95 was supposed to come all the way in to meet I-93. right? It would have been I-95 in the South End canyon down the SW corridor, through BB Station, then on to I-93.Yes, that was what FHWA/USDOT wanted.
Sure. Then the Inner Belt X-Way would have been I-695 and the truncated Mass Pike would have ended, and connected to I-695, near the BU Bridge.But I-95 was supposed to come all the way in to meet I-93. right? It would have been I-95 in the South End canyon down the SW corridor, through BB Station, then on to I-93.
Because the publisher of the Telegram was a co-founder of the John Birch Society.Callahan’s curse is the spiteful way he extended the Pike from 128 to the Artery, and he avoided serving Worcester.
While I do appreciate your opinion and your deep institutional knowledge, you do have a tendency to set ideas afire in a post's first 5 minutes of life.
While I do appreciate your opinion and your deep institutional knowledge, you do have a tendency to set ideas afire in a post's first 5 minutes of life.
"Some structures removed" is burying the lede just a weeeeeeeee bit, don't you think? The primary Housing Services administrative building housing the bulk of the University's residential support staff would get nuked in the process, as would an entire wing of the College of Fine Arts. Plus an entire new-construction dorm would have its primary loading docks rendered nonfunctional.That said... the caveats are written in the Charles in the images: I did say there would be some structures removed AND that Harry Agganis Way would be removed and decked 25 feet up in the air above the new rail bed. This would get you damn close to 30 feet. Though, I gotta say, the bigger obstacle is Boston University doing anything for it's neighbors in the first place. If they even came to the bargaining table or issued a statement pledging cooperation, I'd be floored.
It's a matter of will... because there is a Harry Agganis Way.
Nuked? Come on. Dial down the hyperbole. There will be no fission or fusion in my plan.The primary Housing Services administrative building housing the bulk of the University's residential support staff would get nuked in the process, as would an entire wing of the College of Fine Arts. Plus an entire new-construction dorm would have its primary loading docks rendered nonfunctional.
Those are not minor impacts. They're major. And BU would be well within its rights to demand the absolute moon in compensation for the disruption it would cause. That moon they'd demand is very surely going to be more than enough to sink the prospects of said land grab.
Nuked? Come on. Dial down the hyperbole. There will be no fission or fusion in my plan.
What's more expensive? Compensating BU and moving the 20 or so people into nicer new office space nearby, or letting the Commonwealth pay for planning rounds to get a viaduct jammed in there again?
And a 'wing' of the College of Fine Arts? Fifteen feet. That's no wing. That's a garage. Remember, this is the ugliest part of BU and everything CAN be moved. Unless you insist nothing gets moved evar evar evar.
Loading docks, I weep for thee.... Or just make a new ramp.
Did you not notice the parking garage I put over the old parking lot? I mean, if you're going to say something is prohibitively expensive, THAT should be it.
Also, from the back of the parking lot nearest to the BU Bridge you can see an easy 10 feet -- without ripping any buildings down at all.
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I...don't think you're pointing the finger quite where you think you are when it comes to highlighting the problematic stubbornness viz-a-viz this supposedly "plausible" scenario.Stop being so stubborn. Life's too short.