McGrath Linear Park

[EastCambridgeDreamer]

The segment of McGrath that runs from Twin Cities Plaza to Lechmere Square (specifically, where it intersects with North First Street) feels way overbuilt. I never see it busy, and I feel like the space can be used much better. Has anyone thought about converting half of the road into a park instead? Imagine if the northbound side of the road has one lane of traffic in each direction. And then the southbound side would play host to probably close to a hundred new trees, creating a new urban forest in a part of town that needs it badly. This would make it easier to cross McGrath, and fight the urban heat island effect. The three intersecting streets (Gore, Third, and Scirappa) could just be extended to have a normal T junction with the new, road-dieted-McGrath. And maybe a narrower, service road would be needed to connect the parking garage at the Holiday Inn with Rufo Road.

Is this a crazy idea? I understand that MADOT is loathe to give up any territory, but if that political hurdle could be addressed...

 

[Longfellow]

Crazy Highway Pitches

I imagine that restricting lefts on the parts of Comm, Beacon, and Huntington with trolley reservations could speed up the B, C and E lines, respectively. The challenge with restricting left turns in much of those corridors is the street "grid" (using the term very loosely) does not accommodate...

archboston.com

They are doing a little bit on that overpass way over up the road, but not much on this road itself. I agree it needs to go.

 

[Charlie_mta]

The segment of McGrath that runs from Twin Cities Plaza to Lechmere Square (specifically, where it intersects with North First Street) feels way overbuilt. I never see it busy, and I feel like the space can be used much better. Has anyone thought about converting half of the road into a park instead? Imagine if the northbound side of the road has one lane of traffic in each direction. And then the southbound side would play host to probably close to a hundred new trees, creating a new urban forest in a part of town that needs it badly. This would make it easier to cross McGrath, and fight the urban heat island effect. The three intersecting streets (Gore, Third, and Scirappa) could just be extended to have a normal T junction with the new, road-dieted-McGrath. And maybe a narrower, service road would be needed to connect the parking garage at the Holiday Inn with Rufo Road.

Is this a crazy idea? I understand that MADOT is loathe to give up any territory, but if that political hurdle could be addressed...

One lane each direction seems too small to me for this major arterial.