Robert Moses influence in Boston?

P

ptocco

Guest
I've been researching highways and transit and I found that Robert Moses, the New York planner, had consulted around the country starting in the 1940s, helping to plan for inner city highways that devastated neighborhoods. I was wondering if he might have had a role in Boston's mess before the Big Dig. Wiki's article on the Big Dig doesn't mention Moses. Does anybody know?

thanks
Peter
Columbia, MD

PS - Boston's regional transit seems so advanced to me. I will check out this board to get an idea of how users perceive it.
 
I doubt it only because there were plans for the old Central Artery going back to the 1920s. Did he have an influence on how cities felt towards building large highways? No doubt. But I don't think he had anything personally to do with our highways and urban renewal projects (That would be William Callahan and Ed Logue).
 
ptocco said:
PS - Boston's regional transit seems so advanced to me. I will check out this board to get an idea of how users perceive it.
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We perceive it the same way we perceive our city, that is not good enough.
 
^ Moses wielded influence right up to his 1968 retirement.
 
I imagine that his "improvements" to New York might have at least put pressure on Boston to become a more "modern" city.
 
I suppose his idea to put a highway right through the middle of Manhattan had its reflection in the idea to put a highway through Copley Sq and Cambridge. Thankfully both were defeated.
 
Where was 295 in Attleboro supposed to end up? Also, I think I saw somewhere that 495 was supposed to curve into Plymouth (44) instead of dipping south to the cape originally.
 
^Can you imagine what those highways (particularly 114) would have done to the quaint towns of Barrington, Bristol and Warren? I shudder at the thought of it.

I don't need a map, but was there talk of route 25 being renamed to I-695? If so, what relation (if any) would that have had to the proposed inner beltway in Boston and Cambridge?
 
Lrfox said:
^Can you imagine what those highways (particularly 114) would have done to the quaint towns of Barrington, Bristol and Warren? I shudder at the thought of it.
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I can't imagine 114 being used to this purpose. Rt. 136 (Metacom Ave.) seems more logical. I attended undergraduate school in Bristol, and lived there for nearly four years in the late 90's -- I really miss it, so I visit often.
 
^ Bristol perfectly illustrates that the main difference between a town (which it still is) and a suburban environment is the nonexistence of parking lots. When I frequented Bristol, only the convenience store on the main drag was set back behind a parking lot. You parallel-parked on the street or you walked. About equal numbers of people when they left their front door got in their car or didn't.

Lovely place.

Did you go to Roger Williams?
 
I did. Didn't get into the architecture program -- entered as undecided. I focused my studies on alcohol and where it could get me. Somehow, I ended up with a BFA in Creative Writing, minor in Film Studies. And a lot of bills. Now I get to write clever memos to my boss.

Did you teach there? If so, what was that like?

Thinking back, one of the things I liked the most about Bristol, was that it always felt like home. It reminded me of Winthrop, where my mom grew up. Replace Logan Airport with an overpriced liberal arts college, and it would be.
 
I love Roger Williams and Bristol. The bridge is a great backdrop for a pretty little college campus and Bristol itself is strikingly pretty. I grew up riding bikes on the waterfront bike trail and seeing movies in the old theater in the center of town.
 
I spent yesterday afternoon in Bristol. Had lunch here, a favorite spot.

Shit, I miss college...
 
Indeed. A fine pub. It's grown up (literally, it's expanded onto a second floor) since I first darkened the doorstep in the early 90's. A great beer an whisky/whiskey selection as well.

Bike safe!
 
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