Slingshot

[JimboJones]

Hey. Couldn't find a thread on this, elsewhere.

Last week I was driving west on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Right before the Allston/Brighton tolls, they had put up a couple new signs, covered over with tarps.

Presumably, these are for the new "slingshot" turnaround. And, from the looks of it, they are almost done.

In case you're not aware of it, here's how it works:

You are in a cab (because, of course, normal people won't be allowed to use it). You are at the airport. You want to get to mid-town Boston (Copley Square, etc.).

Your current options are:

- take the Ted Williams tunnel to 93 North or South, or get off in South Boston, then wind through the city streets.

- or, take the cab through the Sumner / Callahan tunnels (which goes which way?) to Government Center, then wind through the city streets.

But, once the slingshot is finished, here's what you'll do:

- take the Ted Williams tunnel, continue on to the Massachusetts Turnpike, west. Take the exit toward the Allston / Brighton toll booths. Take the slingshot exit, instead, which does a 180-degree turn back toward the city (I believe you'll still have to pay the toll, but your cab will have a Fast Lane transponder, so you won't have to stop or slow down.)

Then, you exit at Prudential / Copley Square.

It will probably be faster than going the other ways.

 

[Charlie_mta]

The slingshot is okay for a temporary fix, but there is an economical permanent off-ramp for westbound traffic that could be constructed as shown here:

The new ramp I propose is shown in green, with the red arrows showing direction of traffic. The existing west-bound on-ramp (marked by red x's) would be removed. The cost would be very minimal, as no bridge reconstruction or major walls would be required. The impact on adjoining buildings and neighborhoods would be minimal.

 

[chris]

Definitely seems this is more a money-making measure than an economical transportation design. Anyways, I believe there is a route that is Sumner/Callahan to I93 North to Storrow West, get off at the second exit. Not *too* bad. Cabs will probably love the new system, as they can jack up the price to unwitting tourists. Still, I hate the Brighton Tolls, and continue to wonder why they have to remain.

 

[Ron Newman]

Is there any reasonable place to put an eastbound on-ramp, though? The presence of railroad tracks next to the eastbound lanes makes this challenging.

 

[JimboJones]

Recent posts

I know we've talked about this sort of thing, recently, on this board, but doesn't hurt to discuss it, again.

The off-ramp at Cortes Street seems logical, and I think it doesn't hurt anyone in the neighborhood, since it puts people on a one-way street (Berkeley) toward the center of town. I certainly wouldn't have a problem with it, even though I live three blocks away.

However, if you create a major off-ramp there, I think it would only be fair to compensate abutting landowners. Yes, they already have an existing on-ramp there, but it is not very popular.

The corner building on Cortes is an apartment building, I believe. The entire block might be, actually. If so, a simple taking by eminent domain may be in order (I'm being sarcastic when I say "simple").

I would like to see an on-ramp to the Turnpike, east-bound, there, as well, but as Ron points out, the trains make it near-impossible.

The only option would be to take out a lane of traffic.

Or, perhaps you could have a ramp going in that starts at Berkeley, Washington, or Harrison, but doesn't merge until it hits the Pike right where it has the off-ramp to 93S and into the Ted Williams tunnel extension.

It would be awesome for a mid-town connection to the airport - it would reduce traffic on the city's streets, shave time off trips to the airport, as well as be much more convenient for residents and business people.

Yes, there is the Mass Pike east-bound entrance under Route 93, where the South End and South Boston meet, but it is under-utilized. As well, cab drivers still have to use the city streets.

 

[bosdevelopment]

Is there any reasonable place to put an eastbound on-ramp, though? The presence of railroad tracks next to the eastbound lanes makes this challenging.

i would tend to agree with Ron on this. You'd have to make a super steep platform or in the alternative, bury the railroad

 

[Charlie_mta]

You're right; an eastbound on-ramp would require depressing the two-track railway for a total length of about 3 blocks, including ramping the railroad down under the new roadway on-ramp, then ramping back up to existing grade. There are a few spots between Kenmore Square and Arlington Street along the Pike where this could be done. It would cost a fair amount of money for one eastbound on-ramp, I'm guessing about 100 million. Lots of utility relocation, excavation, retaining walls, one new bridge and possibly lengthening an existing overpass, temporary rerouting of the two rail lines onto a single track during construction, plus a permanent pumping station to keep the new railroad dip in a dry condition.

I'm a registered civil engineer and a road designer, so I'm familiar with the geometric requirements and costs.

Then of course you have an army of Nimbys and politicians to contend with before anything can happen.

 

[Ron Newman]

Could this problem be solved by building a steep downramp that enters the left lane instead of the right? I recall seeing some arrangement like this near the Chicago Loop - a whole series of left-entrance ramps, one per block.

 

[BostonObserver]

depressing RR

If there is ever a RR connection between North Station and South the tracks would have to start descending in this area anyway.

 

[JimboJones]

Even easier

I was walking home from the South End Landmarks Commission, this evening, and walked across the Mass Pike.

We're missing the easiest solution!

Take out a lane of Albany Street, and make it an on-ramp to the Ted Williams Extension / Mass Pike East entrance.

Oh, yeah, that'll happen.

 

[JimboJones]

Booooo

Even though construction is complete, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority has decided to delay opening a new turnaround ramp that is expected to relieve one of the most confounding features of the Pike, a lack of exits and onramps around the Back Bay.

The reason: public relations.

Officials say they want to wait to open the turnaround ramp until new turnpike tolls go into effect in January. Hoping to avoid a public outcry, they do not want to set a toll for the ramp now, only to raise it in a few months.

That means travelers negotiating clogged city streets to get to Logan International Airport or the convention center from the Back Bay, or going in the opposite direction, will have to wait four months for a solution. The ramp had already been delayed by engineering problems for months.

"Rather than establish a new toll months before the new increases are set to take effect in January, it was decided it would be easier for our customers to simply open the U-turn with a new toll in January," said Turnpike Authority spokesman Mac Daniel.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/09/10/pike_u_turn_ramp_opening_delayed/

 

[JohnAKeith]

Anyone know the daily usage numbers of the Allston-Brighton slingshot?

 

[Matthew]

Dunno, but it came up at the Back Bay ramps study meeting, and people seemed to think that it gets very low usage, unfortunately. Maybe because of the toll, or poor advertisement?

 

[Shepard]

...or because it takes you miles out of your way?

 

[Arlington]

Dunno, but it came up at the Back Bay ramps study meeting, and people seemed to think that it gets very low usage, unfortunately. Maybe because of the toll, or poor advertisement?

Do we have a Back Bay ramps thread? I'd love to know how that's progressing. I want to see a Silver Line that does Airport-Seaport-BackBay (with possible Chelsea on the "front" end and Harvard Square on the "back" end). And I-90 would make an awesome "busway"

 

[Matthew]

MassDOT is busy jerking off with computer models of 2035 traffic. They presented level-of-service for lots of intersections on about 4 different alternatives.

Like they have any clue about what's going to happen over the next 20 years.

 

[JohnAKeith]

If you can find last week's Boston Courant there was an update. Lots of talk about the options. Some people are concerned (rightfully so) that the on/off ramp discussion is happening independently of the Bowker Pass discussion which seems foolish.

 

[BosDevelop]

Anyone know the daily usage numbers of the Allston-Brighton slingshot?

No statistically data but I drive by there once a day and have been since it opened. I can probably count on both my hands the number of times I have seen cars use it. I'd be shocked if more than a couple hundred cars a day use it.

 

[ErnieAdams]

No statistically data but I drive by there once a day and have been since it opened. I can probably count on both my hands the number of times I have seen cars use it. I'd be shocked if more than a couple hundred cars a day use it.

I have used it exactly once, and only then because I found myself on the wrong ramp coming out of the Seaport when I wanted the Expressway instead. In that specific context, it at least has the ability to turn a 25-minute mistake into a 15-minute mistake. Boy, is there ever a need for a westbound Back Bay offramp.

That slingshot is a fairly tough left-hand merge, too, with people just starting to accelerate out of the eastbound tolls as you emerge from a curve too tight to allow trucks to use it. Not at all a comfortable thing for the driver.

 

[George_Apley]

I used it once because I had a brain-fart and forgot there's no Westbound Copley exit.