The Tobin Bridge Thread

Ok, so if we were to hang a pedestrian/cyclist bridge off the side of the Tobin, where ideally would landing ramps be located on either side?
 
The Charleston approach would be simple but the Chelsea end would be more difficult, probably something at Everett Ave along the existing onramp.
 
Ya see...that's odd. I had the opposite conclusion. On the Chelsea side, there is kind of a wasteland of nothingness underneath a big section of the Tobin decking, where an access "tower" with stairs and/or ramps could be erected to get up to the bridge decking level.

I will try to go there tomorrow to take some pics.
 
A pedestrian/cyclist bridge added to the existing bridge structure would be fantastic.....dangerous in the heavy winds of winter but protective barriers could be put constructed along the sides. By the way, I never understood why the bridge isn't glorified with lighting as we see in other major cities. Anyone know why not? Community opposition? NIMBY Charlestown residents?
 
Looking at the design of the bridge it may not be as cheap as you'd think, especially if the lane was large enough for peds and bikes. "Hanging off the side" would stress the bridge on one side too much so you'd need a balance on the other side. It's not like the bridge was overbuilt for this type of thing so the cost of retrofitting the whole thing might be too much to justify it.

How much does this bridge have left before it needs straight up replacing?
 
I've felt the bridge bouncing on many occasions when waiting to pay tolls there several years ago. It would be extremely disconcerting to feel that on a bike or on foot.

I'm all for a bike and ped crossing, just give me a new bridge. Time for old Maurice to get recycled!
 
A new cable-stayed Tobin bridge to carry the expressway plus pedestrians and bicycles would do me just fine. Maybe even throw in a light rail line on the new structure.
 
vanshnookenraggen said:
I mean, we got an extra few billion lying around somewhere. Right?
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Oh yeah, something about a crazy transit pitch to extend the green line to Somerville? Eh, we can forget about that - we need to build another bridge. What's a billion between pals, eh?

[/sarcasm]
 
Very few highway bridges are built these days without getting a multiuse path added onto the project. When it’s time to rebuild/replace the Tobin it’s likely/certain that a path that will be included. But I highly doubt that one would just be added onto the current structure unless a magical pile of grant money apparated directly into the front lobby of the MassDOT building. If it did I'd like to see the Chelsea side of the path land at the Beacon Street Offramp for better access to East Boston. Constitution Road would be a good landing point on the Charlestown end since users could then take the Connect Historic Boston cycletracks.

Unfortunately this region likes to let bridges decay (see the Mass Ave bridge in the 1980s or the Longfellow today) to the point of crisis before rebuilding them, so it will be a long wait for a Tobin Bridge multiuse path. So some short-term bike/ped improvements to better connect to Boston would include fixing fucking Beacham Street, carving some bike and luggage storage space out of each blue line car, or building the Wynn Casino Memorial Bridge.

Related to the Tobin but unrelated to biking across it, when they removed the toll booth and put up electronic tolling did they start charging $1.50 in both directions instead of $3.00 in the southbound direction? There’s 50% more daily traffic in the free northbound direction than in the tolled southbound direction which has to be distorting southbound traffic somewhere else. Anecdotally when I get in my cyclocross practice suffer across Beacham Street the traffic seems much heavier in the westbound direction, which I assume is toll-dodgers heading to the free Route 99 route into Boston.
 
Realistically, a replacement for the Tobin probably won't happen for another 30-40 years, so I think it's worthwhile to explore a pedestrian/cyclist add-on. Similarly, replacements for the Sumner and Callahan tunnels could also offer pedestrian/cycling access but those probably won't be replaced for another 30 years either.

I'd say a Tobin add-on is the only realistic short/mid-term solution to giving East Boston and Chelsea residents a cross-harbor pedestrian/cycling link to the rest of Boston. A harbor level pedestrian/cyclist crossing below the Tobin (with a lift span for boat/ship passing) would also be complex and costly, assuming you could even get all stakeholders to agree to it.
 
anthonyx26 said:
Realistically, a replacement for the Tobin probably won't happen for another 30-40 years, so I think it's worthwhile to explore a pedestrian/cyclist add-on. Similarly, replacements for the Sumner and Callahan tunnels could also offer pedestrian/cycling access but those probably won't be replaced for another 30 years either.

I'd say a Tobin add-on is the only realistic short/mid-term solution to giving East Boston and Chelsea residents a cross-harbor pedestrian/cycling link to the rest of Boston. A harbor level pedestrian/cyclist crossing below the Tobin (with a lift span for boat/ship passing) would also be complex and costly, assuming you could even get all stakeholders to agree to it.
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Do you think people would really use an underwater tunnel ped/bike access way the length of the harbor crossing? That just feels really creepy to me. Are there examples that get real use elsewhere in the world?

Also, wouldn't such a route become a hopeless magnet for homeless people seeking shelter?
 
JeffDowntown said:
Do you think people would really use an underwater tunnel ped/bike access way the length of the harbor crossing? That just feels really creepy to me. Are there examples that get real use elsewhere in the world?
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Lots of bike/ped tunnels out there, but most are very flat with no strenuous slopes (former RR and streetcar tunnels thru hillsides)

I'd worry that the downgrade into a river tunnel would encourage dangerous speeds, and the long climb out would be too strenuous--and that there'd be no "refuges" (resting/shoulder) space.
 
You'd be better off rebuilding the Chelsea St Draw to reconnect Chelsea/Charlestown, I think. Make it bus/bike/pedestrians only. The Tobin idea will need to be ADA accessible. Can't just have a ramp along the Eastern Ave exit, way too steep.

The draw idea would be much more useful and easy to use.
 
JeffDowntown said:
Do you think people would really use an underwater tunnel ped/bike access way the length of the harbor crossing? That just feels really creepy to me. Are there examples that get real use elsewhere in the world?

Also, wouldn't such a route become a hopeless magnet for homeless people seeking shelter?
Click to expand...

It could be done if built right. I'm thinking it would need some sort of commercial use at one or both ends. And likely security detail.
 
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