MassDOT Seeks Public Feedback on Mass Pike Allston Multimodel Project; Virtual Public Hearings October 15 & 20

[broadstreet zone=”51611″]

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is beginning a public engagement period seeking input on the designation of a preferred alternative for the “throat area” of the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project from among three options.

Although not required by NEPA, MassDOT has committed to holding additional public engagement. 

First, a virtual public meeting of the Allston Multimodal Project Task Force has been scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, October 15.

Progress on the project will then be discussed at the MassDOT Board of Directors meeting on October 19.

MassDOT will hold an additional public meeting Tuesday, October 20, and will accept additional public comment through October 30.

[broadstreet zone=”80100″]

[broadstreet zone=”58892″]

This past summer, MassDOT filed a Scoping Summary Report (SSR) containing three options for the throat area.  Recently, MassDOT formally requested the substitution of a Modified All At-Grade option in place of the All At-Grade throat option presented in the SSR, one based on extensive discussions with the City of Boston and A Better City.

The Modified All At-Grade Option contains a wider version of the Paul Dudley White Path on a boardwalk, as well as a wider “living shoreline” at the edge of the Charles River. With these changes, the Modified All At Grade does create more significant intrusion into the Charles River, but MassDOT believes that, on balance, the benefits of the variant in terms of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations delivered by the rethinking of the Paul Dudley White Path and the aesthetic and potential environmental benefits of the living shoreline – both of which have received significant stakeholder support – make it a more desirable version of the All At-Grade featured in the Scoping Summary Report. 

[broadstreet zone=”70106″]

MassDOT welcomes public feedback on how the three throat alternatives compare against both the project purpose and need and the selection criteria presented in the Scoping Summary Report.  Feedback may be emailed to  I-90Allston@state.ma.us  through October 30. 

MassDOT will share this feedback with FHWA and the cooperating agencies.

***’

Above is a press release from MassDOT submitted to SOURCE media