Tuesday, September 23, 2014

MBTA Public Information Meeting: Blue Hill Ave Station

At the outset, I should acknowledge two things that surprised, and irritated me throughout this meeting: first, the Community Room at the Mattapan Branch Library functioned (for the first time, to my knowledge) as intended (respond if you'd like me to say more about this); second, the ratio of bureaucrats to community residents seemed skewed to me. 


Even though there was 'standing-room' only, that is, by the time MBTA's General Manager, Dr. Beverly Scott rose to frame the issue, 'the die was [already] cast,' so to speak.  

Dr. Scott spoke eloquently (I thought) about the need: 50% of Mattapan residents depend on public transit systems; it takes, at minimum, 45 minutes-- including transfers and wait times, to get from Mattapan Square to downtown Boston; so providing access to the commuter rail is critical so Mattapan residents can have greater access to economic opportunities.
  Fairmount Corridor Improvements Project

In sum, then, a "one seat ride to downtown Boston,"  a direct "[c]onnection to other neighborhoods along the Fairmount Corridor" coupled with a new (reduced) Zone 1A fare structure would bring ridership in line with access to the commuter rail via the proposed Blue Hill Ave Station. (Public Meeting, MassDot/MBTA handout, 9.15.2014)

This then set the stage for presentations by the Blue Hill Ave. Station Project Team; most notably, Jacobs Engineering's Mark Thompson. He explained why
after considering alternative sites for the proposed station, the Project Team settled on situating it at Blue Hill Ave.  Mr. Thompson also described how the Team had come up with a redesign to accommodate abutters' concerns about construction: 

Design charette is adapting as community concerns are absorbed. Current design anticipates a neutral platform @ BlueHill Av/Cummings Hwy.
A few members of the audience expressed relief that the proposed station redesign kept access for the 'differently-abled' in mind. While others took a more dismissive tact, complaining that access is meaningless if it's blocked when snow isn't removed.

Wrapping up his presentation, Mr. Thompson noted the following:

Pre-construction survey re: current design concept for the Fairmount-Indigo line is due this October. Concerns abound.
The Team's management of the meeting appeared to break down somewhat when the Q & A Session came around. After some back & forth about how it would be handled, we were 'off to the races.'  
The abutters reiterated concerns about what impact station construction would have on the quiet enjoyment, and the foundations of their homes. The Project Team gave assurances: 
  1. contractors will comply with all noise ordinances;
  2. noise and vibration levels are expected to decrease, not increase, once the station is completed;
  3. the center island platform re/design will reduce construction-related impacts; and,
  4. pre-construction video surveys will provide before/after documentation to better assess liability, in the event damage occurs in the interim.
At least a couple of abutters requested an insurance binder be purchased to cover such contingencies, but the $500,000 - $1,000,000 coverage amount was so excessive (none of the abutting homes have property values even close to these amounts) the requests were effectively dismissed.

Construction schedule for proposed Fairmount-Indigo line expects a Sept 2015 start date; with new station coming online in 2017.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

BackStory: Fairmount-Indigo Corridor Planning

Rebutting "AdvanceMattapan: The (Under)Development of Mattapan"

A few years ago the Mattapan Environmental Action Network clearly agreed with AdvanceMattapan's critique of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and the (now defunct) Mattapan Community Development Corporation (MCDC). It was all too easy then. 

The BRA’s big show in Mattapan—namely, the Mattapan Economic Development Initiative (MEDI)—had brought a great deal of hope that the City of Boston was ready to make Mattapan a priority.  Perhaps this was true, once upon a time.

Problem was, the BRA took far too many cues from the (now defunct?) MCDC; the primary one being, resurrecting a Main Streets initiative in Mattapan.  Since Mattapan has two competing 'main streets,' this meant choosing between Morton Village and Mattapan Square—reifying a di/vision antithetical to a "united" Mattapan.  It also meant, apparently, that the BRA no longer had a need for the MEDI’s Community Working Group, which dissolved as the Mattapan Square Main Streets initiative took hold.

While the Mattapan Square Main Streets initiative is still ‘in the air,’ it’s not at all clear how its activities constitute a “driving force in rejuvenating the communities [sic] passion in transforming Mattapan square into a thriving and robust commercial district” (http://www.mattapansquaremainstreets.org/).  

All to say, Mattapan Environmental Action Network is less than impressed that Mattapan Square Main Streets will, actually, bring Mattapan Square “into the 21st century” (ibid).  Mattapan Square property owners have not 'greened' their buildings, for example; and WiFi hotspots are nowhere to be found there.

Mattapan Environmental Action Network calls upon AdvanceMattapan for programming related to dis/covering why Mattapan doesn't see developments comparable to other Boston neighborhoods. After years of watching Mattapan
residents resist change, we're ready for a 'sea change.' 

Last night's MBTA Public Information Meeting regarding its proposed Blue Hill Ave Station construction was an eye-opener--about which we'll have more to say in the next blogpost.