Residences at Forest Hills proposal threatens Arborway recreational experience

A residential housing development proposed for the LAZ parking lot site on the corner of the Arborway and Washington Street in Forest Hills in its current form threatens the recreational experience of the Arborway portion of the Emerald Necklace by proposing to site one building directly on the verge of the under construction pedestrian and bike paths on the southern side of the Casey Arborway Project - including a six-story building with no setback at all from the sidewalk.

Site plan, with actual Casey Arborway plan

There are no buildings on the western or southern sides of the Emerald Necklace between the Fens and Franklin Park of such mass - with the exception of a proposed hotel on the industrial block along River Street in Brookline - and none with zero setback. These buildings will throw much winter shade over the Emerald Necklace, looming over the soon-to-be-restored recreational paths as the project's own shadow studies show.

Winter shadow studies

There is much to admire about the project's proposed density, architectural cladding and affordable housing allotment in this prime Transit Oriented Development-appropriate site, but in renderings provided in the project's PNF documentation, these under construction paths are depicted as if they are additions to the public good rather than public paths being treated as the front yard of the project.

Building B, with Arborway pedestrian and bike paths in foreground, looking southwest

Building B (left) and Building C (corner of Washington and Arborway) looking south

In my view, the lack of setback for Building B along Frederick Law Olmsted's nationally heralded and locally cherished Emerald Necklace is bad precedent, and a threat to the character of the recreational experience for generations to come - just as that experience is being restored in Forest Hills for the first time in sixty years.

Projects on the Emerald Necklace

All up and down the Emerald Necklace corridor of parks, from the Fens to Franklin Park, there are projects underway or in the planning stages that will help to preserve, protect, restore and improve access to this vital recreational, pedestrian, cycling and commuting parkway. In partnership with DCR, the City of Boston, Brookline, several green space and neighborhood groups and other sponsoring entities, careful stewardship of Frederick Law Olmsted's legacy will ensure the health of these parks for years to come. The following provides a brief and incomplete summary of many of these projects as well as links to additional information about them. 

You may visit

http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2016/04/may-links.html

for a consolidated list of these resources.

ARBORWAY DCR PARTNERSHIP MATCHING FUNDS PROJECTS -Arborway Coalition

Stone Wall Restoration at Prince and Eliot Streets:

This historic wall has been holding up well, but recently has suffered some damage on the southern end. DCR has been made aware of the issue.

Gateway to theArborway Plan and Implementation:

The old chain-link fence was replaced by a new, lower fence along the Arborway median opposite the Arnold Arboretum. Sections of it have been repaired and relocated in order to improve pedestrian sight lines on the Arborway frontage road, but since that work new damage has occurred that needs to be repaired.

A DCR Partnership Matching Funds Project, the efforts to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety at the Hunnewell Gate crosswalk at the Arboretum are progressing. Expect to see improved signage and crosswalk signals, ladder-style paint and a safer median refuge between the mainline and the frontage road this year.

Annual hillside maintenance and woodlands management by citizen volunteers has resulted in efforts to control invasive species and the planting of many new hickories, redbuds and dogwoods. Many bags of trash were removed by volunteers early this spring.

OTHER INTIATIVES IN THE EMERALD NECKLACE CORRIDOR

A commitment to protect our precious green space includes sustaining the efforts already made previously and supporting new efforts. Some important projects are in the planning stages, some are being designed by architects and engineers, some are under construction, some are awaiting further funding, and some are conceptual gleams in the eyes of dedicated citizens trying to affect positive change in our community through civic engagement.

Casey Arborway Project - MassDOT

Now a little more than a year into what is expected to be a two-year construction process, the Casey Overpass has been demolished and substantial utility work is underway. As the spring and summer progress, we'll see more signs of the new permanent alignment of surface roads, plazas, sidewalks and bike paths, especially east, west and south of the MBTA station. For a detailed look at the demolition and the many positive changes coming to Forest Hills, see the ArborwayMatters blog.

Hazardous Tree Removal on the Parkways – DCR, Olmsted Tree Society, Emerald NecklaceConservancy

Over the winter DCR contractors removed 38 damaged and diseased trees in the corridor identified in a survey of Heritage Trees last year. You may have noticed the small, brass “dog tags” screwed into each mature tree on the sidewalk side about eight feet off the ground. These identify each and every tree in the inventory with detail about their location, size, and health. Though we're all sad to see some of the old trees go, many more new trees are being planted to replace those lost to the allée over the years. With care and maintenance, most will grow strong and tall in years to come. In honor of their 150th year, Ropes & Gray LLP has donated 150 red oaks and two years of their maintenance to the Emerald Necklace. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s Olmsted Tree Society in partnership with Boston Parks & Recreation, Brookline Parks and Open Space, and the DCR continue their important efforts to preserve our tree canopy.

Improved Multi-modal Access to Emerald Necklace Parks in Jamaica Plain - DCR

After several public meetings DCR continues work on ambitious plans to improve multi-modal safety and pedestrian and bicycle facilities in three areas of Jamaica Plain: the intersection of Perkins and Parkman Drive near Jamaica Pond, Centre Street between Weld and the Murray Circle Rotary, and the Arborway between the Pond and the Arboretum. These plans have benefited from engaged community input at every step. The challenges here are great but the potential is enormous for local residents, commuters and recreational users alike. ArborwayMatters has detailed the state of these complex plans as presented to the community in October.

Jamaica Pond and Surrounds

In recent years and months, the boardwalk around Ward’s Pond in Olmsted Park has been replaced and Councilor Matt O'Malley has been instrumental in the installation of a new water bottle refill station at Perkins and the Jamaicaway as well as a sunscreen dispenser at the Jamaica Pond Boathouse (a program now being rolled out nationally). Several benches have been replaced around the pond this spring, but as always with this heavily used and well-loved park, upkeep and maintenance are an ongoing challenge. Ssome of the stone walls along Parkman Drive are in need of repair. Efforts continue by Olmsted 2022 and the Friends of Jamaica Pond to protect the green and verdant backdrop of Hellenic Hill from development that would mar the experience of all who love this park.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing at Route 9 and Olmsted Park - Brookline Construction is underway to improve one of the greatest safety hazards to recreational and commuter bicycle use along the Emerald Necklace Corridor – the missing Riverway link between Leverett Pond and River Road at Route 9 in the Broookline Village/Longwood area. Decades of planning and advocacy have created an opportunity for significant enhancement, and the Town of Brookline is moving forward with construction this year.

Muddy River Restoration Project in the Back Bay Fens – Army Corps of Engineers, DCR

The Army Corps of Engineers continues their work to improve flood control, water quality and habitat restoration in the Fens while rehabilitating historic Olmsted landscapes in the Muddy River watershed. Phase One of this extensive project which alleviate flood concern and opens portions of the river long buried in culverts to the sky is nearing completion and will transform the look and appeal of the parkland between Park Drive and Avenue de Louis Pasteur.

Roslindale Arboretum Gateway Path Initiative – WalkUP Roslindale, LivableStreets

With bicycle commuting increasing dramatically in the city and with a transformed Forest Hills on the horizon, WalkUP Roslindale is spearheading a plan for a safe and direct bike link between Roslindale Village and Forest Hills. Other organizations participating include Rozzie Bikes, the Arnold Arboretum and the MBTA. The proposed path begins at the Roslindale Square commuter rail platform, continues on a level grade along the southeastern edge of the Arboretum parallel to the commuter rail tracks before connecting with the Bussey Brook Meadow path and continuing to Forest Hills. Simple, useful and easy to implement, the path could provide lasting benefit to the area.

Allandale Woods

The City of Boston is undertaking trailhead maintenance and improvements in the urban wilds of the Allandale Woods, while the Friends of Allandale Woods remains engaged with developers and the BRA over a proposed residential project at 64 Allandale Street.

Engaged participation, watchful care, diligence and responsible stewardship of our shared public resources are an important part of how these projects come about. Your interest and efforts are greatly appreciated and demonstrably effective.

Thank you for your interest and support,

Sarah Freeman, Arborway Coalition

Gerry Wright, Friends of Jamaica Pond/Community Service Care

Clay Harper, ArborwayMatters

The Casey Arborway Project - a broad defense

WHY ELIMINATE THE OVERPASS?
The Casey Overpass was built 60 years ago to span three train line impediments to car travel that were eliminated nearly three decades ago.

Now the overpass has decayed beyond repair, creating a public safety hazard that has required the closing of lanes in each direction and the installation of safety netting to catch falling pieces.

Since the overpass and its ramps sit right on top of what once was the eastbound Arborway, removing it makes it possible to rationalize surface routes that currently require all local users to weave in and out of the bridge’s ramps and piers to get anywhere.

MassDOT’s peer-reviewed traffic studies and computer modeling out to the year 2035 have shown that an improved surface grid of roads and intersections can serve the needs of all users – not just cars, but pedestrians, bus and T riders, and cyclists – as well or better than a replacement bridge in almost every possible point-to-point direction throughout the area, and improve on the existing situation.

The at-grade plan is far less expensive than building an unnecessary overpass – some $20 million less - the project can include a number of infrastucture improvements and amenities that would otherwise be impossible.

WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE IN STORE?
There will be improved local commuting connections including a new plaza at the end of Southwest Corridor Park which provides direct access to the Orange line T platform without crossing the Arborway for riders from the north. There will be a revamped plaza at the station itself, a consolidated regional school bus hub and an expanded and landscaped upper busway along the western side.

The project enhances recreational opportunity in a portion of the Emerald Necklace that has been broken for sixty years. There will be three miles of new and improved sidewalks and crosswalks, three miles more of new bicycle paths and lanes. These landscaped paths will connect the Arnold Arboretum to Franklin Park and to Southwest Corridor Park in ways that will be simple for families and children to navigate. These routes are extremely difficult and dangerous now.

The important civic space of the West Roxbury District Municipal Courthouse will be opened up, re-landscaped and re-connected to the community as well.

The conversion of the 1930s era Shea Circle rotary near Franklin Park to a new signalized intersection will provide traffic calming for the corridor in a notoriously dangerous location while making it possible for pedestrians and bicyclists to safely reach Franklin Park from the south.

In all, the project creates 1.3 acres of new greenspace and adds 560 new trees from 60 different species – a 2-to-1 increase over today. The Arnold Arboretum’s staff participated in the planning process, and the landscaping plans compliment their collection with a wide variety of shade trees, evergreens, shrubs, bulbs and flowering ornamentals that will be beautiful in all seasons.

It’s a once in a generation opportunity to enhance livability and create a sense of place we all can be proud of where a crumbling overpass currently blocks the sky as well as the local traffic.

WHAT ABOUT THE CRITICS OF THE AT-GRADE PLAN? 
Even the most vocal critics have over the course of the lengthy public planning process contributed to improvements in the design, and neighbors should be grateful for their service.

However, the peer-reviewed data, the future traffic projections and the public process do not support their claims or their fears in any way.

A broad coalition of neighborhood, greenspace, cycling and pedestrian advocates that participated in the process - many of whom are local to the project area - support the project as designed, including the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the Boston Cyclists Union, WalkBoston, LivableStreets, the Arboretum Park Conservancy, the Arborway Coalition and others. Their expertise is substantial, and their memberships run into the thousands.

Most individual supporters of the plan moved on from contentious argument about the project in 2012 when the at-grade decision was made, and they’ve been waiting patiently for construction to begin ever since.

The temporary inconvenience of construction will be quite difficult at times - but the end result will be well worth it for Jamaica Plain, for Boston and for the region.

Discussing the Merits of the Casey Arborway Project on TV

On April 2, 2015 I had the opportunity to describe some of the many benefits of the Casey Arborway Project for the Jamaica Plain community on Boston Neighborhood Network News, a local cable television program hosted by Chris Lovett.

The segment has a companion piece which I had not seen at the time of the taping. In it Kevin Moloney - current Chair of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council but not identified as such - presents the views of Bridging Forest Hills.

Casey Arborway - eastern section up close

The eastern section of the new Casey Arborway creates a long allée - a tree-lined boulevard that enhances civic and community spaces from Hyde Park Avenue to Forest Hills Cemetery and Franklin Park in keeping with the historical intent of the Emerald Necklace parkways. Hundreds of new trees and shrubs (solid green circles) will be planted. Click the image for hi-res detail:

The north side of the Arborway features off-street bike paths (blue) and grade-separated sidewalks (tan) for the entire run to Franklin Park, enhancing recreational access to Franklin Park and improving the Emerald Necklace. An echo of the historically important Stony Brook (which runs in an underground culvert  to the Fens) is built into the landscaping here on a diagonal from Hyde Park Avenue to the northeast (barely discernable here under the trees). On the south side beginning at the Courthouse where access and sight lines to significant civic spaces is improved, the off-street bike path becomes on-street bike lanes on the frontage road, separated from the Arborway by a tree-lined median.

Eastbound Arborway vehicles will be prohibited from turning north at Washington, and must U-turn at the "eastern bow-tie" in front of the Courthouse to do so - a scheme similar to the western end of the project, and much like the turn options utilized on Beacon Street in Brookline. Courthouse parking will be accommodated by a new lot carved out of the Arborway Yard to the north, with entrance crosswalks for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Shea Circle Rotary at Circuit Drive and the southern entrance to Franklin Park is being reconfigured as a signalized intersection (called "Shea Square" during the planning process) which will provide significant traffic calming on the Arborway as well as safe crosswalks for pedestrians (white ladder striping) and cyclists (green crosswalks). The stone wall features of Franklin Park here will be preserved. Eastbound Arborway vehicles wishing to reach Forest Hills Street will do so via Cemetery Road under Circuit Drive. The southeast corner of Shea Square, in front of Franklin Park Villa elderly housing, will feature a new park with a history kiosk, benches and perennial plantings.

For a look at the central portion of the Casey Arborway, see here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-central-section-up-close.html

For a detailed look at the northwestern end of the Casey Arborway, see here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-northwestern-end-up-close.html

The southern portion of the Casey Arborway project area is detailed here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-closer-look-at-southern.html

Casey Arborway - central section up close

Here is a detailed view of the central Casey Arborway. Please click the image for much higher resolution:

The new Southwest Corridor Park Plaza along the northern side of the Arborway between South Street and Washington will see substantial changes of benefit to the surrounding community. The bike paths (blue) will enter the Plaza through an innovative Bicycle Rotary designed to slow cyclists as they arrive. The sidewalk (tan) from the corridor will have it's own raised crosswalk across the bike path. The plaza itself will be filled with new trees (solid green circles) and perennial plantings with ample seating (red). It is to be surfaced where possible with permeable pavers that allow rain water to be recycled and nourish the plants. This is not possible directly above the train tracks. Central to the plaza is an all new glass and steel Head House: an entrance/exit on the north side of the Arborway directly to the MBTA platform for Charlie Card T-pass users. It will have an elevator for handicapped access and strollers. There are bike racks on the eastern and southern sides of the Head House. The grassy portion towards the tracks to the north is sloped upwards, creating a seating area that might serve potential concerts, farmers markets, food trucks or other programming on the plaza. The easterly bike path here continues off-street all the way to Franklin Park, separated from the sidewalk by grade, trees and grass.

There will be a pick-up and drop-off lane along the north side, while the current taxi stand is being relocated along the south side of the Arborway by the station. The median here will have trees where possible and raised planters above the tracks for smaller, flowering shrubs. There will be no mid-block crossing of the Arborway allowed - pedestrians and cyclists will need to cross at the major intersections. But the new Head House means that many commuters from the north will not need to cross the Arborway at all to reach their trains. Pedestrian crosswalks are white ladder-style, while bicycle ones are green on roadways. At all intersections these will be count-down pedestrian signals with audible chirping.

The southern MBTA Plaza is being totally revamped as well, with permeable pavers used where possible. Bike paths (blue) continue on this side from the Arboretum to Forest Hills Cemetery and on the southern side of the station to Ukraine Way. New plantings and seating makes for a more inviting space in front of the station - it is expected that pushcart style retail kiosks may use the plaza as well. Note that with the Overpass gone, the #39 bus terminus will be relocating to an expanded upper busway to the south, along the western portion of Washington Street. The current stairs leading from the eastern side of the Plaza to the lower busway and Hyde Park Ave will be replaced with a handicap-accessible ramp under many new trees and shrubs.

It may be difficult to spot in this image - it was for me, and I've been studying it for many months now - but hiding under the trees just east of Washington Street and running northeast diagonally from the south across the media and towards the Arborway Yard is an architectural reminder and an echo of the original Stony Brook in the form of a rocky landscaped feature and pavement change. This important waterway, which now runs through a culvert tunnel below ground to the Fens, once provided water to Jamaica Plain's many breweries and other industrial enterprises along what is now Amory Street. This design element is one of many sensitive and delightful features that will enhance the neighborhood and the experience of visitors for years to come. Here's a closer look at that feature:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2014/10/casey-arborway-halloween-treat-ghost-of.html

For a look at the northwestern portion of the new Casey Arborway, click here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-northwestern-end-up-close.html

The eastern portion of the new Casey Arborway is examined in detail here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-eastern-section-up-close.html

The southern portion of the Casey Arborway project area is detailed here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-closer-look-at-southern.html

More Fear-mongering and Truth Bending

An #ArborwayMatters Editorial

In a recent Op-Ed piece published online by the Boston Globe, the authors make all manner of inaccurate claims in support of their discredited notion that a replacement bridge should be built where the Casey Overpass now stands.

They claim that no new transit will be created. If by that they mean no new transit amenities, in fact the entire project area will be revitalized in a manner that provides enhanced efficiency and access for all modes of transit, not just cars: pedestrians, cyclists, motor vehicles, and MBTA riders of both the Orange Line and the several bus routes that originate or terminate at Forest Hills station.

They claim that "all left turns" are banned when in fact — and as they well know—that is far from the truth. They dismiss long-term maintenance costs to the citizens of the Commonwealth for their mythical new bridge as being irrelevant. They reject MassDOT's professional engineering studies showing the Overpass to be dangerously beyond repair, citing earlier apples-to-oranges studies to bolster their claims of nefarious intent.

To them it is simply "inconceivable" — despite all the peer-reviewed data and the will of the community engaged in the process — that life without an overpass might not be as horrible as they claim.

But in reality, and improved by public input at every turn in dozens of meetings the authors attended, the Project calls for revitalized plazas on both the north and south sides of Arborway at the Forest Hills station. The all-new northern plaza will feature a new head house offering direct access to the Orange Line platfrom for commuters seeking the station from the north — without the necessity of crossing the Arborway at all. The dismal station-side plaza which now sits in the shadow of the overpass and harbors the idling buses of the Route 39 terminus, will be made newly inviting and the #39 will be relocated to a new upper busway. Contiguous on and off-street bicycle paths and pedestrian sidewalks will rim the entire area from Franklin Park to the Arboretum, from the Upper Arborway to Ukraine Way and provide safe access for commuters and recreational users of both modes throughout this broken portion of the Emerald Necklace corridor.

Though the construction period will be no picnic for area residents or for pass-through commuters, these coming features are not the hallmarks of diminished quality of life for the residents of Forest Hills and Jamaica Plain. They represent a once in a lifetime opportunity to accomplish something grand for the future of the city, through a plan crafted by professionals and by engaged citizens who care deeply about that future.

In the end the authors fall back on an appeal to Boston's Mayor Marty Walsh, proclaiming that he has a "duty" to demand a moratorium on the project (as he called for early in his campaign). They are well aware that Mr. Walsh himself reversed that position once he became better informed about the issue and learned more about the dozens of public citizen's advisory meetings, the seven well-attended public hearings at English High School, and the hundreds of community members and organizations engaged in the process of devising a replacement for the crumbling bridge over the past three years. Reversing course again would be absolute folly and thwart the will of the community.

The authors should certainly know that members of this community will not sit idly by while falsehoods are promoted in the public arena. Happily, a glance at the comments section of the Op-Ed piece reveals the passionate support that the Casey Arborway project enjoys within the community. The authors and the Mayor should take note. Instead of trying to erect roadblocks in front of this important and beneficial project, they should be applying their energies towards leveraging the value of the $60+ million the Commonwealth is spending on the Casey Arborway by calling for access improvements in the surrounding neighborhoods adjacent to the project: improved sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting, and park maintenance are all relatively inexpensive in comparison, and could go a long way towards making Jamaica Plain and Forest Hills the greenspace and recreational mecca it can become.

Clayton Harper
Jamaica Plain

Final Casey Arborway Corridor Overview

MassDOT has made available a final overview rendering of the Casey Arborway corridor.

Click the image for a larger version

External link to larger image

In addition to vastly expanded off-street and on-street amenities for pedestrians and cyclists throughout and newly revitalized connections between the Arboretum and Franklin Park, some of the highlights include (left to right, west to east):

• A bow-tie u-turn lane at the Forest Hills Gate of the Arboretum. There will be no westbound left turns at South St/Washington and those seeking that route will need to reverse direction here. There will also be a pedestrian- activated crosswalk there, and a new northerly sidewalk from South Street to it.
• The smaller, upper Arborway frontage road is going to be relocated approximately two car-lengths northward at South Street to create more queueing space at South/Arborway.
• The 39 bus which currently terminates under the Overpass is being relocated to a newly expanded Upper Busway south of the T station. Residential neighbors here are shielded from noise & visuals by a bermed and landscaped hump between the busway and southerly Washington St. Bus exits are steered around a small island so that their headlights don't shine on residential homes.
•  The current T station plaza south of the new Arborway is being revamped, and off-street east-west bike paths and sidewalks created. The taxi stand currently alongside the upper busway will be relocated to both sides of the Arborway, along with pick-up/drop-off space for cars.
• At the end of Southwest Corridor Park a new plaza is being created that features a new head house for direct access to the T platform from the north side of the Arborway. Dedicated bike and pedestrian paths - including a bike rotary - as well as benches and new 'programmable space' for things like farmer's markets and fairs will be here too. The current mid-block crosswalk is being eliminated, and there will be substantial planting boxes and smaller flowering trees in the median above the tracks.
• An eastbound bow-tie u-turn will be created in front of the Court House (there will be no left turns onto northerly Washington from eastbound Arborway). A crosswalk here leads to a Court House parking lot on the Arborway Yard site.
• The north side between Washington Street and Franklin Park will have dedicated off-street pedestrian and cycling paths.
• The Shea Circle rotary on the eastern end is being replaced by a signalized intersection dubbed Shea Square. On the north side, Franklin Park expands a little. South of the intersection will be a small park in front of Franklin Park Villa. Sidewalks are being added to and through the island at Forest Hills Cemetery.

There are more details not easy to spot in this rendering such as grade and surface differentials between pedestrians and bikes, corner "mixing zones" where they come together, refuges in the medians, a thoughtful mix of plants etc. Hollow trees shown are existing ones, solid trees are all new.

Some construction will begin in late 2014 and the project is still expected to be completed in late 2016.

"No feasible and prudent alternative" - M.H.C.

The third consultation meeting between the Massachusetts Historical Commission and MassDOT concerning the future of Shea Circle rotary in Forest Hills and Jamaica Plain, a part of the Casey Arborway Project, was held on Friday April 4, 2014. The Commission's consultation role had been triggered by the site's inclusion in the state Registry of Historic Places as part of the Morton Street Historic District. MHC had previously found "adverse effect" in MassDOT's plan to create a signalized intersection known as Shea Square where the Shea Circle rotary now stands. The MHC consultation does not concern any other aspect of the Casey Arborway Project.

75% stage Shea Plan

75% stage Shea Square aerial rendering

The working meeting began with an acknowledgement by MHC that MassDOT has "demonstrated that there is no feasible and prudent alternative" to MassDOT's plan. The meeting then proceeded to a discussion of mitigation measures that might reduce the impact of the decision. All other comments concerning the overall Casey Arborway Project were steered by MHC toward the purpose of the meeting: seeking mitigation suggestions.

MassDOT proposed a) a thorough documentation of the site as it exists and b) context-sensitive landscaping and design to mitigate the adverse effect. George Batchelor, Supervisor of Landscape Design at MassDOT made a visual presentation of the Final Design of the site beginning with an Overlay that showed the existing rotary superimposed upon the future Square. [Apologies for the quality of these hasty photos]

Rotary overlay on Square design

The design features dedicated pedestrian and bicycle paths and crossings, an allee of boulevard red oaks, the retention of the existing stone walls on the Franklin Park side and the creation of a feature-rich park to the south.

Final design showing expansion of Franklin Park

The new park in front of Franklin Park Villa will feature flowering trees, shrubs and bulbs, benches and an interpretive kiosk describing the history of the site.

New park detail with preliminary kiosk

Proposed flowering trees, shrubs and bulbs are all varieties that have survived well in Boston parks according to Batchelor, selected with an eye towards the history of the area, seasonal variety, flowering longevity and hardiness.

Proposed shrubs and bulbs

Proposed flowering trees

Next steps include MassDOT's drafting of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between DOT and MHC concerning mitigation measures, and advertising the Casey Arborway Project for bids in the coming weeks. No revised timetable for the overall project was discussed.

Plans for the project call for the replacement of the crumbling Casey Overpass with an At-Grade boulevard, bike paths, pedestrian ways, as well as an expanded Upper busway, a new northern plaza at the terminus of SW Corridor Park and a new MBTA head house providing direct access to the T platform from the plaza. Earlier announced schedules had called for some traffic rerouting onto existing overpass ramps and then the demolition of a substantial portion of the Overpass to take place in 2014, with the project continuing through September 2016.

The Casey Arborway Annotated: The Eastern End

On November 19, 2013 MassDOT revealed their final design proposals for the Casey Arborway to the Design Advisory Group (DAG) of citizens and advocates who have been working to communicate the community's desires and concerns. The eastern end shown below has not yet cleared it's final regulatory hurdle, the Massachusetts Historical Commission's finding of "adverse effect" for the change from Shea Circle to the proposed Shea Square intersection shown. Shea Circle, a large diameter multi-lane rotary at the southwestern entrance to Franklin Park, was created in the 1930s long after Olmsted's original plans for the Emerald Necklace. MassDOT proposes to "demonstrate that the adverse effect is unavoidable to achieve the purpose and intent of the project".

Many supporters of the plan feel that creating the Square here results in more usable greenspace by connecting underutilized land in the rotary island to the surrounding parks and recreation areas rather than leaving it stranded and inaccessible. Other added benefits of the Square proposal include a new "front yard" for Franklin Park Villa to the south, and most importantly: safer crossings for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the intersection with significant traffic calming where a notoriously dangerous rotary now exists.

As in the other Annotated Casey blog entries here, these annotations are my own - and the pdf version linked is far easier to read.

http://home.comcast.net/~clay_harper/Casey100East1.pdf

The Casey Arborway Annotated: The Western End
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2013/11/casey-arborway-annotated-western-end.html

The Casey Arborway Annotated: The South/Washington St. Corridor
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2013/11/casey-arborway-annotated.html

Casey Arborway Annotated: The Western End

On November 19, 2013 MassDOT revealed their final design for the estimated $59 million Casey Arborway Project. An early blog post annotated The South-Washington North-South Corridor. The Annotated Casey: Eastern End is available here.

This link points to a large pdf file with annotations by me describing many of the features of the western end of the new Casey Arborway:

http://home.comcast.net/~clay_harper/Casey100West2.pdf

The western end of the project has been one of the last to be designed. Highlights of the plan here include:

• New sidewalk and off-street bike path along the northern side of the Arborway west of South St.
• A pedestrian-activated crosswalk providing access to the Forest Hills Gate of the Arboretum from the north.
• There will be no westbound left turns onto Washington Street. This change of direction will be accomplished by the western "Bow-Tie" U-turn at the Forest Hills Gate of the Arboretum. A turning apron accommodates wide-turning vehicles. Westbound traffic only stops for turns and pedestrians.
• New trees soften the large existing retaining wall along the Arborway Hillside.
• A new, lower retaining wall separates Arborway Rd's grade differential from the Arborway proper at Hampstead Rd.
• Off-street bike paths and sidewalks along eastbound Arborway.
• New boulevard trees (Red Oaks) throughout
• New Northern plaza with MBTA Head House, programmable space, bike paths, permeable surfaces for drainage.
• Revamped southern MBTA plaza
• Mid-block pedestrian crossing eliminated

A smaller, less legible version of the pdf image is here:

Casey Arborway Annotated: The South/Washington Corridor

On Novemeber 19th, MassDOT revealed their final design for the $59 million Casey Arborway project. Latest information is that they will advertise to contractors on January 25, select the lowest responsible bidder and issue a Notice to Proceed around May 30, 2014. Substantial demolition will have taken place by the end of 2014 - likely working from the ends towards the middle - and the project is expected to be completed by September 30, 2016.

The following link points to an in-depth, annotated look at the designs for the South St/Washington St corridor on the western side of the project, with annotations added by me. Apologies if I've mis-characterized anything heard at the meetings. Other portions of the design will be annotated in subsequent blog posts.

http://home.comcast.net/~clay_harper/SoWashAnnotated.pdf

This annotated image can be clicked to enlarge, which might make it legible, but the link above is better:

Design highlights of the South St./Washington St. corridor include (north to south):

• "Don't Block the Box" striping on South St at Arborway Rd.
• Arborway Rd relocated northward approximately two car-lengths at South St to create more southbound queue space at the South/Arborway intersection and to allow easier entrance/exit to Arborway Rd.
• Bike and pedestrian crosswalks are visually distinctive. 
• Crossing lights have count-down timers and audible signals, medians have safety islands with crossing buttons. 
• Corners of intersections have special hexagonal pavers that signal to pedestrians and bikers that they are in a "mixed use zone" - contrasting visual cues indicate where bike lanes continue.
• Ramps at all crossings.
• New sidewalk and on-street bike path along westbound Arborway west of South St, with pedestrian-activated crossing light at Arboretum's Forest Hills Gate.
• Two-way off-street bike path and separate sidewalk sheltered by trees on eastbound Arborway side.
• New northern plaza between South and Washington includes a new MBTA Head House providing direct access to T platform below without crossing Arborway. Large enough for "programmable use" such as Farmer's Markets, Art Fairs, music festivals, etc. Includes bike racks and benches, permeable surfaces for drainage, many new trees.
• Southern plaza re-designed, revamped, re-landscaped, providing space for vendor kiosks.
• Taxi stands moved to Arborway along southern plaza.
• New "bicycle rotary" slows bikes coming from Southwest Corridor Park.
• Current mid-block pedestrian crossing eliminated.
• Off-street bike paths continue south on Washington beyond Asticou Rd., becoming off-street cycle track further south.
• Off-street bike paths and sidewalks along eastbound Arborway.
• "Don't Block the Box" striping at Washington/South light by VFW.
• "Table" crosswalk hump at Asticou to discourage non-local traffic.
• New roofed Upper Busway, south of existing one. The 39 bus moves here. Buses separated from Washington St and Asticou neighborhood by bermed, landcsaped island. Exit island directs exiting buses and their headlights away from neighbors, lights shielded by walls. Busway extends over lower parking lot, supported by pylons.
• School buses and parent pick-up consolidated in lower parking lot.

For additional annotations describing the rest of the project see:
The Annotated Casey: Western End
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2013/11/casey-arborway-annotated-western-end.html

The Annotated Casey: Eastern End
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-casey-arborway-annotated-eastern-end.html