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

Casey Arborway - a closer look at the southern section

The Casey Arborway project area extends south along South and Washington Streets on the west side to Ukraine Way. A major expansion of the Upper Busway will accommodate the new terminus of the #39 bus, with improved infrastructure, amenities and greenspace throughout. Please click on the image for a larger, more detailed version:

Along the western side of South/Washington: Toole Square - the formal name of the park area between the State Lab and South Street at the top of the image - will be revamped with winding paths and new trees sheltering the park from South Street traffic. A two-way off-street bike path and separated sidewalk continues south from the Arboretum's  Forest Hills gate past Asticou Rd, with new trees as far as the Blackwell Gate of the Arboretum's Bussey Brook Meadow. There will be new shrubs and landscaping between South Street and Asticou. At Asticou a "raised table" crosswalk hump will discourage cut-through vehicle traffic. Continuing south, the bike path transitions to an on-street path with protective striping to separate it from vehicle traffic.

Along the eastern side of South/Washington: The west side of the MBTA station will be revamped with permeable pavers, new bike paths, shrubs and trees to the exit of the Upper Busway. "Don't Block the Box" striping at the South Street intersection by the VFW hall may help reduce congestion at this often difficult location. The #39 bus which currently ends under the Overpass will be relocated to a newly expanded Upper Busway south of the T station. The busway will be extended southward and eastward with more and longer bays, cantilevered over the lower parking lot. The new roof line for the busway is indicated by dotted lines. Buses will enter from the south and exit to the north. The Asticou neighborhood will be sheltered from the bus traffic by high, bermed landscaping with trees and shrubs along the busway. Low walls and plantings in the bus exit island, as well as the direction of the northbound and southbound lanes will direct headlights away from residential neighbors. Off-street bike and pedestrian paths continue south to Ukraine Way

Along the Hyde Park Ave side: Pickup and drop off for school buses will be consolidated in the lower parking lot - an idea championed by both Boston Public Schools and the MBTA. The revamped T-station plaza will flow towards Hyde Park Ave via a handicapped accessible ramp and substantial plantings where the lengthy set of stairs on that corner are now. On the east side, new trees and landscaping will improve and unify the area.

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

A detailed view of the revamped central Plazas of the Casey Arborway:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-central-section-up-close.html

The eastern section of the Casey Arborway is detailed here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-eastern-section-up-close.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

Casey Arborway Bid Approved by MassDOT Board

On Wednesday, October  22, 2014 the Board of Directors of MassDOT unanimously voted to approve awarding the contract for the Casey Arborway Project to Barletta Heavy Division, a Canton, MA based company with 100 years experience building, maintaining and rehabilitating Boston's infrastructure. They have done extensive work for both MassDOT and the MBTA in the past. The lowest of four bids, the contract is valued at almost $60 million and includes substantial financial incentives for the Casey Overpass to be closed and through-traffic diverted to the adjacent service roads and ramps as soon as possible. There are per-day incentives if this is accomplished sooner than 90 days after a Notice to Proceed, and per-day disincentives if it is not.

Project Overview, Final - April 2014

Project Manager Steve McLaughlin stated at the board meeting that the MassDOT engineers are concerned that the existing structure cannot safely withstand another winter and they want it closed as soon as possible. The overpass is already reduced to one lane in each direction and weight-limited. MassDOT would also like to have substantial demolition of the structure take place over the coming winter months when residents' windows are closed in order to alleviate sound and dust disturbance in the neighborhood. McLaughlin said that three public involvement staff members would be assigned to the project to serve as liaisons to the public and to address questions or concerns.

It is expected that the Notice to Proceed will be issued very shortly, and that soon the Project team will hold a public information meeting to share their final plans and construction staging time lines.

Needless to say this has been a long, complex and sometimes contentious process to date. The resulting final design was improved at every opportunity by the dedicated professionalism of the MassDOT staff along with their consultants and contractors. It has included the input and advice of dozens of organizations advocating for greenspace, bike paths, pedestrians, transit users, neighborhood associations and more. The process engaged hundreds of local citizens whose ideas helped shape the outcome in very real and positive ways. The project promises to transform the area with improved vehicle traffic patterns, revitalized and newly created civic plazas in four locations, a newly expanded upper busway, a new head house at the terminus of Southwest Corridor Park that will provide direct access to the Orange Line platform from the north without crossing the Arborway, bicycle paths throughout the project area and a net gain of 400 trees.

But first will come a little more than two years of construction which will challenge local residents and commuters alike. #ArborwayMatters applauds this milestone and looks forward to the community learning more about the many benefits that will make the inconvenience worth it.

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

A History of the Casey Overpass

This history was written in May 2013 and originally posted at my other blog, 500 Monkeys with Paintbrushes, where some 1500 people saw it. As my interest in the Casey Arborway has grown, it seems appropriate to re-post it here. - Clay Harper, October 2013

Arborway looking west. Elevated orange line in foreground. Granite Rail viaduct in background, Casey Overpass above. c.1970s  photo: Library of Congress/HAER

Arborway looking west. South Street and Hampstead neighborhood in distance. c. 1920

The Casey Overpass, which has spanned the Forest Hills section of Jamaica Plain since the early 1950s is soon to be torn down and replaced by the Casey Arborway, a tree-lined boulevard that represents a tremendous opportunity to rationalize traffic patterns in the area and re-knit substantially broken connections within Frederick Law Olmsted’s beautiful string of narrow but vital parks and parkways known as the Emerald Necklace. For several months I've been researching the history and evolution of this location - what Olmsted's plans for it were, how it became like it is today, and what it might become in the future with careful and thoughtful planning. The following is a personal and opinionated view of what I've learned. Any errors of fact or interpretation in the way I've paraphrased source material are my own.

Ward 11 map, 1924

Forest Hills has been a significant transit hub for two hundred years - a crossroads where pedestrians, railroads, horse-drawn carriages, trolleys, cars, cabs, buses, elevated trains and subways have all converged to provide industrial, recreational and commuter connections for the residents of Boston, Jamaica Plain and the region. Over many decades these links have evolved somewhat haphazardly, coming and going through time, leaving lasting scars in the landscape. As each transit mode has been replaced by later technologies, the legacies of their presence have accumulated and contributed to the confused connections that exist on the ground today. Along the way a vibrant neighborhood has grown up in the area and differing needs and priorities have taken hold within the community.

My home abuts this section of the parkway known as the Arborway, and I have a keen interest in plans for the future here. I've followed avidly through a heated public process with an open mind but with confidence in the professionals involved and faith in my neighbors who have been participating in the process as advocates of one stripe or another.

Forest Hills looking north in 1925. Left-right dark stripe is the Arborway.

To my eye, and as a neighbor who has chosen to live in Jamaica Plain for its great diversity and abundant greenspace, the plan to eliminate the bridge is a huge opportunity for my community. The city of Boston will have a more rational street layout and a reconnection between Jamaica Pond, the world-class Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park. We'll have a tree-lined boulevard instead of a massive and unnecessary fly-over for transitory drivers. We'll have more blue sky and open space, an inviting network of bike paths and pedestrian ways where bridge abutments and ramps now stand. Commuters heading for the Orange Line at Forest Hills Station from northern Jamaica Plain will have a new Head House for the subway station that eliminates the need for many to cross the east-west flow of traffic. And the main station will have a newly redesigned plaza where buses currently idle that may serve as valuable community space. Forest Hills and Jamaica Plain have the potential to become a showcase gateway for southern Boston, a more functional transit hub and a recreational magnet for the residents of the city and beyond.

I'm hopeful that the evolving plans will continue to be informed by the rich history of the area. Though I believe it is unrealistic to wish for a return to an idyllic 19th century vision of parkland in the midst of this very real 21st century transportation dilemma, I believe that the local heritage can and should inform the decision making. Where a large, ugly overpass now stands, a beautifully landscaped parkway once existed - and, in adapted form, it will exist again:

Arborway looking west in Winter c. 1900. South Street intersection.

Arborway, Arborway Rd, Hampstead Rd. and South Street looking North. c. 1910

Casey Overpass looking East c. 2013. Now reduced to two lanes for safety.

In the late 19th century, several factors were in motion at once that had a profound and lasting impact on this area. Renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted was at work designing the Arnold Arboretum and the string of Boston Parks that came to be known as the Emerald Necklace. And concern about the street-level safety of railroad crossings within Boston led to the elevation via berm of the Boston and Providence Rail lines. Many rail bridges were built to accommodate cross traffic through southern Boston, but only one - the Forest Hills Viaduct over the new Arborway parkway - was designed by architects. In 1898, a series of granite archways designed by the firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge rose over the parkways at Forest Hills Station and stood here until 1983:

Boston and Providence RR Viaduct and The Arborway, 1907

Forest Hills viaduct crossing Arborway

This viaduct spanned two carriageways, two bridle paths and a pedestrian path that once carried travelers along the Arborway from Jamaica Pond, past the Arnold Arboretum, through Forest Hills and on to Morton Street and Franklin Park.

Olmsted had originally intended for the separate sections of the Emerald Necklace parkways to be lined with differing species of trees that would signal the character of each portion. For the Fenway he planted Norway Maples while the Riverway received American Lindens and the Jamaicaway got  the Northern Red Oaks that still line the parkway today. But for the Arborway, Olmsted wanted Cucumber Magnolias and Tulip Trees – flowering varieties that were to serve as an invitation to and an echo of the bordering Arnold Arboretum. Those plans were not fully carried out, and instead the parks superintendent switched to Red Oaks for the entire run to Franklin Park. While the oaks were still small and the canopy open, flowering rose shrubs were planted in between the trees along the Arborway:

Shrub roses along Arborway. Viaduct in distance. Arborway Hillside to left.

Beginning in 1909, just east of that heavy rail viaduct, Washington Street was capped by the elevated Orange Line which ran for miles towards Boston. Forest Hills was the end of the line and home to a large station that dominated much of the site. Sidings and a switching yard flowed out to the south:

Forest Hills Elevated Station. Note trolley barn underneath.

Elevated Orange Line with B and P rail viaduct in background, 1970s  photo: Marty Bernard, www.railpictures.net

The street level where Forest Hills Square once stood was also host to a trolley yard and turnaround for the carriages that ran down Centre and South Streets in Jamaica Plain. This must have created a confused traffic situation on the ground that I imagine to have been a bit like present day Cleveland Circle in Brookline, with cars and trolleys fighting for right of way, their bells dinging and horns blaring:

Forest Hills Square

South St and Arborway, Jamaica Plain 1929  photo: Jamaica Plain Historical Society

But the Jamaica Plain version was also shadowed by two elevated train lines and the consequent obstacles of the underlying bridge abutments as well. As can be seen in this aerial shot from 1929, the two rail lines were a significant interruption to the parkway landscape shown in the upper left. And with the large bridgework, station and trolley traffic taking up much of the footprint the area was deemed to be a significant bottleneck for car traffic by the time of the mid-century post-War boom in population.

Generally northward view. Boston and Providence rail on left, Elevated Orange line station on right

Yet remnants of the Arborway landscaping survived throughout the first half of the 20th century between the rail lines. Like Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House, some of the parkway character held on while the industry of the city evolved around it:

The Arborway's trees and shrubs between the two rail lines, 1910.

By the 1950s, travel by auto was becoming so dominant that calls for a bridge to span these two elevated train lines and the trolley turnaround grew louder. And so was born the Forest Hills (later Casey) Overpass. In the style of highway engineering of the time, it was to be a long, wide arch dominating the daylight and skyline, carrying the East-West through traffic over the area, with it's feet stepping around and between the North-south roadways, the two rail lines and the trolley turnaround:

1951. Casey Overpass deck under construction above the elevated train line at Washington Street.  photo: Anthony Sammarco/Jamaica Plain Historical Socity

Casey Overpass looking to the east. Shattuck Hospital in distance. Toole Square in foreground.  photo: Jamaica Plain Historical Society

The street-level disconnection between this southern portion of Jamaica Plain and it’s northerly sections was exacerbated even further. To build the overpass, the Arborway parkway underneath was destroyed. Half the former East-West street level thoroughfare was taken up by bridge abutments and ramps. A significant portion of the Arborway Hillside and a large home on Arborway Road were also destroyed for a westerly on-ramp from South Street, resulting in the construction of a barren stone retaining wall topped by a chain-link fence near Hampstead Road. 

Westerly on-ramp at South Street and Arborway Road showing the retaining wall built in the 1950s

Arborway Hillside retaining wall looking to east.

The tangle of ground-level intersections in the gloomy shadow of the bridge became even more difficult to navigate for cars, buses, pedestrians and cyclists below. The neighborhood was left with ill-conceived turning options for cars, dangerous crosswalks for pedestrians and even awkward and confusing street names while some of the east-west traffic from elsewhere flew overhead.

Easterly ramp at South Street/Washington

Under the westernmost abutments

During the 1970s a huge public outcry halted state plans to build a cross-town freeway through southern Boston, but not before some buildings fell to eminent domain takings. In the 1980s the Southwest Corridor project utilized some of this land, combining the elevated heavy rail lines and the elevated orange line and then sinking both in a trench running five miles from the Back Bay to Roslindale. Miles of parkland and bike paths eventually lined the new corridor where homes, industrial buildings and rail yards once stood. The elevated lines and stations and the old stone viaduct were torn down, replaced by the current Forest Hills Station.

The New Forest Hills Station alongside the old, late 1980s.

Shortly thereafter, the traffic-snarling on-street trolley traffic was eliminated on Centre and South Streets through downtown Jamaica Plain, and eventually the trolley turnaround at Forest Hills Station was converted to a busway for the 39 bus.

So… today we have a massive Overpass built to span three transit routes which no longer exist at street level. With it's huge footprint and ramps, it is an impediment to street level traffic through the neighborhood as well as to and from neighborhoods to the south like West Roxbury, Roslindale, Hyde Park and Dedham. And the Overpass is irreparably crumbling. For safety, the bridge traffic has been reduced to one lane in each direction, and anyone traveling more than 20 miles an hour on it risks life and axle. Much of the span has been covered with netting to keep parts and pavement from falling to the streets and sidewalks below.

As of this writing (May 2013), it has been more than a year since a lengthy public process resulted in the selection of what's been called the "at-grade solution": The Casey Arborway. After intense and ongoing community debate, peer-reviewed traffic studies and engineering plans have determined that a bridge is unnecessary and that it's removal creates an opportunity for improved traffic flow  and quality of life. This has resulted in a decision to replace the crumbling edifice with something much more like Olmsted's parkway than many residents can imagine.

This draft open space plan from April 2013 shows the current state of design, which is subject to further refinement:

Yet the memory of the contentious 1970s cross-town highway period remains a significant clarion call for some long-standing members of the community, and the legacy of stopping the elevated highway in the 70s has been used as justification for trying to roll back the decision to eliminate the bridge now. Ironically, some of those who were opposed to elevated highways forty years ago are some of the very same voices calling for building a new elevated bridge here now. Despite the peer-reviewed studies and computer models showing that travel times will be comparable with a newly designed at-grade boulevard  - and that, not insignificantly, the tax dollar savings for the citizens of the Commonwealth would be huge - some in the community have had a difficult time accepting either the data or the decision.

After all I've read and heard on this topic, I'm firmly in favor of the chosen course - the at-grade solution - and I'm in favor of coming together as a community to help craft the best possible solution from the opportunity presented.

Communities all across the country (including Boston) have found that eliminating massive highway-style viaducts can create vibrant open space and rational thruways without hampering the flow of traffic. I firmly believe this will be the outcome here.

But there is still work to be done. Landscaping plans are not final. Many details remain to be worked out in a vigorous public process. My neighborhood in particular (in the upper left corner of the draft Open Space plan above) is one of the least green sections proposed. Partly that is a result of the on-ramp retaining wall legacy of the 1950s, but partly it's because this is a "work in progress", one rapidly being amended thanks to strong community input. There are specific and very local issues I'd like to see refined - which I'm sure is true for many abutting neighbors throughout the project. Perched on the edge of a mid-century retaining wall myself, I'm hoping for improved views and traffic flow, for a softened greenscape and the maximum reasonable effort to enhance the community outcome while a 21st Century transportation solution is crafted on our front door. 

I've been involved in educating my neighborhood about the facts and details as they've become known, and in helping to spread the word about what once was and what might be. I've hosted outreach meetings for the neighborhood with the parties responsible for the outcome, and our voices have now been heard. The proof is in the pudding, of course, but the authorities have been responsive to our rational and reasonable voices so far. We're looking to refine the outcome while there is still time, and though we'd certainly like to survive the construction process over the next few years relatively unscathed, most of us are looking past that short-term inconvenience to the long-term legacy being created now. I'm hopeful that it will be a legacy worthy of the one we've inherited.

As Frederick Law Olmsted himself said in his last report on Franklin Park, quoting John Ruskin:

"Let it not be for the present delight, nor for present use alone; let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for..."

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I'd be terribly remiss if I didn't acknowledge the vast amount I've learned and paraphrased from the work of Richard Heath whose "History of Forest Hills" is available on the website of the Jamaica Plain Historical Society here:

http://www.jphs.org/locales/2004/5/15/history-of-forest-hills.html

Cynthia Zaitzevsky's "Frederick Law Olmsted and the Boston Park System" is a terrific book, one I've pored over repeatedly and it offers a wealth of information on the creation of the Emerald Necklace.

For information about other communities re-casting their highways and viaducts see in particular the Congress for New Urbanism's Highways to Boulevards project:
http://www.cnu.org/highways

MassDOT's website dedicated to the Casey project has been a wealth of information for the community. Filled with documents, data, plans, meeting transcripts and other resources it is the place to go if you'd like to see "how they make the sausage" in a massive and evolving inter-agency public works process. I thank them for their dedication, responsiveness and ingenuity:
http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/caseyarborway/Home.aspx

Other contributors to the J.P. historical society have also unknowingly been helpful to me as I pursued this interest, as has the staff of the Arnold Arboretum, the JP Branch of the Boston Public Library, that of the Arborway Coalition, a host of online rail buffs who seemed to know their stuff, various archivists throughout the city as well as representatives of MassDOT and their consultants. The community members and advocacy groups that have been a part of this project's planning all along have also certainly helped to shape both my thinking and the project itself.

Many of the images here originated in the collections of others, and though some are public domain in nature, all were used without their permission or with sub-standard citation. For that I can only confess to being a reader with a large appetite and not a professional scholar. To any that I've harmed or misrepresented, I beg forgiveness.

Clay Harper

Hampstead Road

Jamaica Plain

May 2013