Save The Esplanade

Mayor Menino Steps Into the Fray

2008-03-19T17:11:00.004-04:00

Storrow Drive is once again in the news with the recent announcement by Mayor Menino that it is one of the areas in the city that they will study. He has called for a grand vision for the area - specifically the connection into the park from Beacon Street (the Fiedler footbridge) that is close to the Public Garden.

This is great news for those of us who have advocated for the project to be about more than just transportation. How the city engages the public and works with the state will be key - lots has been done and it is unclear if the city has come up with something new or just an iteration of one of the many schemes that were being discussed by the advisory group before their work was shelved.

Keep posted for next steps.
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DCR to Begin Interim Tunnel Repairs in April

2008-02-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

DCr has announced that it plans to begin interim tunnel repairs starting in April and continuing throughout 2008 at an estimated cost of between 8 - 10 million dollars. To date they have not shared plans for interim traffic during construction including how the work will impact the Esplanade.

With only eight weeks before construction it is fair to say that the public should demand a meeting be held within the next two weeks. The joint transportation and landscape advisory committee, that dedicated so much of its time to working with DCR on DEIR altenatives, has not been reconvened, despite promises by DCR to do so.

At 10 million dollars the interim repairs will cost half of what the full tunnel rehabilitation was originally budgeted, making it imperative that the extent of the proposed repairs be presented. DCR has refused to take the proposal for a temporary road in the park off the table!

Funding Included in Environmental Bond Bill for DCR bridges

2008-01-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

On Friday, December 21st a 1.4 billion dollar environmental bond bill was announced by EOEEA Secretary Ian Bowles. Included in the bill is 250 million dollars for the design and construction of DCR bridges including those in the Charles River Basin.

To read the entire bond bill proposal go to: www.envirobond.org.

2890-7011 For the design, maintenance, reconstruction, repair, and rehabilitation of vehicle bridges under the control of the department of conservation and recreation; provided, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, funds may be allocated through an interagency service agreement to the department of highways; provided further, that the agreement shall specify that a spending plan shall be filed each year with the commissioner of conservation and recreation providing a schedule of outlays from this item; provided further, that the agreement shall specify that a report shall be filed by the department of highways and the department of conservation and recreation to the joint committee on transportation and the joint committee on environment, natural resources, and agriculture by September 30 of each year detailing the status of work undertaken through this line item for the previous fiscal year; provided further, that all work funded by this item undertaken by the department of highways under any interagency service agreement shall be carried out according to standards developed by the department of conservation and recreation to protect the scenic and historic integrity of the bridges under its control; and provided further, that final design of the bridges shall be subject to the review and approval of the commissioner of the department of conservation and recreation .......................................................................................................... $250,000,000

Storrow Drive and the Transportation Bond Bill

2007-12-14T09:12:00.000-05:00

Storrow Drive is a historic parkway that is currently managed and maintained by DCR. A key initiative of the current administration is the transfer of these functions to the highway department. This transfer has been successfully opposed by park advocates and environmental organizations in the past and is viewed as detrimental to maintaining the integrity of the metropolitan park system which was designed to include parks and reservations connected by gracefully designed parkways.

The following language exists in the current transportation bill regarding this issue. We are working to be certain it does not negatively impact the planning and construction of the Storrow Drive project.

Section 13 of the bill, states that MassHighway may expend funds made available through an interdepartmental services agreement with DCR for "the maintenance, design, construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of roadways, boulevards, bridges and related appurtenances under the care, custody and control of" DCR. This is not limited to the bond funds authorized by the bill.

The section also states that it does not authorize the transfer of any interest in the DCR land.

In addition, the bill seeks to exempt from MEPA, c. 91, and c. 131, sec. 40 "bridge projects of the department of highways for the repair, reconstruction, replacement or demolition of existing state highway bridges and other bridges, including the immediate roadway approaches necessary to connect the bridges to the existing adjacent highway system, in which the design is substantially the functional equivalent of, and in similar alignment to, the structure to be reconstructed or replaced. This includes all DCR bridges, including the Storrow Drive Tunnel which is classified as a bridge.

The bill seeks a similar exemption for MBTA bridge projects. This is sections 23 and 25 of the bill.

Thus, the Longfellow Bridge project would be exempt from MEPA and c. 91. Similarly, the BU Bridge and the Craigie Dam Bridge/Draw Bridge projects would be exempt from review. Plus, since the Storrow Drive tunnel is actually classified as a bridge, it, too, would be exempt from review.

2007-12-11T08:53:00.000-05:00

Esplanade Landmark Petition Preliminary Hearing

2007-11-30T13:03:00.000-05:00

At their meeting on Tuesday November 27th, the Boston Landmarks Commission was formally presented with a petition endorsed by over 800 supporters, to designate the Charles River Esplanade as a Boston Landmark.

The meeting included a formal presentation on the Esplanade’s history by Linda Cox. After Linda’s presentation the commissioner’s accepted testimony by elected officials, public agencies, organizations and the general public.

A representative of DCR read the following comments:

DCR recognizes the Charles River Esplanade as an important cultural asset that contributes to the beauty and the overall quality of life for the citizens of Boston and the entire Commonwealth. The community’s efforts to designate the property as a Landmark reflect a broad public interest in raising awareness of the Esplanade’s history and significance.

DCR has long enjoyed a positive and productive working relationship with the Commission by consulting regularly on projects affecting DCR’s historic properties within Boston. We at DCR understand the process for designation and will continue to work with the Boston Landmarks Commission staff to adequately address both the on-going preservation of the Esplanade and the practical challenges of managing a complex, actively used facility.

Highlights from other testimony included:

A request from City Councilor Michael Ross that because of the urgency of the situation
the Commissioner’s expedite the land marking process. An unprecedented ten city
councilor’s signed the petition supporting designation.

Representative Walz focusing on interim tunnel repairs and the need to have regulatory oversight on what happens during the next eight months as DCR competes that work. For example, where is the staging area going? Will there be impacts on the functional use of the park?

Sandy Steele highlighting TEA’s contribution to the park and its value to city residents and people from the greater city and region. Who uses the park was of great interest to the Commissioner’s and they requested follow up information about this topic which TEA is formulating from our user survey..

The Commission agreed to proceed to the next step in the process, which is the development of a study report, with a second hearing to be scheduled when that review is completed. They were very supportive of the Esplanade.

You should consider writing an individual letter to the commission in support of them expediting the land marking process.

Petition filed to Designate Espanade as a Boston Landmark

2007-11-15T14:17:00.000-05:00

A petition has been submitted to the Boston Landmarks Commission to designate the Charles River Esplanade as a Boston Landmark. With over 800 signatures, the petition initiates the process of review by the commission to determine eligibility. A public hearing has tentatively be scheduled for November 27th.

To read more go to:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/11/15/advocates_seek_landmark_status_for_esplanade/

DCR Announces Interim Tunnel Repairs

2007-11-11T10:52:00.000-05:00

The Department of Conservation and Recreation has announced that beginning in 2008 they plan to spend 6.8 million dollars on interim repairs to the Storrow Drive Tunnel. These repairs are expected to keep the tunnel safe and open for at least five years while a final plan for tunnel reconstruction and interim transportation is resolved.

Undertaking interim repairs and delaying the DEIR does not mean the proposal to put a road through the park has been withdrawn. It simply means the discussion about how to proceed has been delayed, indefinitely.

It is very important that DCR continue to plan for the Storrow Drive project, within the context of other Charles River Basin transportation planning in an open and transparent manner. It is also critical that the public process be resumed.

To read the press release go to http://www.esplanadeassociation.org/news.

DCR Postpones Storrow Drive DEIR

2007-11-05T14:17:00.000-05:00

Richard K. Sullivan Jr., commissioner of conservation and recreation, has told reporters from the Boston Globe on November 4th that his agency had missed its Oct. 1 deadline to file the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Storrow Drive tunnel project with the state.

The DEIR is a preliminary and required step towards designing the tunnel reconstruction, and the project cannot go forward until the plan is submitted and reviewed. Officials do not want to commit to a timetable for the filing, and acknowledge that the roadway will need millions of dollars in interim repairs.

The fact that the filing has been delayed does NOT mean that the temporary by-pass road is not a possibility. Until the by-pass road option is removed from the DEIR it remains a threat to the park. The DEIR filing delay does allow for additional time to review interim traffic plans and revisit design options for the Storrow Drive project.

So Where Should the Traffic Go?

2007-10-23T18:43:00.000-04:00

So Where Should the Traffic Go?

Creatively solving the issue of traffic and how it should be managed, both during and after construction on Storrow Drive, is critical to the success of the project.

To date, four options for traffic mitigation during the construction process have been proposed by DCR. Of those four, DCR views only three as viable. Of those three one is the by-pass road on the Esplanade. To view DCR’s interim traffic proposals go to: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/storrowdrive.htm

Storrow Drive was built as a parkway in the 1950’s and today the road carries over 100,000 cars daily, functioning with a capacity equal to a significantly larger scaled highway.

The need to redesign the tunnel affords a unique opportunity to reconsider how Storrow Drive is currently used and how it should be used in the future with the potential of strengthening both the parkway quality of the road and its relationship to the park. No matter what scheme and interim plan is chosen, reducing the volume of traffic on Storrow Drive must be considered.

Keeping the option of a temporary roadway through the park alive will be a disincentive to completing the arduous and creative traffic planning that is necessary for a project of this complexity and importance. While we are working with our partners to explore how to develop alternative interim transportation proposals to those that have been proposed we implore the Commonwealth to do so as well.

Depending on what FINAL design alternative is chosen for the Storrow Drive project there will be different transportation alternatives available during the construction period. At the moment DCR has said that it favors rehabilitating the existing tunnel. It is the choice of this alternative that put the concept of a temporary roadway through a portion of the Esplanade back onto the table. A more visionary solution to the entire project must be found, one that enhances the Esplanade and strengthens the parkway character of Storrow Drive. To view the four families of design options studied for the project go to: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/storrowdrivehistory.htm

A comprehensive analysis of how to manage traffic during the construction of the Storrow Drive project, with the least amount of impact on the environment, is the responsibility of the Commonwealth’s transportation agencies. While complicated, it is not impossible to imagine that it can be figured out using sound engineering and innovative transportation planning techniques.

Solutions may include:

Enhanced public transit
New access to the Back Bay from the Turnpike
Rerouting of traffic onto alternative routes
Temporary road closure to all but emergency vehicles during the peak construction periods, estimated to be 6 - 8 months when work is being done on the tunnel roof
Phased construction within the width of the existing Storrow roadway

Experience in other cities has shown that creative solutions for traffic management and water’s edge planning can lead to both an enhanced environment and sustained economic growth.

Make Your Voice Heard!

2007-10-17T10:15:00.001-04:00

If you love the Esplanade you can show your support for protecting the park in the following three ways:

Sign the on-line petition stating your opposition to the Charles River Esplanade being used as a temporary by-pass road. Everyone who loves the Esplanade can do this, regardless of where you live. http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SavePark/petition.html

If you are a resident of Boston, sign the petition for the Charles River Esplanade to obtain landmark status. A copy of the petition as well as background information about the process can be found on our website www.esplanadeassociation.org. Each petition can be signed by up to ten people, so have your friends and neighbors sign it too. The petitions must be submitted to Sarah Kelly at the Boston Preservation Alliance 617- 367-2458 x11 by November 1^st. All signers must be registered voters in the city of Boston.

Phone, write or send an email to your local officials and the Governor about this issue. Their information can be found in the CALL TO ACTION section of this site.

A Park in Peril

2007-10-10T14:17:00.000-04:00

Extending from the Museum of Science to the Boston University Bridge, the Esplanade is one of Boston's best loved and most intensively used open spaces. While part of a linear park system that stretches along the Charles River for miles, the Esplanade is a unique and iconic landscape that is used daily by hundreds of people from around the world as well as as a site for special events and celebrations, including the 4th of July Boston Pops concert.

Designed and built over a period of many years, the Esplanade as we know it today is largely the creation of landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff. His plan to create an "waterpark" as a major recreational asset to the city was realized during the 1930's. Twenty years later Shurcliff was called upon to ameliorate the impacts of Storrow Drive upon the Esplanade when the road was built on parkland, despite strong opposition from the public and legislature.

Ironically, fifty years later the Esplanade is again threatened by the construction of a roadway - this time as a temporary by-pass road to accommodate traffic while the Storrow Drive Tunnel is rehabilitated. In 2007 the Esplanade Association believes there is a better solution to a regional transportation problem than using parkland for a roadway and we are committed to working with DCR, the Commonwealth and you to make certain that that solution is realized.

Impact Area

2007-10-08T13:48:00.000-04:00

DCR has described the area of the park to be impacted as running from the base of the Fielder footbridge to either Berkley or Dartmouth Street. The road would consume 40’00” of parkland at a minimum. It is unclear if that figure includes a buffer zone for pedestrians.

To view DCR's overview of the Storrow Drive Tunnel Rehabilitation project as well as preliminary plans for the by-pass road including a list of trees that will be removed go to:
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/storrowdrive.htm.

The following are images of the area to be used by the by-pass road:

Photo (1)- (3) by Patrice Todisco

Call To Action

2007-10-08T13:44:00.001-04:00

It is critical that our public officials hear from you. Write a letter to any or all of the following. Include as many of the above points as are helpful but also remember to speak from your heart. Make your voice heard on this critical issue. Please copy us on your letters (info@esplanadeassociation.org) so we can track public opposition.

Commissioner: Rick Sullivan
Department of Conservation and Recreation
251 Causeway St., Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 626-1250
Fax: (617) 626-1351
E-Mail: mass.parks@state.ma.us

Governor: Deval Patrick
Massachusetts State House
Office of the Governor, Room 360
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617.725.4005
Fax: 617.727.9725
Click here to submit email

Secretary of EOEEA: Ian Bowles
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114
Main Phone: (617) 626-1000
Main Fax: (617) 626-1181
Email: env.internet@state.ma.us

Senator: Steven A. Tolman
Massachusetts State House
Room 511-B
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone (617) 722-1280
Email: Steven.Tolman@state.ma.us

Representative: Martha Walz
Massachusetts State House
Room 443
Boston, MA 02133
Phone (617) 722-2460
Email: Rep.MartyWalz@Hou.State.MA.US

Senator: Anthony Petruccelli
Massachusetts State House
Room 26
Boston, MA 02133
Phone (617) 722-1634
Email: Anthony.Petruccelli@State.MA.US

Senator: Dianne Wilkerson
Massachusetts State House
Room 312-C
Boston, MA
Phone (617) 722-1673
Email: Dianne.Wilkerson@state.ma.us

Our Position

2007-10-08T13:42:00.000-04:00

The Esplanade Association strongly opposes the use of the Esplanade as a by-pass road during the construction of the Storrow Drive reconstruction project.

We further request that the DCR work in cooperation with transportation officials from the City and State to develop a comprehensive regional plan for traffic during construction that does not encroach upon the Esplanade.

Throughout the public process key concepts regarding the project have emerged. These include:

The Esplanade serves a regional use and is part of a system that accommodates bikers, pedestrians, runners and walkers from a broad geographic area. It is more than a neighborhood park.

The construction of the interim roadway will impact the operations of the park including the Hatch Shell area. The roadway will be sited close to the lagoon and pedestrian walkway. If it extends to Clarendon Street, the Lotta Crabtree Fountain will need to be relocated.

No mechanism currently exists to securely safeguard parkland mitigation funding to offset the impacts of park loss during construction. In addition, the public should not accept a roadway in the park as a rationale for standard park improvements and infrastructure.

Storrow Drive is not a highway but a limited access parkway.

The loss of healthy mature trees is not easily offset. By moving the roadway into the park a significant buffer will be eliminated.

The project is but one component of a regional, complex transportation network that includes the Boston University, Longfellow and Craigie bridges, the Turnpike and the Bowker Overpass.

Transportation planning for the project has never assumed that current levels of capacity can be maintained on Storrow Drive during construction. In addition an early goal of the project was to mitigate the impacts of traffic on the Esplanade and develop alternative methods of transportation.

The project must encompass additional resource dedication from the MBTA, the Mass Turnpike (ramps), transit vans, a water shuttle, the Inner Belt concept, the Red-Blue line connection and others.

Using the park for a by-pass roadway for two to three years will significantly impact the quality of life for those who use and love the Esplanade. There are no quick fixes and complete landscape restoration can take up to 40 years to achieve.

If the option of a by-pass road is included in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) it will make it easier for the DCR not to solve the problem any other way. A road through the park is the cheapest, quickest solution. The Esplanade deserves better.

Protecting the Life of a Boston Landmark

2007-09-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

The Esplanade Association (TEA) is a dynamic nonprofit collaboration of citizens working to protect, restore, and beautify Boston’s historic Charles River Esplanade. One of the oldest, most dramatic, and most popular urban parks in the country, the Esplanade comprises three miles of parkland stretching along the shore of the Charles River from the Museum of Science to the Boston University Bridge.

The Esplanade is the shared backyard of every resident in metropolitan Boston. Here, two million people a year walk, bird watch, play tennis, jog, bicycle, rollerblade, swing, walk their dogs, sunbathe, meditate, play chess, learn to sail, view fireworks, picnic, admire the scenery, read, hear concerts, play baseball, study, watch movies, and host family reunions. The Esplanade is where Boston celebrates the seasons, and TEA is dedicated to enhancing the park’s ability to serve them.

To get a more in-depth look at who we are and how we help, review our history and our achievements. To join our efforts to keep the park vital, consider getting involved. Or if you’ve never visited the Esplanade, then survey the maps, cross a footbridge, and find out firsthand what we’re so passionate about.