The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is planning a one-billion dollar project in Allston, prompted by the need to replace the Mass Pike’s aging Allston interchange. The Allston Multimodal Project will reconstruct the Allston interchange and replace today’s tangle of highway ramps with a new street grid to allow development on dozens of acres of land owned by Harvard University.
The project is also an important opportunity to improve regional transit and provides a once-in-a-century chance to improve the conditions and accessibility of the parks, paths, and river’s edge in Allston. The CRC, along with a coalition of mobility and environmental organizations, believes this project must be about more than just the highway.
OUR ADVOCACY PRIORITIES
- Connect diverse communities to a welcoming, resilient, world-class waterfront open to all
- Encourage shift to sustainable transportation alternatives through expanded transit and an improved Paul Dudley White path
- Support lane reduction to limit volume of asphalt (impervious surfaces) next to the river
- Reduce harmful stormwater runoff
- Mitigate flooding risk
- Promote ecological health by reestablishing native species and stabilized bank
- Ensure safety measures for both land and water navigation
- Secure sufficient resources for long-term maintenance
ALLSTON MULTIMODAL TASK FORCE
As a member of MassDOT’s Allston Multimodal Project Task Force, CRC Executive Director Laura Jasinski represents and advocates for the Charles River, the parks, and the park users. The Task Force consists of residents, business owners, and other local stakeholders and includes many of our environmental and mobility advocacy partners.
The Task Force meets monthly to review project updates and discuss details. It is a crucial opportunity for the CRC to influence and improve the project for the betterment of the Charles River, the parks, and our communities.
The Task Force meetings are public, so consider attending one to learn more about the project and make your voice heard! Learn more here.
RIVERFRONT RESTORATION STRATEGIES
For decades, the river’s edge near the I-90 Allston Interchange has been narrow and eroded. The Allston Multimodal Project is a once-in-a-century opportunity to improve these conditions and also to re-connect Allston neighborhoods to the parks.
CRC Board Member Gautam Sundaram, of Perkins&Will, worked with urban designers from CBT to develop riverfront restoration strategies that work in tandem with the community-supported “All-At-Grade” design for the project. These strategies have helped build important consensus among community members, transportation advocates, and environmental groups. This “ambitious piece of analysis that boldly covers a wide area and provides an elegant solution” won a Merit Award from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.
Review A Living Shoreline: Charles River.
THROAT PATHWAYS CAMPAIGN
The section of the Paul Dudley White Path between the BU Bridge and River Street Bridge in Boston, termed the “throat,” is a key artery of transportation for pedestrians and cyclists. However, limited space and poor conditions make it over-crowded, unpleasant, and dangerous to use.
In January of 2018, we partnered with WalkBoston and designers at Sasaki to develop alternative proposals for the “throat” section of the project. Thank you to the Solomon Foundation and to the donated services of Sasaki for making this work possible.
View the Alternative Design Proposals and watch our campaign video.
GET INVOLVED
- Join the conversation by attending MassDOT’s next Task Force Meeting.
- Join our Advocacy Updates email list and the People’s Pike email list.
- Follow the People’s Pike on Twitter and Facebook.
PRESS
2021
- 9/30/2021 | WBUR News: At-Grade Option Recommended For Allston Megaproject
- 5/26/2021 | CommonWealth Magazine: T contract at odds with earlier statements by Pollack, Poftak
- 5/18/2021 | Boston Globe: State will pursue $75m Mass. Pike repair as Allston deliberations continue
- 5/12/2021 | CommonWealth Magazine: Advocates: Tap fed infrastructure funds for Allston I-90 project
- 1/12/2021 | MetroWest Daily News: Spilka: No Mass Pike toll increases to help pay for Allston Multimodal Project
- 1/11/2021 | Boston Globe: State eases pressure for Boston to help fund Mass. Turnpike project
- 1/11/2021 | CommonWealth Magazine: Edit averts fight over Allston project
- 1/10/2021 | CommonWealth Magazine: Finances take center stage on Allston project
- 1/7/2021 | Boston Globe: State signals that Boston, Harvard need to help pay for Mass. Pike project in Allston
- 1/1/2021 | StreetsBlog Mass: Boston Has a Choice Between Two Transportation Futures
2020
- 11/19/2020 | StreetsBlog Mass: Facing Solid Consensus for At-Grade Design, MassDOT Stalls Allston/I-90 Decision
- 11/18/2020 | Boston Globe: Huge Mass. Pike project pushed back another year
- 11/18/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine: Pollack punts on Allston I-90 project
- 11/6/2020 | StreetsBlog Mass: Among Elected Officials, A Strong Consensus Against I-90 Viaduct On the Charles River
- 10/19/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine: T notes: Allston I-90 throat consensus seems very iffy
- 10/17/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine: Pollack urged to open up I-90 throat review process
- 10/15/2020 | Boston Globe: Allston project could put Walsh, Baker administrations at odds
- 10/13/2020 | StreetsBlog Mass: Growing Coalition Presses for ‘At-Grade’ Allston Turnpike Alternative
- 10/10/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine: MassDOT spreadsheet on throat options raises questions
- 10/6/2020 | Boston Globe: BU offers more land to break logjam over Mass. Pike project
- 10/6/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine: Pollack accepts upgraded at-grade throat proposal
- 10/5/2020 | Framingham Source: MassDOT Seeks Public Feedback on Mass Pike Allston Multimodel Project; Virtual Public Hearings October 15 & 20
- 10/1/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine opinion piece by C.A. Webb, Robert Coughlin, and Tim Murray: In Allston interchange debate, don’t forget Grand Junction
- 9/22/2020 | WBUR News: Major Decision Postponed on Allston Megaproject
- 9/19/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine opinion piece by Lawrence S. DiCara: Bold thinking required at I-90 Allston interchange
- 9/19/2020 | Boston Globe Letters to the editor: Transforming Allston interchange — the question is how
- 9/8/2020 | Boston Globe opinion piece by MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack: The ‘transformational’ Allston Multimodal project
- 9/6/2020 | Worcester Telegram opinion piece by Timothy P. Murray : Chamber Corner: State must get Pike project right for Central Mass.
- 8/30/2020 | The Harvard Crimson: Harvard Advocates for ‘Robust Evaluation’ of ‘At Grade’ Approach for Mass. Pike Section
- 8/28/2020 | Boston Globe: Harvard pushes for consensus on controversial Mass. Pike rebuilding
- 8/24/2020 | Boston Globe letter to the editor by Representative Moran: A vision for Allston Interchange is within reach, even if it’s a stretch
- 8/22/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine opinion piece by Bradley M. Campbell and Richard Dimino: A new, bigger I-90 viaduct is not the answer
- 8/18/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine: Theoharides softens stance on Charles River a bit
- 8/16/2020 | Boston Globe: Keep thinking big on the Allston Interchange
- 8/12/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine: Pollack launches Allston review with 3 options
- 8/8/2020 | Boston Globe: Hints of tension between Boston and state officials with Allston highway project
- 8/4/2020 | Worcester Telegram: Worcester chamber pans latest plan for Mass. Pike project
- 7/14/2020 | Boston Globe: The Allston Mass. Pike project strikes some critics as too car-centric
- 7/3/2020 | Boston Globe Column by Renée Loth: Highway visions, and revisions
- 7/3/2020 | Boston Globe: Mass. Pike may stay on viaduct under latest Allston design proposal
- 6/23/2020 | CommonWealth Magazine: Theoharides stirs outrage with Pike stance
- 6/23/2020 | StreetsBlog Mass: The New Allston Turnpike Plan Looks A Lot Like the 1965 Allston Turnpike Plan
- 2/18/2020 | Boston Globe opinion piece by Robin Chase and Doug Foy: Build a better city, starting with the Allston interchange
2019
- 12/19/2019 | CommonWealth Magazine: Groups slam temporary Charles River bridge
- 11/20/2019 | StreetsBlog Mass: MassDOT Allston Plans Would Plant A Highway Over the Charles River
- 10/31/2019 | CommonWealth Magazine letter to the editor by Laura Jasinski, Emily Norton, and Kane Larin: Charles R. advocates not on board with Soldier’s Field bypass
- 10/15/2019 | StreetsBlog Mass: A Rough Guide To Boston’s Allston/I-90 Megaproject
2018
- 6/28/2018 | Boston Globe opinion piece by MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack: Getting the Allston multimodal plan right
- 4/22/2018 | Boston Globe column by Renée Loth: To MassDOT: Tear Down This Wall
- 2/7/2018 | Harry Mattison and Wendy Landman on WBUR Rethinking the Turnpike Allston Interchange
- 2/3/2018 | CommonWealth Magazine opinion piece by Harry Mattison and Wendy Landman: Unchoke the Throat
- 1/24/2018 | Boston Globe: Harvard ups financial commitment for West Station
2017
- 12/26/2017 | Boston Globe Editorial West Station is key to Boston’s next great neighborhood
- 12/26/2017 | Boston Globe: In Allston, do Harvard and Mass. see eye-to-eye?
- 12/15/2017 | Boston Globe Column by Dante Ramos: In Allston, the transit lesson we never learn
- 12/12/2017 | Boston Globe: Transportation board members question long delay for train station in Allston
- 12/6/2017 | CommonWealth Magazine opinion piece by James Aloisi: Railing against transportation madness
- 11/13/2017 | Boston Globe: Mass. Pike Project in Allston to cost $1 billion or more
UPDATES
December 12, 2022: MassDOT announced the Modified At-Grade option as the preferred alternative. Read MassDOT’s Press Release.
September 29, 2021: MassDOT announced that Massachusetts Turnpike and Soldiers Field Road will be rebuilt using an at-grade design, rather than building the elevated structure. Read MassDOT’s Press Release.
May 18, 2021: MassDOT announced plans to accelerate initial repair work for the Allston Multi-Modal Project in order to ensure the near-term safety of the viaduct and reduce the risk of future emergency repairs. Read MassDOT’s Press Release.
May 11, 2021: A coalition of advocates that included the CRC sent a letter to the Massachusetts Federal Congressional Delegation requesting support to secure federal funds for the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project and ensure an all at-grade project design.
March 30, 2021: The CRC signed onto a group letter to Highway Administrator Gulliver with suggestions to improve the public process on this transformational project.
October 30, 2020: Along with a coalition of advocates and constituents, the CRC submitted public comments urging MassDOT to select the “Modified All At-Grade” design. Read our comment letter and the coalition letter we signed.
October, 2020: MassDOT accepted a Modified All-At-Grade design for the “throat” area, developed by A Better City and backed by the City of Boston, to be considered as one of three alternatives to be reviewed by state and federal regulators.
September, 2020: CRC board member Gautam Sundaram of Perkins & Will worked with designers Kishore Varanasi and Devanshi Purohit of cbt to develop a series of riverfront restoration design principles that can be applied to the All-At-Grade design for the “throat.” View the Riverfront Restoration Designs.
August 7, 2020: MassDOT and the Federal Highway Administration released the Scoping Summary Report on the project, which describes the four alternatives proposed to be carried forward into the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). These include a “no build” option, an I-90 viaduct option, a Soldiers Field Road viaduct option, and an all at-grade option.
August 3, 2020: A diverse group of advocates, including the CRC, sent MassDOT a short one-page letter summarizing our shared priorities.
December 12, 2019: Over 800 constituents and advocates, including the CRC, submitted comment letters in response to the project’s NEPA Scoping Report. Read the CRC’s comment letter.
November 6, 2019: MassDOT and the Federal Highway Administration published the project’s Scoping Report for NEPA.
September 16, 2019: The CRC teamed up with our partners at CLF, CRWA, WalkBoston, and MassBike and testified at MassDOT’s Board Meeting regarding the agencies plans to build a temporary trestle bridge extending 50 feet into the Charles River during construction. We urged the agency to minimize impacts and maximize mitigation for the river and submitted a comment letter outlining our requests.
June 20, 2019: MassDOT informed the task-force that the project’s construction plan includes building a temporary trestle bridge extending 50 feet into the Charles for Soldiers Field Road and Paul Dudley White path traffic. The temporary bridge would likely be in place for a decade, the expected duration of construction.
November 30, 2018: The CRC submitted a comment letter in response to the Independent Review Team’s report.
October, 2018: The Independent Review Team completed their 90-day Independent Review. Read the I-90 IRT Executive Summary.
June 27, 2018: MassDOT secretary Pollack convened an independent team of engineers, designers, and permitting experts to conduct a 90-day independent review of possible versions of viaduct and at-grade options for the throat.
February 9, 2018: Deadline to submit comments on the I-90 DEIR to Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Matthew Beaton. The CRC encouraged parkland supporters to write letters, and close to 50 did! The CRC also submitted our letter of comment.
January 24, 2018: Harvard University offers to nearly double its financial contribution to $58 million for the construction of West Station in a letter to the Department of Transportation aimed at accelerating their plans. Harvard wants some of its contribution to fund an interim version of the station for open by the mid-2020s.
November 30, 2017: MassDOT filed a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The document makes public MassDOT’s plan to postpone the construction of West Station until 2040 and their reconstruction proposals fail to create a parklike riverfront with adequate pedestrian and bike paths.
February 7, 2017: A group of Allston residents and advocacy orgs, including the CRC, hosted a community meeting about the I-90 Allston project. Watch a recording of the meeting. The Harvard Crimson published “Residents Express Planning Goals at Mass Pike Public Meeting.”
January 19, 2017: Our friends at the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association hosted a meeting about how the I-90 project will affect Cambridge residents at the Central Square Library, beginning at 7:00 pm. View the presentation and watch the video.
December 22, 2016: The CRC submitted comments in response to the most recent design plan presented at a December 8th public meeting.
October 18, 2016: The Boston Planning and Development Agency released the I-90 Allston Interchange Placemaking Study.
September 17, 2015: MassDOT invited LivableStreets and A Better City to present alternative layouts for the reconstruction of the I-90 Interchange area. Download the LivableStreets presentation and view the ABC presentation.
November 12, 2014: MassDOT recently submitted an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) about the project. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs accepted comments on the ENF before issuing a scoping letter to DOT – read the CRC’s comments.
Lead photo courtesy of WalkBoston.