Since 2014, the Northern Avenue Bridge over the Fort Point Channel, previously connecting the Financial District to the Seaport, has been swung open, left in disrepair. There has much talk as to what to do with the bridge, including an ideas competition back in 2016. Many of the designs featured gardens, pedestrian pathways, bike lanes and even vendors.
Earlier this year, Mayor Walsh committed $46 million in the capital budget to rehabilitate the bridge, but one still contested issue is whether or not to let cars back on it. At a Boston Public Works meeting last week, Northern Avenue Bridge Mayoral Advisory Task Force presented a concept that includes a single lane for cars. As reported by UniversalHub, many Bostonians have opinions, for and against vehicles on the bridge.
Proponents of vehicle lanes think allowing cars on the restored bridge would alleviate some of the downtown traffic, while opponents argue this won’t solve the vehicle congestion problem and that the bridge would be better used as a pedestrian and bicycle pathway.
What do you think? Vote in our poll and add your comments in the section below.
Note: Web polls are not scientific, representing only those readers who choose to vote.
NOOOO CARS
No cars. The Seaport needs more access for pedestrians, bikes and public transportation to help control traffic congestion. If it becomes easier to get there by alternative transportation, fewer people will drive.
No! Cars will just be backed up waiting to turn on Atlantic like they already are on the Seaport bridge right next to it. The bottleneck isn’t the bridge capacity, it’s at the roads that the bridge connects to.
NOOO CARS. We need a respite from their ubiquitous presence in our lives.
People are not going to give up their cars…if today’s traffic doesn’t make people rethink their need, nothing will. I’d be OK with keeping it “pedestrian only” but if people think doing so will ease automobile traffic, they’re delusional.
I’d rather not have bikes use it…the would be Lance Armstrongs are as dangerous to pedestrians as cars.
I don’t understand why you would not have access for vehicles. It would obviously lessen the gridlock that the seaport faces every day. The bridge can serve both cars and pedestrians.
If you can show me one area in this city where bike lanes have alieviated traffic please share. Because if you do believe it does then I got some nice ocean front propert in Arizona to sell!
If open to cars in one direction – departing the seaport, the cars can only go right to atlantic, which will just be backed up. Its not that cars are bad, its that the bridge empties to a congested road.
I’m torn on this one – but I think I would go with opening it up to vehicles because I think some/most of the current congestion on the Seaport bridge is due to cars trying to get onto 93. This bridge is after that on-ramp and may help ease some of the current congestion.
But I’m not entirely opposed to keeping it for pedestrians only.
NO NO NO !!! I have been walking over that bridge since the 1960s !!
Please make it a gorgeous walk way with a lane for bikes NO VENDORS PLEASE DO NOT DESTROY THAT FLOWERED GORGEOUS WALK WAY WITH JUNKY VENDORS KEEP THE SEAPORT AS BESUTIFUL AS 🐝🌸🐝POSSIBLE FLOWERS AND BIRDS ONLY !!! A BEAUTFUL PEACEFUL CONNECTION TO ROWES WHARF 🌸🌸🌸🌸 AND DO NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO BRING THEIR DOGS AND LEAVE A MESS LETS RESPECT THE SPACE A TO ENJOY FIRT POINT HARBOR AND FAN PIER !!!!
No more bikes please enough
They should add it to the Paul Revere Trail. The same people who think the Boston Tea Party was held in Fort Channel would believe Paul Revere took the bridge to the Fan Pier.
No cars there. Downtown is congested and this won’t change it. It’s congested because people continue to drive there when they shouldn’t and don’t really need to. If they make that choice, that’s on them. The city officials need to google ‘induced demand’ to understand why opening this bridge to cars is pointless.
The poll only offers a positive reason for keeping cars, which will slew the votes towards “yes”. The other option could say something like “make it a pedestrian / bike only bridge, it will help _____” (fill in the blank: make the city beautiful and green, reduce pollution and noise, give people more options to walk to work and families more places to exercise! Or better yet just make it a yes/no question. 🙂
No cars on the bridge. More car traffic routes will only lead to more congestion, not less. Cars are the least efficient way to move people through the city and through this neighborhood in particular. Please design bridge for pedestrian and bicycle traffic only.
More cars coming from Northern Ave will mean another light on Atlantic Ave. Plus the thing closes, slowly, with each passing boat. Cars will punish the old structure requiring more frequent maintenance. It’s a nice relic and comfortable pedestrians. They should segregate bicycle traffic from foot traffic. On weekends some of the foot traffic is staggering, not walking.