New design concepts for the Northern Avenue Bridge project featuring a “people first” plan were released on Tuesday, December 10, 2019.
The design features two spans crossing the channel – one that would be for buses, shuttles, and emergency vehicles, and the other for pedestrians and cyclists. There would also be a public space underneath the spans for people to congregate and enjoy the space.
This is the basic plan, and then there are added design concepts of the bridge arch and underneath pavilion. See all documents from this latest presentation at NorthernAveBridgebos.com.
What do you think of the new two-span design concept? Are you in favor of it or would you like to see something different? Vote in our poll and add your comments in the section below.
Web polls are unscientific and reflect only those who choose to participate. NorthEndWaterfront.com polls do not have any official significance and are only intended for the interest of our readers.
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The Seaport Transportation Management Association has proposed a fleet of small buses to create a network in Boston’s Seaport to shuttle people from place to place. The buses would take a circular route from South Station down to the Innovation and Design Building and back. The service would be privately operated, but available to the Read More…
There is a community meeting on March 7th regarding the demolition of the buildings on Cross Street, between Hanover & Salem Street. Old timers will remember the location as Martignetti Liquors. Since then, the various storefronts have turned over several times. New owner Charter Realty has presented preliminary plans for a 5,500 sq. ft. commercial development Read More…
Mayor Walsh has announced new transportation initiatives and investments to make Boston’s streets safer for all users, ease congestion, and provide more viable transportation options. One initiative is to create a dedicated bus / bike lane on North Washington Street, from Cross Street to the Charlestown Bridge. The North Washington Street bus / bike lane Read More…
32 Replies to “Reader Poll: What Do You Think of the Northern Ave. Bridge Design Plans?”
Since when does a bicyclist acknowledge the existence of a pedestrian (cue the bike Mafia)? Not sure they could coexist on the same pathway.
Same bridge, separate pathways.
Design is great. Construction process is leaving a lot to be desired. Lanes on the bridge shut down for parking. The right turn from Commercial north into the bridge is always a disaster. Police detail needed to move cars along. North Wnders go straight and then make the turn ( because we knot to, because we’ve suffered everyday in the line), but now police have ticketed for that. Great to have a dedicated buke lane in N Washington St but none of the accommodations help north end dwellers.
This article is about the NORTHERN AVENUE BRIDGE redesign and construction not the CHARLESTOWN/N.WASHINGTON ST BRIDGE!!
Oops! I did wonder why we were commenting on its design again.
What would you prefer ? Covered wagons crossing . It’s a bridge.
Q: What would you prefer?
A: Click the link.
Jared, There are approximately 1.2 million people who live and work in Boston at any given time where as there are about 200k in Providence. Put your bicycle fetish aside for a second and think realistically.
As you note, Boston has a larger population, so we need to maximize efficiency. A lane for cars is literally the least efficient usage. Per hour, a 10 foot lane can carry:
Despite your anecdotal experience, there are already 40,000 bike trips taken in Boston EVERY DAY. Imagine how much worse the already crippling congestion would be if those 40,000 trips were taken by private vehicle. That’s exactly what we’re encouraging when we build MORE infrastructure for vehicles.
If we are serious about wanting to reduce congestion, we must invest in modes of transportation that are more efficient.
On another note, I’m very passionate about our neighborhood. And this site is one of the primary places for discourse about things that affect us. It saddens me greatly when someone who HAS put thought and research into a topic is met with flippant snarky responses like yours, Corky and MichaelD and Phil below. We have a great platform for public discourse. Let’s treat it like one.
Those are credible sources that draw conclusions based on research and facts. I stand by my original statement: If we are serious about wanting to reduce congestion, we must invest in modes of transportation that are more efficient.
What makes that credible Adam? Because the city put it out? I’m sure that they would never skew any numbers to make themselves look good after spending millions and millions of dollars on the bike lane. As Noah said you can put out all the numbers you’d like but go sit on commercial street today and count how many bikes as opposed to how many cars you see go by. Oh and those millions were not paid by bicyclists, they were paid through taxes that car owners pay.
@Corky. I can see that I triggered you. ROFL
+1000 Adam.
Triggered? Not me, Jared. Just trying to point out the fact that this bridge doesn’t make sense. My F350 triggers you though 😉
I can think of no better way to frustrate you on a daily basis, then by giving you a F350 and requiring you to drive and park in the North End. Thanks for taking care of the payments yourself!
I got a free parking spot!
Did you also get a free $35K+ truck? Free insurance? Free maintenance?
Happy to pay for such a beautiful machine. I also paid for my trump bumper sticker!
Okay, boomer.
Huge fan. Covers pretty much all the needs.
I doubt that these people who oppose automobiles realize how much revenue the State & cities reap in taxes & fees insurance rates, excise tax garages ,tolls ,inspection & registration fees from people who own & operate a vehicle in this state. Not to mention the state & fed tax on gasoline which the state wants a 17 cent increase per gallon of gas.This particular bridge like the majority of roads in this state has been neglected for decades.
@MichealD. Harvard researchers literally just proved you wrong. Cars cost the state $64B annually, but drivers only pay LESS THAN 43% of that amount through gas taxes, excise taxes, tolls, etc. I hope you enjoy the handout.
The Seaport is a tourist destination and the Northern Ave feeds it. They need a tour bus lane to feed the hungry tourist ripoffs. How does anyone make money off bikes?
Adam – As a proponent of bike accessibility in this city, are you still riding during freezing cold conditions like the past two mornings? What about when there’s snow/black ice coating the streets? On my way to work this morning, there was not a single biker out there. Do you think it’s fiscally sound/reasonable to spend millions of tax dollars building a bike-centric structure that is only fully utilized for 6-7 months of the year? And 40k bike rides a day, give me a break! City is juicing those stats BIG TIME.
What’s next a scooter lane? 😠
Editor’s note: Some comments from one commenter in this thread were deleted for using different names and pretending to be 2+ people, violating our comments policy: https://northendwaterfront.com/commentspolicy/
Seriously, I agree with you 100%. I am hoping & praying we have 3 Lanes on each side of the
N. Washington/Charlestown Bridge. The main objective should be to move traffic over the bridge
as safely & quickly as possible. Amen
Wrong bridge.
Jared, you seem to have a stat for everything. So maybe you can tell me how much revenue does the city & state take in just from parking meters, tickets and the thieves excuse me I meant the parking garages. While we’re at it how much do the bike riders contribute?
Wrong thread.
Jared, I have the right bridge. The Northern Ave. Bridge doesn’t effect the No. End, only the
Seaport. I think the Northern Ave. Bridge is an improvement compared to what is there now. It
seems to me that the city is only worried about tourist not those of us paying the city taxes.
Since when does a bicyclist acknowledge the existence of a pedestrian (cue the bike Mafia)? Not sure they could coexist on the same pathway.
Same bridge, separate pathways.
Design is great. Construction process is leaving a lot to be desired. Lanes on the bridge shut down for parking. The right turn from Commercial north into the bridge is always a disaster. Police detail needed to move cars along. North Wnders go straight and then make the turn ( because we knot to, because we’ve suffered everyday in the line), but now police have ticketed for that. Great to have a dedicated buke lane in N Washington St but none of the accommodations help north end dwellers.
This article is about the NORTHERN AVENUE BRIDGE redesign and construction not the CHARLESTOWN/N.WASHINGTON ST BRIDGE!!
Oops! I did wonder why we were commenting on its design again.
The bridge is still too vehicle-focused. Let’s follow Providence’s lead and build one similar to their iconic pedestrian and bike-only one that opened this year: https://www.goprovidence.com/blog/post/the-new-providence-river-pedestrian-bridge-open/
What would you prefer ? Covered wagons crossing . It’s a bridge.
Q: What would you prefer?
A: Click the link.
Jared, There are approximately 1.2 million people who live and work in Boston at any given time where as there are about 200k in Providence. Put your bicycle fetish aside for a second and think realistically.
As you note, Boston has a larger population, so we need to maximize efficiency. A lane for cars is literally the least efficient usage. Per hour, a 10 foot lane can carry:
1,200 private cars
7,500 bicycles
9,000 pedestrians
Despite your anecdotal experience, there are already 40,000 bike trips taken in Boston EVERY DAY. Imagine how much worse the already crippling congestion would be if those 40,000 trips were taken by private vehicle. That’s exactly what we’re encouraging when we build MORE infrastructure for vehicles.
If we are serious about wanting to reduce congestion, we must invest in modes of transportation that are more efficient.
On another note, I’m very passionate about our neighborhood. And this site is one of the primary places for discourse about things that affect us. It saddens me greatly when someone who HAS put thought and research into a topic is met with flippant snarky responses like yours, Corky and MichaelD and Phil below. We have a great platform for public discourse. Let’s treat it like one.
https://www.boston.gov/departments/boston-bikes/2017-boston-bicycle-counts
“At 62 locations, we counted an average of nearly 40,000 bike trips per day. This number does not capture all bike trips in the City.”
And, sure, you might be able to find a site on the internet that tells a different story. But the question is: it it credible?
You can view the raw data of the numbers I cite here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MwJJVUVwca-_U1102mcun6_EbpM2cI1-2jNfa5taxSs/edit?usp=sharing
The full 143 page study is here:
https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/document_files/2018/02/2017_boston_bike_counts_report.pdf
Those are credible sources that draw conclusions based on research and facts. I stand by my original statement: If we are serious about wanting to reduce congestion, we must invest in modes of transportation that are more efficient.
What makes that credible Adam? Because the city put it out? I’m sure that they would never skew any numbers to make themselves look good after spending millions and millions of dollars on the bike lane. As Noah said you can put out all the numbers you’d like but go sit on commercial street today and count how many bikes as opposed to how many cars you see go by. Oh and those millions were not paid by bicyclists, they were paid through taxes that car owners pay.
@Corky. I can see that I triggered you. ROFL
+1000 Adam.
Triggered? Not me, Jared. Just trying to point out the fact that this bridge doesn’t make sense. My F350 triggers you though 😉
I can think of no better way to frustrate you on a daily basis, then by giving you a F350 and requiring you to drive and park in the North End. Thanks for taking care of the payments yourself!
I got a free parking spot!
Did you also get a free $35K+ truck? Free insurance? Free maintenance?
Happy to pay for such a beautiful machine. I also paid for my trump bumper sticker!
Okay, boomer.
Huge fan. Covers pretty much all the needs.
I doubt that these people who oppose automobiles realize how much revenue the State & cities reap in taxes & fees insurance rates, excise tax garages ,tolls ,inspection & registration fees from people who own & operate a vehicle in this state. Not to mention the state & fed tax on gasoline which the state wants a 17 cent increase per gallon of gas.This particular bridge like the majority of roads in this state has been neglected for decades.
@MichealD. Harvard researchers literally just proved you wrong. Cars cost the state $64B annually, but drivers only pay LESS THAN 43% of that amount through gas taxes, excise taxes, tolls, etc. I hope you enjoy the handout.
Here’s the source: http://bit.ly/2s85Uaj
The Seaport is a tourist destination and the Northern Ave feeds it. They need a tour bus lane to feed the hungry tourist ripoffs. How does anyone make money off bikes?
Adam – As a proponent of bike accessibility in this city, are you still riding during freezing cold conditions like the past two mornings? What about when there’s snow/black ice coating the streets? On my way to work this morning, there was not a single biker out there. Do you think it’s fiscally sound/reasonable to spend millions of tax dollars building a bike-centric structure that is only fully utilized for 6-7 months of the year? And 40k bike rides a day, give me a break! City is juicing those stats BIG TIME.
What’s next a scooter lane? 😠
Editor’s note: Some comments from one commenter in this thread were deleted for using different names and pretending to be 2+ people, violating our comments policy:
https://northendwaterfront.com/commentspolicy/
Seriously, I agree with you 100%. I am hoping & praying we have 3 Lanes on each side of the
N. Washington/Charlestown Bridge. The main objective should be to move traffic over the bridge
as safely & quickly as possible. Amen
Wrong bridge.
Jared, you seem to have a stat for everything. So maybe you can tell me how much revenue does the city & state take in just from parking meters, tickets and the thieves excuse me I meant the parking garages. While we’re at it how much do the bike riders contribute?
Wrong thread.
Jared, I have the right bridge. The Northern Ave. Bridge doesn’t effect the No. End, only the
Seaport. I think the Northern Ave. Bridge is an improvement compared to what is there now. It
seems to me that the city is only worried about tourist not those of us paying the city taxes.