Recent Streetsblog MASS posts about MassDOT

An Amtrak train waits to depart from Springfield Union Station in January 2020. Photo by Trains in the Valley, licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0.

MassDOT Multiplies Ridership Forecasts, Narrows Alternatives for East-West Rail

By Christian MilNeil | Aug 5, 2020 | No Comments

The three remaining service options under study would upgrade and double-track an existing freight rail line between Worcester and Pittsfield to support between 7 and 9 round trips a day between Pittsfield and Boston, with travel times between Springfield and Boston reduced to under two hours.

The Wayside Trail, part of the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail, passes an abandoned trail station at the Church Street underpass in Weston.

MassTrails Program Announces $4 Million in Grants for 55 Trail Projects

By Christian MilNeil | Jul 31, 2020 | No Comments

This year's MassTrails grants will distribute about $4 million to 55 trail projects across the state.

An overview map of Belmont's "phase 1" Community Path project, which would extend the existing Fitchburg Cutoff bike path in Cambridge to Belmont's town center. Courtesy of the Town of Belmont Community Path Committee.

Belmont Advances Its Plans for New Mass. Central Rail Trail Segment

By Christian MilNeil | Jul 18, 2020 | No Comments

When the project is complete, there will be a continuous off-street pathway that links Belmont to the Boston Harbor waterfront in Charlestown.

A view of the Allston I-90 tollbooths and Beacon Yards in 2015. Photo by Nick Allen, licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0.

The New Allston Turnpike Plan Looks A Lot Like the 1965 Allston Turnpike Plan

By Christian MilNeil | Jun 23, 2020 | No Comments

The latest proposal would rebuild much of the massive, eight-lane-wide viaduct that has loomed over putative parkland on Allston's riverfront since the mid-1960s.

A protected bike lane and 20 mph "safety zone" on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. Courtesy of the City of Cambridge.

MassDOT Begins Reexamining Deadly Speed Limit Policies

By Christian MilNeil | May 21, 2020 | No Comments

Ultimately, the new policies should make it easier to implement traffic calming measures, and provide a data-driven process to prioritize speed reduction efforts.

To facilitate bus shuttles during a year-long closure of the Green Line between Lechmere and North Station, MassDOT is proposing to convert two lanes of Charles River Dam Road near the Boston Museum of Science to bus-only lanes. Image courtesy of MassDOT.

Bus-Only Lanes Coming to Charles River Dam Road

By Christian MilNeil | Apr 14, 2020 | No Comments

A year ago, Charles River Dam Road had no dedicated space for buses or bikes; when these new bus lanes open at the end of May, more than half of the roadway will have been set aside for sustainable modes of transportation.

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