January 10, 2019 (BOSTON) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement today in response to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation decision on the design of the I-90 project in Allston.
“The hybrid option ensures a more sustainable community around the Charles River while providing a necessary link to Boston,” said Amy Laura Cahn, Interim Director of the Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice program at CLF. “However, MassDOT ignored its legal obligation to study how each option would minimize environmental and climate harms. The public needs to know that the project will prioritize the health of the river, maximize public access, and protect an area vulnerable to flooding.”
CLF submitted comments in November supporting the hybrid option but raising concerns with MassDOT’s process for evaluating the potential environmental and climate risks for each proposed plan.
Under the approved plan, the Allston portion of the Massachusetts Turnpike will be rebuilt at ground level, while a section of travel lanes on Soldiers Field Road will be built along a new viaduct that accommodates future pedestrian and bicycle lanes.
The I-90 project also creates the opportunity for the development of West Station, which is necessary to increase public transportation access for those living west of Boston.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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