HazMat Truck Routing - MassDOT Public Hearing in Boston - August 23, 2011
Channel: North End Waterfront
Date: 24/08/2011

HazMat Routing - MassDOT Public Hearing in Boston - August 23, 2011

The North End / Waterfront community showed up in force on Tuesday at the first of four State hearings regarding the proposed re-routing of hazardous material pass-through trucks from downtown Boston to surrounding highways. Although the hearing was on the other side of town at State transportation headquarters, many North Enders came to tell officials, in their own words, why the hazmat trucks don't belong on city neighborhood streets. City of Boston officials are strongly recommending the hazmat route change based on a comprehensive 182-page public safety analysis recently released by the Ohio-based independent research company, Battelle Memorial Institute. Several people recalled the fiery images of last month's hazmat truck explosion in Saugus on Route 1 and what that would mean should it happen in the North End / Waterfront or along the Greenway.
Several trucking companies and lobbyists testified at the public hearing, including gasoline trucking operators and the Massachusetts Motor Transportation Association (MMTA) that represents the industry. The trucking companies expressed concerns about the added time and expense of the re-routing proposal. Traffic on Route 128 can get congested and several expansion proposals have been delayed.