Grafe , Jerom e (DEP )

From : Sent : To : Subject : Joh n Leah y [jhnlhy@gmail.com ] Thursday , Septembe r13 , 201 2 9:5 5 P M Grafe , Jerom e (DEP ) Re : Respons e t o propose d amendment s t o 31 0 CM R 7.3 6 Apologie s but

i f you coul d please utiliz e th e belo w an

d disregar d m y previou s email , i t

woul d b e muc h appreciate d a

s ther e wer e severa l typo s i n wha

t I first sent . Dea r Mr
. Grafe : Iwa s unabl e to atten

d eithe r o f th e publi c meeting s hel d today , 1 3 Septembe r 2012 ; a s such , please tak

e into accoun t thi s writte n testimon

y wit h respec

t to th e topi c o f propose d amendment

s to 31 0 CM R7.36 , Transit Syste mImprovements
. Th e propose d amendment

s ar e simple , short-sighted solution s t o muc h broade r an d deepe r systemi c issues fo r whic h Bosto n an

d environ s wil l b

e payin g amuc

h large r pric e i n th

e future
. Specifically , removin g th e requiremen

t tha t MassDO T complet

e th e Red-Blue Connecto

r desig n i s counterproductiv e an d condemns th

e cor e o f Boston' s rapi d transi t

networ k - Governmen

t Center, Par

k Street, Downtow n Crossin g an d Stat e Stree t station s - t

o aguarantee

d stat e o f gridloc k withi n aver

y shor t amoun t o f time
. Th e hub-and-spok

e mode l relie s fa r to o heavil y o n doubl e connection s an d ha s lef t th e aforementione d station s choked b y passenge r deman d exceeding thei r

operationa

l capabilities
. Chie f amon g these gridlock-producin g transfer s i s th e jo g betwee

n Governmen

t Cente r an d Par k Stree t fo r passenger

s t o mov e betwee n th e Re d an d Blu e Lines
. Failin g t

o lin k th e Blu e an d Re d Line s directl y a

t Charles/MG H put

s a n unnecessar

y burde n on th e already-overloaded Gree n Line
. Th

e Red-Blue Connecto

r i s a n absolutely essentia

l piec e o f Boston' s rapi d transi t

infrastructur

e tha t ough t t o hav e bee n buil t decade s ago . Removin g th

e desig n requiremen

t wil l most

surel y push th e constructio n to th

e botto mo f

th e lis t o f immediat

e transit fundin g needs
. Thi s wil l hav e crushin g an

d cascadin

g consequence

s fo r th e Greate r Bosto n publi c transportatio n system, whic h relie s s o heavil y o

n commutin g pattern s an

d traffi c flow s tha

t ar e destine d for , o r pass through , on

e o f th e fou r transfe r stations
. Increasingly sever e delays , impossible-to-follo w schedulin g an d dangerousl

y crowded platform s ar

e jus t afe w example s o f

wha t w e ca n expec t to se e a t Boston' s hu

b station s withou t aRed-Blu

e Connector
. Furthermore , aRM^Blu e Connecto r open s man y possibilitie s fo r

extending variou s line s - most importantl y th

e long talke d abou

t extension o f

th e Blu e Lin e toward s Lynn
. Th e curren t Downtow n transfe

r statio n se t u p canno t handl e an y mor e traffi c abov

e incrementa

l increase s the

y receive fro mfluctuatio n i n ga s price s an

d othe r externalitie s whic h increas e transi t usage . I n additio n to streamlinin g variou s traffi c flow s serve d vi adouble connections , linkin g th

e Re d an d Blu e Line s woul d fre e capacit y fo r mor e throug h traffi c on al l lines
. Th e benefit s o f

aRed-Blue Connecto

r ar e man y an d ca n onl y b e realize d i f

w e hav e adesign
. Th

e pitfall s o f

no t proceedin g i n th e nea r ter m- o r outright removin g requirements to desig n i t - ar e many , an

d increas e exponentially ove

r time
. Th e focu s should not

b e abou t deferrin g issue s unti l later , bu t rathe r o n approachin

g difficul t topic s (suc

h a s funding ) i n asystemati

c an d pragmatic wa

y to d o wha t i s bes t fo r th e entir e Greate r Bosto n region
. W e ow e i t t o ourselve s to hav

e aworld-clas s transi t

syste mfo r th e world-clas s communitie s i n whic h w e live
. I n orde r to hel p u s achiev e thi s goa l an d hol d MassDO T accountabl e fo r stipulation s th

e Stat e mad e regardin g th e Bi g Dig , I urg

e MassDE

P t o rejec t th e propose d amendmen

t to remov e th e Red-Blue Connecto

r desig n lrequiremen

t fro m31 0 CM R7.36
. Sincerely , Joh n Leah y Brighton , M A O n Thu , Se p 13 , 201 2 a

t 9:4 7 PM , Joh

n Leah y <ihnlhv@gmail.com> wrote : Dea r Mr
. Grafe : Iwa s unabl e t o atten d eithe r o f th e publi c meeting s hel d today , 1 3 Septembe r 2012 ; a s such , please tak

e int o accoun t thi s writte n testimon

y wit h respec

t to th e topi c o f propose d amendment

s to 31 0 CM R7.36 , Transi t Syste mImprovements.
. Th e propose d amendment

s ar e simple , short-sighted solution s t o muc h broade r an d deepe r systemi c issus e for whic h Boston an

d environ s wil l b

e payin g amuch large

r pric e i n th

e future
. Specifically , removin g th e requiremen

t tha t MassDO T complet

e th e Red-Blue Connecto

r desig n i s counterproductiv e an d condemn

s th e cor e o f Boston' s rapi d transi t

networ k - Governmen

t Center, Par

k Street, Downtow n Crossin g an d Stat e Stree t station s - to aguarantee

d stat e o f gridloc k withi n aver

y shor t amoun t o f time
. Th e hub-and-spok

e mode l relie s fa r to o heavil y o

n doubl e connection s an

d ha s lef t th e aforementione d station s choke d b y passenge

r deman d exceedin g thei r operationa

l capabilities
. Chie f amon g thes e gridlock-producin g transfer s i s th e jo g betwee

n Governmen

t Cente r an d Par k Stree t fo r passenger s to mov e betwee n th e Re d an d Blu e Lines
. Failin g t

o lin k th e Blu e an d Re d Line s directl y a

t Charles/MG

H put s a n unnecessar

y burde n on th e already-overloaded Gree n Line
. Th

e Red-Blue Connecto

r i s a n absolutel

y essentia l piece o f Boston' s rapi d transit

infrastructur

e tha t ough t to hav e bee n buil t decade s ago . Removing th

e desig n requiremen

t wil l mos t surel y push th e constructio n t

o th e botto mo f

th e lis t o f immediat

e transit fundin g needs
. Thi s wil l hav e crushing an

d cascadin

g consequence

s fo r th e Greate r Boston publi c transportatio n system, whic h relie s s o heavil y on commutin g pattern s an d traffi c flow s tha

t ar e destine d for , or pas s through , on

e o f th e fou r transfe r stations
. Increasingly sever e delays , impossible-to-follo w schedulin g an d dangerousl

y crowded platform s ar

e jus t afe w example s o f

wha t w e ca n expec t to se e a t Boston' s hu

b station s withou t aRed-Blu

e Connector
. Furthermore , aRed-Blu

e Connecto

r open s man y possibilitie s fo r

extending variou s line s - most importantl y th

e lon g talke d abou

t extensio n o f th e Blu e Lin e toward s Lynn
. Th e curren t Downtow n transfe

r statio n se t u p canno t handl e an y mor e traffi c abov

e incrementa

l increase s the

y receive fro mfluxuation s i n ga s price s an

d othe r externalitie s whic h increas e transi t usage . I n additio n t

o streamlinin g variou s traffi c flows serve d vi a doubl e connections , linkin g th

e Re d an d Blu e Line s woul d fre e capacit y fo r mor e through traffi c on al l lines
. Th e benefit s o f

aRed-Blu

e Connecto

r ar e man y an d ca n onl y b e realize d i f

w e hav e adesign
. Th

e pitfall s o f no t proceedin

g i n th e nea r ter m- o r outright removin g requirements t o desig n i t - ar e many , an

d increas e exponentiall

y ove r time
. Th e focu s should no t

b e abou t deferrin g issues unti l later , bu t rathe r o n approachin

g difficul t topic s (suc

h a s funding ) i n asystemati

c an d pragmatic wa

y t o d o wha t i s bes t fo r th e entir e Greate r Boston region
. W e ow e i t t o ourselve s to hav

e aworld-clas s transi t

syste mfo r th e world-clas s communitie s i n whic h w e live
. I n orde r t o hel p u s achiev e thi s goa l an d hol d MassDOT accountabl e fo r stipulation s th

e Stat e mad e regarding th e Big Dig , I urg

e MassDE

P to rejec t

th e propose d amendmen

t to remov e th e Red-Blue Connecto

r desig n requiremen

t fro m31 0 CM R7.36
. Sincerely , 2Joh

n Leah y Brighton , M A