Thank You!The RCIC is pleased to announce that the Boston Transportation Department has chosen the surface option for Rutherford Avenue, including the Austin Street intersection (http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/Default.aspx?id=6022). We greatly appreciate all the time and energy our fellow neighbors in Charlestown contributed to this decision. We thank Mayor Menino, BTD, and Congressman Capuano for ensuring that everyone had a chance to be informed of this re-design and to voice their opinion on it. This was just the first of many steps to make the Rutherford corridor work much better for all of us. We hope everyone will stay engaged as the more detailed design process begins this year. We will be maintaining this site as a resource for collaboration with BTD to ensure the best possible outcome for our community. Please check back soon for updates.
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MeetingsSullivan Square Disposition Study
Meeting #2 Tuesday, June 25, 2013 6:30 - 8:30 pm Schrafft's Center Cafeteria 529 Main Street, Charlestown Links to materials from Dec 6th BTD meeting: Meeting Slides Preview Preliminary Austin St Traffic Signal Data. |
A Road To Bring Us Together
Charlestown is facing a historic opportunity to redesign Rutherford Avenue as a vibrant city street that works for everyone, instead of a quasi-highway that divides. While the expansion of Rutherford Avenue in the 1950's-60’s addressed significant traffic issues of the times, the road is far wider than needed today due to changing traffic patterns.
After completion of the Big Dig, I-93 is more attractive to commuters traveling into Boston. Rutherford Avenue's 10 lanes are no longer needed. The congestion now is a result of traffic pinch points at the Sullivan Square rotary and construction projects at the Alford Street Bridge and the Mystic/Tobin Bridge. And where there is open road, cars sometimes go over 55 mph very close to the homes of Charlestown residents. A redesigned Rutherford can calm this traffic and move it smoothly, so cars don't cut through our neighborhood.
Chain link fences, concrete barriers, and large open channels separate our neighborhood from the opposite side of the street and make it difficult to get to nearby neighborhoods of Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville. We want a road that effectively handles regional transportation and works best for Charlestown residents and businesses.
After completion of the Big Dig, I-93 is more attractive to commuters traveling into Boston. Rutherford Avenue's 10 lanes are no longer needed. The congestion now is a result of traffic pinch points at the Sullivan Square rotary and construction projects at the Alford Street Bridge and the Mystic/Tobin Bridge. And where there is open road, cars sometimes go over 55 mph very close to the homes of Charlestown residents. A redesigned Rutherford can calm this traffic and move it smoothly, so cars don't cut through our neighborhood.
Chain link fences, concrete barriers, and large open channels separate our neighborhood from the opposite side of the street and make it difficult to get to nearby neighborhoods of Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville. We want a road that effectively handles regional transportation and works best for Charlestown residents and businesses.
