Just the Facts: Sullivan Square Design Debate

A summary of the Sullivan Square/Rutherford Ave Design Project, from the BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.

"Today, traffic congestion at Sullivan Square is due to a badly designed and dangerous rotary, not because of inadequate lanes of traffic. The new design:

• Eliminates the rotary and replaces it with conventional surface streets and signalized intersections to manage traffic-flow,
• Provides Rutherford Avenue with enough traffic lanes to continue to provide for smooth traffic-flow to Everett and to account for removing the underpass, 
• Extends Spice Street to Rutherford Avenue to allow for Cambridge Street traffic to bypass the rotary area. 

Today the rotary and the underpass provide a dangerous barrier between the Charlestown neighborhood, Orange Line stations and proposed housing and community facilities and are a blight on the quality of life for local residents. The new design will:

• Create safe pedestrian-scale streets and crossings connecting to Sullivan Square and Community College stations,
• Use the newly available right-of-way to provide for a linear park connecting City Square to Ryan Playground,
• Reorient the intersection of Main and Bunker Hill Streets to reduce cut-through traffic,
• Increase the amount of on-street parking for Charlestown residents,
• Create parcels for neighborhood-scale housing developments."

THE OPPOSITION, led by residents Bill Galvin and John Dillon, say the plan will:

• divert excessive traffic through Charlestown worsening an already difficult rush hour commute
• be affected by a plan to build an IKEA and other new stores in Assembly Square, which will increase traffic through Sullivan Square.

• They also argue public meetings on the plan were not properly advertised.

THE SURFACE OPTION SUPPORTERS say the plan will:

• reduce congestion, improve bus service and connections to Sullivan Station

• eliminate underpass
• create gridded street network at surface to provide drivers with multiple options to move through area
• build usable green space in center of circle and along edges and create safe pedestrian crossings in area including at JJ Ryan Jr. Playground, add multi-use path to Alford Street Bridge

• provide 450 on-street parking spaces

• create several new blocks that can be developed to capitalize on proximity to Sullivan Station, increasing job opportunities, housing, and tax revenues
• cost $12 million less than a plan that would retain the underpass.
• They also point out that the plan has been endorsed by the community and the Neighborhood Council after eight well-attended meetings over a course of 18 months.