BOSTON—Better bus and train service, safe biking and walking routes, and appropriately-priced parking all have the potential to unlock thousands of jobs, create a brand-new neighborhood, and dramatically improve air quality in the area around Allston Landing in Boston, according to a new report released today by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in Boston, the regional planning agency for Greater Boston.

This new report, “The West Station Area Transit Study,” outlines a less auto-dependent vision for the future redevelopment of the part of Allston where the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) is slated to be rebuilt alongside a new commuter rail station. The study details how high frequency bus and rail, combined with safe bike lanes and fairly-priced parking, would reduce automobile trips generated by future development planned for this area. Frequent bus service would better connect low-income households to expected job growth in Allston, the study’s authors wrote.

“The chance to create an entirely new neighborhood is very rare,” said MAPC Executive Director Marc Draisen. “Planning for this area should be informed by past mistakes, such as an abundance of free parking, lack of high-frequency transit options, unsafe cycling conditions, and a lack of housing options that are affordable to a full range of residents. This recommendations in this report can reduce automobile traffic; move more people by walking, biking, and public transit; give residents much better access to the Charles River and other parks; and help lower-income households to benefit from good jobs and homes they can afford.”

“Redeveloping Allston Landing and creating a new commuter rail stop at West Station is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform what has been a very inaccessible area of our city into a climate-resilient, welcoming new neighborhood. It’s critical that we use this Allston multimodal project to create a safer urban environment, restore transit access that once existed, and reconnect the neighborhood to jobs, housing, and green space,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

Over the coming decades, a MassDOT-led initiative known as the “Allston Multimodal Project” will transform part of Allston and affect surrounding areas such as Brighton, Cambridge, and Brookline with major infrastructure changes and subsequent land development. The Project includes straightening the Mass Pike and bringing it to ground level; redesigning the tangled Allston Interchange; and constructing a new commuter rail station (known as West Station) on the MBTA Worcester/Framingham Line.

What happens afterwards makes this much more than just a transportation project, according to MAPC. Realignment of the highway will unlock 50-plus acres of land and air rights for development, and MAPC estimates this Allston Landing area has the potential for more than 11 million square feet of new construction, including housing, commercial, manufacturing, and academic uses.

MAPC analyzed different bus routes, rail service levels, separated bicycle lanes, and parking pricing scenarios to reveal of how certain development projects and policies could yield lower traffic conditions. Compared to what is currently planned for the Allston Multimodal Project, MAPC estimates that automobile trips to Allston Landing during the morning peak commute time could be reduced from almost 60% of all trips to below 40%, with the majority of people traveling to the new neighborhood by public transit, cycling, or walking.

The report also demonstrated that 15-minute frequency of rail service to and from West Station, compared to what is currently planned — approximately 4 inbound trips and 2 outbound trips each morning between 6 AM and 9 AM — would encourage more people to travel by train than by car. This shift would reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each morning.

The report examined the benefits that new bus rapid transit connections through Allston Landing could have for people living in Environmental Justice (EJ) communities, which are neighborhoods with high levels of low-income, minority, or immigrant populations. Compared to what is currently planned for the area, dedicated bus lanes with 9-minute frequency of service, extending to more neighborhoods of Boston and Cambridge, would allow EJ households to access 30,000 more job opportunities.

 The report also highlights the benefit of separated bike lanes with connections to the Charles River, and recommends that the Allston Multimodal Project incorporate a shared use path from Franklin Street to Agganis Way.

Finally, the report explored the role that market-rate parking costs could have in reducing auto trips to the site, and found that parking priced at $18 per day shifts about 1,300 auto trips in the peak morning period to public transportation, cycling, or walking. Fewer parking spaces also translates into more space for homes, jobs, parks, and biking/walking lanes.  The report recommends that the City of Boston and Harvard University incorporate a strong parking management plan into the site level planning and permitting process.

“No one measure alone will produce the results that stakeholders want for this new neighborhood in Allston,” said Draisen. “However, multiple efforts taken in concert can create one of the best neighborhoods in the metro region. Without such planning — and policies and funding to implement those plans — we could see another neighborhood where housing benefits mainly the well off, job opportunities are limited to a select few, and climate challenges worsen.  We have it in our power to choose a better path.”

 For more information and to view the full report, visit mapc.org/resource-library/west-station-area-transit-study.

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