Rick Dimino

The building of additional roads is not a realistic solution to our current and future transportation challenges in the Boston area. Instead, we need to be more efficient with the use of our existing infrastructure and resources. This includes new approaches that may challenge some settled thinking.  

In the Seaport District along the flourishing South Boston Waterfront, the current roadways that served the area for many generations are now insufficient for the needs of today and the future. Fortunately, Massachusetts transportation officials are considering one meaningful change to a road that would improve access to this important area. 

A direct route to the Seaport area from Route I-93 currently exists through the South Boston Bypass Road, but the use of this road is limited to commercial vehicles only. The Bypass road continues to be a vital access road to Conley Terminal for freight and goods that are moved from the Port of Boston throughout New England. However due to the tremendous growth and economic activity throughout the Seaport area, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of commuters traveling each day to this section of Boston. The time has come to remove the current restriction and give all vehicles access to this road. This change would maximize the potential benefits from this piece of state roadway and help to reduce the traffic congestion other local Boston streets.  

MassDOT is currently taking public comment on its proposal to allow non-commercial vehicles onto the Bypass Road as a test for the next 12 months. It is an idea worthy of support not only because it helps address a transportation need, but it is also consistent with the history of how we have used the Bypass Road. If successful, this would be another update to how we use this two mile connection between I-93 to the western edges of the Seaport area alongside the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.  

A Transportation Solution 

The road was originally created in 1991 to give construction vehicles an exclusive route to build the Ted Williams Tunnel and the I-90 interchange, as part of the Central Artery Tunnel project. Once the tunnel opened in 1995, the state changed the rules so that any commercial vehicle could begin using this road. That adjustment resulted in many happy drivers traveling to Logan Airport through the Ted Williams Tunnel instead of sitting in traffic to use the Callahan Tunnel.  

A second change happened as a result of the 2015 South Boston Waterfront Sustainable Transportation Plan, which recommended a partial opening of the road to the public for six months. This controlled pilot program only allowed drivers to travel eastbound on the Bypass Road during the peak morning commute times. MassDOT monitored the impact of that adjustment and determined the Bypass Road still operated well below its traffic capacity and, more importantly, there were no notable delays for commercial vehicles when they shared the road with the general public. Now the state wants to test access to the road in a more comprehensive fashion, by allowing full access in both directions, 24 hours a day.  

The South Boston Waterfront Sustainable Transportation Plan projected that by 2035, there will be an additional 17 million square feet of development, so we need to continue investing in transportation services to keep pace with this growth. To deliver the necessary improvements to the area, this report called for new projects and many specific management changes that can deliver mobility and access improvements quicker than can be realized through significant capital infrastructure projects. 

The Bypass Road is an important transportation asset, but the overall approach to this road will dictate a larger message. There is an opportunity to make a meaningful change that will help, at no cost. Why not explore this change when the transportation need is so great?  

MassDOT is asking for the public to provide feedback on the proposed new approach towards the Bypass Road as it work with environmental agencies to monitor the potential impacts of more cars on this road. Overall, we need to test this idea and let the data dictate the longer-term policy. 

There are only a limited number of roads and highway ramps in the metropolitan Boston region and with the growing economy comes additional burdens on our transportation system. We cannot continue to let roads, ramps and our infrastructure go underutilized when slight changes in policy to better utilize our existing infrastructure would help commuters and the region’s future.  

Rick Dimino is president and CEO of A Better City.