Across the Fort Point Channel from the Greenway, the South Boston Waterfront is continuing its explosive growth, and the rapid development sweeping the area shows no signs of slowing. The latest: Vertex Pharmaceuticals recently opened the doors of its new headquarters in the Innovation District.
Recent estimates indicate that the area has added 4,000 jobs in the last four years alone. Some 30 million square feet of property has been developed since 1997, and there is the potential for an additional 15 million square feet in coming years. Infrastructure planning and investment set in motion more than three decades ago have spurred this steady pace of private sector investment and redevelopment in the Waterfront: the Boston Harbor Clean-Up, the Central Artery/Tunnel project, the South Boston Bypass Road, and construction of the Silver Line Tunnel from South Station, along with additional public sector investment in a new Federal Courthouse and the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and sharply increased maritime activity.
Faster-than-expected growth has increased tourism, residential population and commercial traffic in the area, leading to mobility challenges; approved and planned development is likely to increase these pressures even further. Furthermore, transit access to the South Boston Waterfront is approaching its capacity.
A Master Plan
To this end, the city of Boston, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Massport and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority will spend 2014 developing a transportation master plan for the South Boston Waterfront, devising comprehensive recommendations for addressing the transportation needs and challenges for one of the fastest growing areas of Massachusetts. The lock-step collaboration and investment between these entities has been impressive. Moreover, there has already been an additional amount of support from private sector stakeholders. A Better City is pleases to serve as the project manager for the development of this plan on behalf of all these stakeholders.
It has been almost 15 years since completion of the last transportation plan in the area – a comprehensive review of the Waterfront and its short, medium, and long-term transportation needs. It is time to take stock of what has been accomplished in the waterfront area and set the course for the next 20 years. Building upon the successes of Boston’s waterfront redevelopment to date and shaping the next two decades of growth and investment requires a fresh examination of the long-term vision for the South Boston Waterfront. The mission is to establish a new set of transportation goals, objectives, strategies and investments.
While this planning effort is underway, members of the South Boston community, key institutional stakeholders in the area from the business community, the visitor and maritime industries, and local elected officials will have numerous opportunities to provide advice and input; after all, it is these organizations and individuals that have the on-the-ground knowledge of the transportation challenges currently facing the area. They will be actively engaged in helping us devise our recommendations later this year.
Yet the city of Boston is not waiting for completion of this year-long planning effort to take proactive steps to relieve traffic congestion and improve mobility in the area. The city recently deployed 330 Smart Parking Sensors in strategic locations; they allow drivers with smartphones to see where parking is available without having to circle the block repeatedly. This will reduce both traffic levels and automobile pollution. New time to destination signs have been installed, providing drivers with their fastest route options in real time.
The South Boston Waterfront is an excellent example of how public sector investment can catalyze opportunity for private sector innovation, growth and job creation. With continued collaboration between thoughtful and dedicated public servants, the business and institutional community and residents, I am confident that we will, over the course of this and coming years, be able to chart the course for the next wave of investment, improvements and growth in this critical economic center of Boston and Massachusetts.
Rick Dimino is the president and CEO of A Better City.
