After 15 years, at a meeting with Boston Transportation Department officials Wednesday evening, Michael Tyrrell came one step closer to seeing his South Bay Harbor Trail project become a reality.
The meeting, which took place at the Mass Bay Credit Union Building in South Boston, was an open forum discussion regarding plans for the upcoming Melnea Cass Boulevard reconstruction, a section of the South Bay Harbor Trail, according to the Boston Transportation Department website.
Jim Gillooly, the deputy commissioner for the Boston Department of Transportation, said the city has recently received a $2.2 million Transportation Improvement Program grant to fund the reconstruction of the trail.
Gillooly updated the audience about the current standing of the proposal. City officials then addressed citizen’s questions, agreeing to host another meeting to continue hashing out finer details of the plan.
Approximately 50 people attended the meeting, and many were eager to offer constructive criticism and learn about the city’s plan.
For Tyrrell, the project is a personal achievement and, despite currently living in Providence, he still came out to support the cause.
“The goal was … that if we reached out with this vision to the various neighborhoods along the route, we could build a coalition, we could raise money and basically sell the idea to the Boston Department of Transportation,” Tyrrell said.
Tyrrell said the trail will connect different areas in the city.
“[The trail will] connect neighborhoods like Jamaica Plain and Roxbury down at what used to be the South Bay,” Tyrrell said. “So that way you bring all the benefits of the waterfront [and] you make it accessible to people who are living deeper in the city.”
Much of the discussion also focused on how best to integrate new bicycling regulations and ensure the safety of both pedestrians and bikers while traversing along Boston’s busy streets.
Jessica Feldish, the treasurer of the Boston Cyclists Union, said she came to the meeting to see what the city’s plans are for bike lanes.
“I ride my bike everyday and find myself frustrated with the fragmented sections of bicycling facilities that I feel safe using. So … the development of a trail that could be a connector between a place where I live and I place where I work is really interesting and important for me to learn more about.”
Feldish said the trail would also provide commuters with alternative options to congested roads.
“As Boston grows in population and we have more people moving about the city, roads are already congested with vehicle traffic and our public transportation system also is quite crowded,” Feldish said. “And so, if we are able to support people on protected bicycling facilities, then I think it’s a really important piece of the puzzle for having more options for people commuting [and] more options for people doing everyday things.”
For many attendees, the outcome of the project will have a direct impact on their lives, as bicycling is their main way to commute.
Vivian Ortiz, 53, of Mattapan, has been riding for almost ten years without a car.
“I started riding a bike because I wanted to have a different choice,” Ortiz said. “So, I do it for recreation purposes, I also do it for my health, but I do it, primarily, as a mode of transportation.”
However, there is still much work to be done, as Gillooly said. Construction on the Melnea Cass route will, at the earliest, begin in 2019.
