The Summer Street Pilot Program Is Coming Soon

by Rick Winterson

An important trio of Open Houses has begun. Last Thursday evening, April 13, from 5 to 8 p.m., the staff of a Transit Team from the Boston Transportation Department (the BTD) hosted a Community Open House at South Boston’s Hampton Inn. The Transit Team Director is Matt Moran; he assembled several professionals from the BTD and the BPDA (the Boston Planning & Development Agency) to oversee the Open House. The substance of this first meeting was presented in a series of posters and handouts, which were explained by the Transit Team. The central topic of these three Open Houses is called “The Summer Street Pilot Program”.

Right now, there are wellknown problems with Summer Street traffic. Currently, it includes private autos, public transit, and increasing truck transport from the Conley Terminal, along with significant bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Safety is a key issue, of course. In addition, Summer Street already becomes overcrowded at peak hours, which leads to delays - especially for buses. And demand for rapid, reliable transit will increase significantly. For example, construction is well underway at the old Edison Plant site; a major life sciences development has been proposed between Elkins and First Streets.

The “South Boston Transportation Action Plan” (the SBTAP) is a huge City of Boston effort that aims to reduce or eliminate traffic problems here, immediately and over a horizon of 15 years. Also, the SBTAP will develop a transit plan for the Seaport District, and even a Rapid Bus Corridor to North Station. The first major step in this plan will be “The Summer Street Pilot Program” we have mentioned above.

So what does a “Pilot Program” involve? Simply stated, it means that several different steps to improve the Summer Street traffic problems will actually be tested on Summer Street itself, during workdays for several months. Piloting is a very useful way to get a “real-time/real-life” picture of what works (as well as what does not). For example, adaptive traffic signals could temporarily be erected along Summer Street. These signals will change their intervals, depending on how congested Summer Street becomes each day. Dedicated bus and truck lanes can be tried for a while, to accurately determine how well these lanes work. Various directional signs can be tested – those signs that work under actual conditions can then be made permanent. “The Summer Street Pilot Program” will take place over six months. Exact dates haven’t been determined yet, but the Pilot Program should begin around Memorial Day and extend nearly to the end of 2023.

Yesterday evening, April 19, a 5 to 8 p.m. meeting on “The Summer Street Pilot Program” took place at the Tynan Community Center. Until 6:30, the Pilot Program was on display, the same as it had been at the Hampton on the 13th. More than a hundred South Boston residents attended. Then, the BTD’s Transit Team Director Matt Moran presented the elements of the “Pilot Program” verbally with accompanying slides until just past 7 p.m. These elements included a brief history of South Boston and how it grew into its present state. The numbers quoted are impressive – 31,000 people will eventually reside in the Seaport District; it will be the source of 89,000 jobs. Summer Street has seen an increase of 250% in workday commuters, and 40 to 50 mph speeding along the street is frequent. Of special concern is the increased popularity of bicycling and the 675 trucks that travel Summer Street every day.

City Council President Ed Flynn spoke after the BTD’s presentation. He expressed his doubts about the Pilot Program, and asked that it begin in October to measure post-summer traffic and the effects of winter. Audience members then spoke up. In general, they were quite skeptical about the proposed Pilot Program, for reasons that extended to serious doubts about bicycle traffic during cold, wet weather, and a concern that the Pilot Program rules would automatically become permanent once they were put into place. Your input as a resident who’ll use Summer Street now and in the future is still needed. To find out more about “The Summer Street Pilot Program”, please plan to attend the third Community Open House on Monday, May 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. at District Hall (75 Northern Avenue in the South Boston Seaport District; from South Station take the Silver Line to its first stop, “Courthouse”). Or you can visit boston.gov/summer-street-pilot.

In honor of One Boston Day, Perry School students gave back to their community. On Friday morning, third- and fourth-grade students cleaned up M Street Beach and in the afternoon, fifth- and sixth-grade students cleaned up Farragut/Marine Park. Meanwhile, first-grade students painted kindness rocks in the school’s outdoor classroom. Great job, kids!