MASTER HIGHWAY PLAN f948 jo* tUe BOSTON METROPOLITAN AREA ' . _ Barton* Point ANewPlan^oftGreatl'ownofBOSl'ONinNewEiffitodjnAM] With the niatlV" -**ArWiMr»*ia11 RuiMinos v^ftw.Strcpr a to theYear: 1100. J a'lcU~ iiwr ***** ,'!,., tffU^t^i, i ***. **S~v •/*-+ 7>~.y*.*, *,* ** '** it'*i~~ t 'L/.nJ~* 4lb**f&m,u,J>*A *A**l*»+//tni*tf**i~i fh+vkm/.Jf* **>y r*A qdb/t*npmf7m\m ~dC*m*> 9 .tit t\,$/fA.-. v j$ attj ft*m mmJ^Mtdef ***** r» A'*r*?J, fit * rtt> tftAt /*tA*4tsnn* M* Sw>*nJj *fM/Jr'+rrto or* eA \a£v**t/rvn /%** *»>%** **uA *#*rjf §J m £y~ «•</£•* J*Ld ^Zyy—r.-^ w >-r*r. ^ 2 uS 'FoxHill. \rieti flc TVnchHouCT* ji>l „ II w Common ** .^ittSii**£&& \ icbool AT. 1 1 li m And e*&mm*lU**JlMi mJ/l«~n&&f fJ lyAA «&W Off" OjUrm. C* h£/i/*L RjtaJ-*X*atmM Aim *-** \n° iWte? yv rui W *hjh> , *v~*. \. m *.-* ScaJeof iaMile W$9%tury lfTrmtpJ*J>. J'/.t/ltTif Au.Ovm.ify m3hwnXm/*. yf*+*~. Sy.tf.*virt&vr*Bnj/t M.OUHrrtAM... c .Jcuri' tjru*UuvrAffr{. Gre*tFire«. Ci'UjtnUi nt iffa d . fltrrm tjrwihfd'iAtv/. J>J1nJit^fh/tfK/.' lift iKuui 'OumlFaFbMt t .Tl'n.h'nqJdlrti. r.£rJ//&/'M :. /#>* TtunC iti-jf '7" .JlrutmMil HwtA. iff} 1-14 \Ttnm. Cntfuru : Fijik iftt aJKn/TUrthm KJM^yS S^Ax?}X) ^SmnUJlMt^ 7fhttau ImUc lf+% i:JlatiJmb\f!t . ijie Slxdi itfi.Tydi *^XIl!it*Ai&j/.£,*a,,.. Jijcdi xJ>*uA.m 171* . Jtuaidi tnii 731 rSZfh*,*i m n* 1 * 1*. j,. A jt-.r/r.... \Jlkn,n'BnxUJl/. ..rju 'c~JL<tS~i FINE ARTS D BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY Odfy- > TH E MASTER HIGHWAY PLAN for the BOSTON METROPOLITAN AREA SUBMITTED TO HIS EXCELLENCY, ROBERT F. BRADFORD Governor of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts BY THE JOINT BOARD FOR THE METROPOLITAN MASTER HIGHWAY PLAN based upon a TRAFFIC SURVEY by the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION, FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY PARTICIPATING CHARLES A. MAGUIRE AND ASSOCIATES Consulting Engineers BOSTON in cooperation with De Leuw, Cather and Company, Chicago J. E. Greiner Company, Baltimore February 1, 1948 1 FINE ARTS SEPT. * •04-33 ^n JOINT BOARD FOR THE • METROPOLITAN MASTER HIGHWAY PLAN Appointed by Executive Directive, August 9, 1947 William H. Buracker, Chairman Commissioner of Public Works Elisabeth M. Herlihy, Vice Chairman William T. Morrissey, Vice Chairman Chairman, State Planning Board Commissioner, Metropolitan District Commission Harold J. Duffy, Secretary Chairman, Technical Committee Metropolitan Project Engineer, State Planning Board 1 1 Beacon Street, Boston 8, Massachusetts TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Ralph E. Tribou Philip H. Kitfield District Engineer, Public Roads Administration Chief Engineer, Department of Public Works Benjamin R. Davis George H. Delano Chief Park Engineer, Metropolitan District Commission Project Engineer, Department of Public Works Benjamin W. Fink Edgar F. Copell Associate Civil Engineer, Metropolitan District Commission Traffic Engineer, Department of Public Works Ralph D. Kelley Joseph C. Cressy Senior Civil Engineer, Metropolitan District Commission Assistant Traffic Engineer, Department of Public Works Otis D. Fellows Louis H. Smith Chief Engineer, State Planning Board Assistant Civil Engineer, State Planing Board i_yAe lot.a7?i7rici<n6Cfie<xccA <Y \_yfflczd4a<mude/'/& JOINT BOARD FOR THE METROPOLITAN MASTER HIGHWAY PLAN February 1, 1948 Honorable Robert F. Bradford Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State House, Boston, Massachusetts your excf.llf.ncy: J. he Joint Board, organized in compliance with your Excellency's directive of August 9, 1947 for the purpose of prepar- ing a Master Plan of Highways for the Boston Metropolitan Area, hereby submits its report as directed, together with the report of its consulting engineers. The Board has been fortunate in having as its consulting District Commission, and the District Engineer of the Public engineers Charles A. Maguire and Associates of Boston and their Roads Administration, Federal Works Agency. Federal funds affiliates, in costs of Master Plan study DeLeuw, Cather and Company of Chicago, and J. E. have participated defraying the the Greiner Company of Baltimore. Exceptionally well qualified and its related traffic survey. for this type of work, the consultants, through their highly The Master Plan as developed for the Area, which includes trained technical staff, have achieved remarkable progress in the 23 cities and towns in addition to Boston, is based upon the origin relatively short time allotted them. The Joint Board has also and destination traffic survey which was conducted by the Depart- had the assistance of a Technical Committee composed of engi- ment of Public Works in co-operation with the Public Roads neers from the three participating State agencies, the Department Administration, Federal Works Agency. A complete description of Public Works, State Planning Board, and the Metropolitan of the survey, the analysis of the data, and its interpretation for III assignment to traffic routes are included in the consulting engi- ments to existing streets is estimated to be $322,000,000. A pro- neers' report. gram of stage construction, based upon priority of need and indi- cating costs by construction periods is also included. This, how- The system of highways, proposed by the Joint Board as a ten-year construction program for the relief of traffic congestion ever, is a flexible arrangement and may be varied from time to to suit changing traffic or fluctuating financial in the Area, embodies as its backbone a network of expressways time demands con- the the it of latest modern design and of sufficient capacity to take care of ditions. Considering magnitude of plan as proposed is surprising that the cost estimates reach into the traffic needs of the Area for many years to come. The major not many millions expressways will be of limited access type, providing for swift, of dollars. uninterrupted flow of traffic and with no entering or cross streets As was pointed out by Your Excellency in the directive of except at prescribed points of interchange where grades will be August 9, the highway problems of the Commonwealth are not separated. The pattern of expressways, as indicated by maps ac- confined to the Metropolitan Area. In addition to those of this companying the consultants' report, takes the form of eight Area there exist throughout the remainder of the State many radial routes projecting in as many directions from an inner points of acute traffic congestion, many miles of inadequate high- circumferential or belt highway around the City. All of the ways, many bridges of insufficient width and strength. These proposed routes and the belt highway are described in detail problems are recognized in the current report of the Department and shown by separate maps in the report. of Public Works on State Highway Needs. To correct these con- Improvements to existing streets and highways will be neces- ditions, many additional millions of dollars will be needed. sary to supplement the major expressway system in order that In attempting to produce a financing program for the Metro- efficient collection and distribution of traffic to and from the politan Plan the needs of the remainder of the State must be kept expressways may be effected. These proposed improvements in mind, and a fair balance maintained in order that an equitable vary in magnitude from major street widenings and grade sepa- expenditure of highway funds may result. Current gasoline tax rations to re-arrangement of one-way streets, channelization of incomes will undoubtedly prove inadequate to provide for under- traffic, and installation of traffic lights. The report calls attention writing the program on a "pay-as-you-go" basis. On the other to the importance of off-street parking as a means of getting the hand, attempting to scale construction progress down to meet the greatest use out of our highway systems, both present and pro- tempo of normal highway fund income would prolong comple- posed, and cites the advisability of conducting complete parking tion of the Plan too far into the future. Means should be found surveys as the basis for long range planning of parking facilities. that will provide for an accelerated ten-year construction pro- The report forcefully discusses the necessity for complete gram, and at the same time keep gasoline tax levies within rea- coordination between transit and highway planning and stresses sonable bounds. the importance of integration of this Master Highway Plan with Your Joint Board, being firmly of the opinion that speed of the transit development plans of the Metropolitan Transit Recess accomplishment is the very essence of the proposed metropolitan Commission and the Metropolitan Transit Authority. highway system, urges that every reasonable step be taken to The report presents estimates of costs which include con- bring about its effectuation within the prescribed ten-year period. struction at current prices and land damages at assessed values. As previously pointed out, this cannot be accomplished under The total cost of the Master Highway Plan, including improve- any "pay-as-you-go" policy, based upon present highway funds. IV While it is essential that the expressway system be completed in A serious impediment to all major highway development in the shortest time possible, it should be remembered that the recent years, one which may well continue for some time, has system is designed to tare tor our major highway needs for years been caused by the housing situation. Although every possible into the future. It is only reasonable to expect that the future attempt is always made in laying out highways to avoid the tak- users of the system should share in its cost. It is recommended ing of residential property, it is impossible to locate new arterial that beyond the amounts which may be appropriated from cur- routes in urban areas without affecting some homes.