By Michael Coughlin Jr.
Last week, another meeting regarding the Tobin Bridge Long-Term Strategic Planning Study, which seeks to develop alternatives for its eventual replacement, was held online and at the Knights of Columbus in Charlestown.
To begin the meeting, Patrick Snyder, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) project manager, provided an overview of the study.
As mentioned, the study will look for eventual replacement options for the Tobin Bridge. However, according to the slideshow presentation, it will also “focus on ways to reconnect surrounding communities in Chelsea and Charlestown and build upon area sustainability goals. “
The study’s goals and objectives are to improve access, safety, and mobility for local communities, enhance the sustainability of the surrounding area and corridor infrastructure, improve regional connectivity, and develop actionable next steps.
“I want to emphasize that in looking at these, equity is an overarching lens for this study, and it is a consideration when we develop concepts and evaluate them,” said Snyder.
Additionally, when alternatives are developed, they will be evaluated based on specific criteria that are measured against the study’s goals and objectives. Examples of the criteria include social equity, safety, economic and land use impacts, and more.
Regarding the study timeline and its process, Snyder indicated that work has been completed on existing conditions and that work on future conditions began this past winter.
He then mentioned that alternative development will be assessed in the coming weeks and eventually analyzed. Draft and final recommendations will be made, and the study is projected to have final recommendations and next steps in spring/summer 2026.
After an overview of the study was provided, Michael Regan, project manager at VHB, reviewed feedback from the first public meeting in November.
Regan discussed responses to a question asked at the meeting about folks’ primary transportation sources, with walking and public transportation being the most popular.
“Common themes during the Q&A really focused on community engagement, public health, how important public transportation improvements and alternatives are going to be in the future,” said Regan.
He then shifted to discussing existing conditions, which, he indicated, sets up a framework for the rest of the study and helps inform the development of alternatives, among other purposes.
Some of the existing conditions evaluated were the demographics of Chelsea and Charlestown.
For example, Erica Blonde of HNTB talked about Chelsea’s diversity—a 67.8% Hispanic or Latino population—and its economic challenges—21.4% of residents live below the federal poverty line, double the state average.
Blonde indicated that the economic challenge in Chelsea is partly related to housing pressure, as almost half of households are cost-burdened.
“When I say cost-burdened, that means folks are spending 30% or more of their annual income on their housing,” she said.
She also noted that the community relies heavily on public transportation, as almost 30% of households do not have access to a vehicle.
Blonde then shifted to discussing the demographics of Charlestown, which is predominantly white and has a similar cost-burden population. She also mentioned that transit access differs from Chelsea in that Charlestown residents have access to the Orange Line.
Later, Niki Hastings of VHB highlighted the existing mobility conditions in the study area. First, she talked about mobility through transit and active transportation.
For example, she detailed the MBTA bus routes crossing the Tobin, such as the 111, 426, and 428. She also highlighted the lack of sidewalks and bike infrastructure on the Tobin and the limited pedestrian and biking facilities in Chelsea and Charlestown, among other items.
She also examined mobility through the lenses of vehicle connectivity, reliability, and safety. For example, she highlighted how 60% of trips on the Tobin originate north of Route 16, congestion and reliability issues, especially southbound, due to 43% of trips from the Tobin heading for I-93, and much more.
Eventually, the first poll of the night was conducted, which asked attendees in-person and online what their biggest mobility concern was regarding the existing Tobin Bridge crossing. The top concern among online attendees was traffic congestion and delays.
Next, the presentation shifted to existing economic and land use connections, which Regan highlighted. Regan provided information that underscored the importance of the Tobin Bridge connecting people to major employers and schools, planned housing production in the area, and how land uses are evolving.
Public health conditions were discussed, and the local study area had a 0.5% to 2.5% higher prevalence of chronic health conditions than the regional study area. Regan also noted that a comprehensive assessment of the environmental resources in the local study area was conducted.
Later, the second poll of the night was conducted. It asked attendees what would improve their quality of life near the bridge the most. The most popular answers among online attendees were reduced air pollution and noise from traffic.
After talking about existing conditions, future conditions were then highlighted.
“As a long-term strategic planning study, the key next step is to project our existing conditions to a future condition so that we can evaluate a longer term and compare our alternatives against those conditions and against the evaluation criteria,” said Regan.
Specifically, Regan noted that the study would be evaluated using a 2050 future condition since 25 years is the furthest they can confidently project out trends.
“Various data and assumptions are used to develop these future condition projections. We’re currently in the process of developing these projections and would like to review our methodology for four key areas,” he said.
First, Hastings looked at how future land use and demographic projections would be developed. She indicated they would be based on the central transportation planning staff statewide travel demand model, regional development trends, and developments in the pipeline.
“We’re estimating land use growth via three key demographics: population, households, and employment, and that all ties to that statewide model,” said Hastings.
Future roadway and transit conditions are also being considered. This will be done by identifying planned infrastructure projects and transit improvements slated to be in place by 2050 and working with agencies like the MBTA to confirm and adjust assumptions.
Hastings continued to discuss future conditions for volume growth of traffic and transit ridership, which uses the aforementioned statewide travel demand model.
“What this model does is it forecasts that interaction between land use that I talked about a few slides ago, which generates transportation demand and then capacity, which means the roadway network and the transit services themselves,” she said.
Finally, Regan provided an overview of environmental considerations, stating that the Tobin Bridge study area will face risks like extreme temperature fluctuations, increased precipitation, and flooding in places like the Mystic River.
“It’s important to remember these environmental considerations as we progress into alternative development where we can include strategies such as planning infrastructure with heat-resistant materials, identifying sea level rise, and integrating green infrastructure into conceptual alternatives,” he said.
The last poll of the night asked attendees what improvement is most important for a new crossing, and most online participants said reduced congestion and improved travel times.
To end the presentation, issues such as safety, regional connectivity, and more were discussed, as well as opportunities to help quell those issues.
Following the presentation, attendees could comment and ask questions, where various topics were touched on, such as the potential for a tunnel, potential impacts on other communities, and much more.
To view the public comment portion and a recording of the meeting, in its entirety, when it is posted, visit https://www.mass.gov/lists/tobin-bridge-planning-study-documents.
As for the next steps in this process, Snyder indicated that future conditions are slated to be finalized, and once they are, the initial alternative development will begin.
Moreover, the next public meeting is scheduled for sometime this summer or fall. For more information about this study visit, https://www.mass.gov/maurice-j-tobin-bridge-long-term-strategic-planning-study.