Michelle Wu, Councilor Liz Breadon, Community Advocates Call on the State to accelerate West Station, embrace at-grade vision for the Allston Multimodal Project

Boston, MA— Michelle Wu joined Councilor Liz Breadon and Allston community members in strong support of the at-grade vision for the Allston Multimodal Project, accelerating the construction of West Station and opening of two-track service, the introduction of new North-South bus routes, and the establishment of new pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure to create a safer urban environment for residents of Allston and the surrounding communities. The project has the backing of a broad, diverse coalition of environmental advocates, transit and mobility organizations and businesses. 

Speakers urged Governor Baker and Acting Secretary Tesler to embrace a bold vision for the  Allston multimodal project and avoid the design mistakes of the 20th century that put cars over transit riders, pedestrians and cyclists. 

The Allston Viaduct is close to the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced, providing an opportunity to make improvements to the area. 

“The Allston multimodal project is a generational opportunity to repair the highway harms of the past and connect our communities. With federal funding in this moment of recovery, we need hands-on leadership in Boston to steer our infrastructure projects and fight for investments that will lay the foundation for mobility and resilience for generations to come,” said Michelle Wu. 

“The realignment of I-90 offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to reconnect the Allston neighborhood to the Charles River and to build 21st century transportation infrastructure that helps reduce carbon emissions,” said Councilor Liz Breadon.

“We have a once-in-a generation opportunity to rectify a serious oversight. With federal funding, we can create an alternative that allows us to become a regional transit hub and help eliminate the traffic congestion that is only getting worse,” said Anthony D’Isidoro, President of Allston Civic.

“When this project was first built, they could have built a little further south and spared the community - but they didn’t. They took our housing, community facilities and commuter rail stations, and left us with a barrier dividing the neighborhood and cutting us off from the Charles River, which should be a great asset. This is a great opportunity to build back a better road and put back the transit that was once here, and I thank Councilor Wu for her leadership,” said Fred Salvucci, Former State Transportation Secretary and Special Lecturer and Research Associate at the Transit Group within the MIT Department of Urban Studies. 

"Boston's future depends on the kind of forward looking thinking embodied in Michelle Wu's advocacy for the at-grade design of the Allston Multimodal project, and for the significant sustainable mobility benefits arising from a new West Station and redesigned access to the Charles River. Michelle understands how opportunities like this will frame whether and how Boston grows equitably and sustainably. I'm grateful for her leadership and her persistence on these critical issues,” said Jim Aloisi, lifelong Boston resident and former State Transportation Secretary. 

“The Allston Multimodal project provides a generational opportunity to create a city that prioritizes people over fossil fuel infrastructure. Climate justice in Boston means ensuring safe access to green spaces, prioritizing public transit and pedestrian walkways, and providing freedom from the noise and pollutants of major highways. Councillor Wu’s support for Allston community advocates’ vision, and for transit justice more broadly, is yet another reason why Sunrise Boston is proud to have endorsed her bid for mayor,” said Sunrise Boston.