Joe Mason sent to me via email a letter that he, as president of the East Boston Land Use Council, sent to the Central Artery/Tunnel project in the spring of 2003 noting the risks to public safety of the walkway from the relocated Airport T station to Porter or Bremen streets. The letter asks that the area be well lighted and outfitted with closed circuit television and panic buttons, which connect with the police.
Those features were never included and, of course, this is where the three attempted sexual assaults occurred last week. If you click the headline above or "Comments" below you can read that letter and also a statement sent today from the Land Use Council to Fox News 25.
3 comments:
Mr. Mike Lewis Central Artery Tunnel Project Boston, Massachusetts Reference: Extension of Airport T Station Walkway March 24th,2003 Dear Mr. Lewis
I am sending you this letter for several reasons, all of which are due to concerns over the Artery’s failure to make a 100% commitment to the SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS OF EAST BOSTON.
As you know I have been attending meetings on the C.A.T. work in East Boston for well over three years. So when I state at these meetings we will not accept compromise of the public’s safety, we mean just that. The importance of the C.C.T.V.Cameras, and the Panic buttons, as far as Public Safety is concerned, is the Publics highest priority on this project.
At last Wednesdays C.A.T. meeting the issue of the 500-foot extension of the walkway to get to the new Airport T Station was again on the agenda as it was the previous month. This walkway as you know is going to be used by the residents of East Boston. We have demanded for years that this walkway have C.C.T.V. CAMERAS, PANIC BUTTONS (like on T platforms), and BE EXTREMLY WELL LIGHTED. Again at this meeting we could not get a reassurance that we would get these BASIC SAFETY MEASURES for this dangerous walkway. I refuse to listen anymore to the statement. "WE UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS,AND WILL TAKE THEM BACK,AND HAVE A RESPONSE AT NEXT MONTHS MEETING" closed quote.
This letter is to serve as a LEGAL NOTICE to the Central Artery, that if you fail to do as promised and provide the above conditions to insure the PUBLICS SAFETY, we hold the Central Artery 100% LEGALY responsible for ANYTHING that may happen TO ANYONE. Including any of the following: MUGGINGS, ASSAULTS, RAPES, MURDERS, and OR CRIMES OF ANY NATURE.
I am very upset, and frustrated that the Central Artery will not put this issue to bed once and for all. I like many East Boston residents feel that when it comes to the PUBLICS SAFETY on this issue the Central Artery is trying to pinch pennies at our expense.
If it was not for me putting a front page article in the East Boston Times the Boston Police would not have known to show up at this meeting. They said there has been no contact for OVER A YEAR in regards to coordinating the many Police jurisdictions that cover this area in preparation for this Walkway. As you know it involves the Boston, M.B.T.A., State, and Municipal Police organizations. So I am now asking for you to get involved, and get this matter under control as soon as possible. I do not even want to see another C.A.T. meeting take place if this issue is not resolved. If the Central Artery does not treat this as a priority, I along with many others will do everything possible to put the discussion out into the mainstream media. I will invite every single T.V. Station, and Print Media to a press conference right at the beginning of that walkway. WE ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS, AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE CENTRAL ARTEY TO TREAT US AS SUCH. Thank You Joseph J. Mason President East Boston Land Use Council
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Official Statement of the East Boston Land Use Council
September 9th, 2007
To Fox 25 news:
Attached you will see a letter sent to Mike Lewis of the Central Artery in regards to the East Boston Community being concerned for the safety of the Walk Way that was extended when they moved the Airport T station because it was in the way of the Big Digs work in East Boston.
This was part of a massive 3-way land swap deal that actually started in 1998. Massport paid about 100 million dollars to Park,and Fly to go out of business.
Park, and Fly was operating a 1500 car Parking lot 24 hours a day, where the now beautiful Bremen Street Park now sits.
In exchange for that they would get a parcel of land called Robie Park,and the third part was to demolish the old Airport T stop,and move it 550 feet further a way from the community entrance at the corner of Porter ,and Orleans streets.
The building of the Bremen Street Park,as well as the entire budget for the New Airport T Stop came from the Big Dig Budget,and not THE City of Boston.
The Walk Way was on the agenda almost every meeting we had with Barletta Construction,Mike Lewis,The M.B/T/A/,as well as Mass Hihway.We were promised the C.C.T.V.Cameras,and Panic buttons if we the Community agreed to let them move the Airport T.Stop.
We had meetings with all of the above agencies for over 5 years,and we never gave up on the Fact that this was going to be a place where Security had to be the most important priority.
However as the Big Dig budget was coming under intense scrutiny ,items began to be deleted out of the East Boston Big Dig work.Including the cameras,and Panic buttons.
Now they have left us a disaster that as you can see was clearly projected years ago,and was ignored.
This entire area is in desperate need to have the design flaws corrected as soon as possible ,and before another person is assaulted.
But one of the other crucial problems lies with Massport,and they need to act as quick as possible.They must STOP having their employee shuttles drop off workers after the Airport T stop is closed. As of now they pick them up at various terminals ,and then drop them off to walk that Walk Way of Death at 1,2,3,4,5, a.m..They should be dropping them off at the Community entrance to the Walkway at Porter ,and Orleans,or maybe Maverick Station.
They currently have shuttles that take their employees all the way to Chelsea,so why not for the East Boston employees.
This is an unsafe area that NO ONE should feel comfortable,or use until they secure it. It simply has to many access points where you can be assaulted,raped,or killed.
NO ONE should be using the Walk Way once the Bremen Street Park,and Memorial Stadium Parks are closed.There is NO good reason to see anyone hanging around ,or playing ball at 1,2,3,4,5,in the morning.
The Solution to the walk way is not expensive,it just requires people to care about other peoples safety.
The Big Dig /Central Artery,as well as The M.B.T.A.,and Massport should foot the bill,and NOT the city of Boston,because this only benefited them,and not our fine community.
Solutions needed are;
1- all new lighting,it must look like daytime down there.
2- install C.C.T.V.Cameras,and Panic Buttons that cover not only the walk way but the Bremen,and Memorial Parks
2a- as THEY DID INSIDE THE T. STOP(The T has every single inch video taped inside the station ,but not a single camera outside
3- Access should be Denied after closing time
4- All parcels must be Re-Zoned to eliminate the numerous jurisdictions that exist in this area, In the matter of walking 50 feet you can walk through ,M.B.T.A.,Boston,State,and Massport police controlled property.
Again this was also a topic at all of the C.A.T.Meetings before construction began,as well as for years as it was going on.
Without a fast,and firm commitment from all parties that benefit from this project our residents will forever be in danger In this no mans land.
Joseph J. Mason
President
East Boston Land Use Council
I agree to every thing you said in that statement, the minute you come off a bus from logan to airport station and continue to walk in to the entry gate, into the stadium, look to your left towards the turf it's wide open without being gated,without lighting 2am in the morning,a recipe for kidnappers and rapists, and screams would not be heard by nobody,very isolated area to be in 2am in the morning
Let's see....2003...I moved here in 2005 and the park wasn't open yet and there was a very badly lit walkway surrounded by high fencing (great trap) that you had to get on to get to the airport T station.
That's is gone now though. Now you can walk straight into the park and into the t-station.
I think that area is pretty well lit and such if we are talking about T-entry point. Not talking about the entire park since I am not 100% sure where my fellow East Boston residents were attacked.
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