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Globe Editorial
THE BEST opportunity in decades to reinforce Boston’s working port now rests with a proposal in the hands of the US Department of Transportation. This is a good time to show that freight forwarders, ship repairers, and other water-dependent businesses belong on urban waterfronts every bit as much as office condos and design showrooms - and the current proposal should allow them all to coexist comfortably.
The Boston Redevelopment Authority is seeking $84 million in federal stimulus money for four port-related proposals: expanding the Black Falcon cruise terminal, upgrading rail lines in the Marine Industrial Park to accommodate bulk freight, rebuilding the 1940s-era jetties at the eastern edge of the Seaport District for shipping and vessel repairs, and reconstructing the access roads between Northern Avenue and remote waterfront parcels. If successful, the BRA estimates the project would yield 2,800 construction jobs and 5,000 permanent jobs over the 20-year build-out period.
Federal evaluators will be examining reams of competing transportation proposals in the next few months. But the BRA proposal stands out for its breadth. It taps into a growing segment of the tourism market, serves light industry, helps the environment by reducing truck traffic, and even could provide berths and repair services for the reserve military fleet. It’s a strong proposal, made stronger by the backing of the Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns or leases much of the property along the South Boston waterfront.
Upgrading the cruise terminal on the Reserved Channel should be the first order of business. Councilor Michael Flaherty recently likened the passenger experience to being “in someone’s basement’’ - a basement that needs to accommodate about 270,000 passengers during a cruise season that runs from April to November. Last year, 113 ships called at Black Falcon, many to pick up travelers who arrived by air for cruises of the New England and Canadian coasts. But the Massport-owned facility can’t comfortably accommodate customs checks, baggage screening, and boarding when multiple vessels are in port. With stimulus money, the terminal could accommodate a new generation of larger cruise ships capable of carrying more than 4,000 passengers.
The unused rail lines in the Marine Industrial Park are the only port-to-rail connection in the city. Upgrades and expansion of the rail lines could help launch 6,000 rail cars per year, eliminating about 24,000 truck trips, according to the proposal. That’s less rail traffic than it might seem - an average of about 16 cars worth per day - and wouldn’t significantly alter the atmosphere of the port. But it would open markets for lumber, steel, grain, road salt, and other bulk freight in and out of Boston. The rebuilding of three nearby jetties would serve both shipping interests and provide needed space for the local repair of tugs and barges.
Federal transportation evaluators want to stimulate both jobs and a belief in the country’s ability to move people and goods. How better than to approach the sea around us as offering more than just water views.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
