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The immortal Fort Point pothole and how it got that way
By adamg on Sun, 01/21/2024 - 2:29pm
On the Channel explores the pothole that just keeps getting bigger on Thomson Place, an increasingly busy Fort Point Street because Boston Public Works won't fix it, not because the department is shirking its duties but because of the street's oddball status as a private way. With a detailed history of why the street remains a private way, going back to the turn of the 20th century.
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Pretty cut and dry
https://www.boston.gov/departments/public-works/public-vs-private-ways
Very interesting!
Looks like standard issue street signage, so I'm assuming that kind of stuff does fall under the city's purview. I wonder if the city will do the plowing, if it ever snows again :-)
there's 1000 just like this,
there's 1000 just like this, check out Washington street in roslindale!
Old but Still Used
Living on such a private way myself we have learned a lot over time.
For one, streets must be a certain width to be converted to being a city street. You need spaces for sidewalks, etc. It goes well beyond that of course.
One street in my area with a private designation is short just a few feet in width, so any effort would require the city to take by eminent domain, or by sale, to take enough frontage of private property to make it a city street. That would change the lot size and change the taxation. SO anything private now is likely to remain that way given the cascading impact on everything.
Any occupant of a private way can make improvements. No specific occupant can be compelled to make improvements.
City support consists of utilities and just enough snow plowing so that emergency vehicles can gain access. After that you are on your own. In theory they are supposed to fill potholes just enough for passage of emergency vehicles.
The broader question is why the hole is getting bigger.
Entropy increases
Potholes by their nature get bigger, as freeze-thaw cycles cause water to force its way into cracks and then make them bigger. Automobile traffic only accelerates the process.
Private Way?
But is it a private way?
I worked at Thomson in their heyday in the late 90s and shortly after the street was renamed. (it was renamed in the mid-90s, I think).
We (employees) were told that Thomson Place was it was renamed from Pittsburg St. The keyword there being renamed. I don't recall it being a 'private way' (but I could be / am probably wrong).
Regardless, the street should have reverted back to its original name of Pittsburg St after Thomson left. Or maybe that is what needs to be done to fix this issue... the city needs to rename this / take this back as a public street.. on the books. Its already open to Seaport Blvd after being closed/gated for so many years.
Private Way means not public property
It may or may not be open to the public. Another example of a private way is Ring Road in the Prudential Center (the street that goes between Boylston & Huntington next to the Star Market) -- it even has traffic lights at each end! But the City doesn't own it, so they're not responsible for the upkeep. Similarly, there are a number of small streets/alleys downtown which seem like they are private but are actually public ways -- City Hall Ave, by Old City Hall, is a public street, for example.
Thomson Place was privately owned before the name change, and rhe signs on the intersecting streets indicate by the text "PVT WAY" that it is a private way. If the owners give the street up to the City, they lose control over things like parking on the street...
Ring Road
Two busy bus routes, 9 and 39, run on this "private" street.
Ring Road was recently closed for quite a while.
I assumed it was the city digging up the street, but if was the abutters, I wonder who was responsible for planning/paying. Unless I'm missing something, the only businesses that actually face the street are the Star Market, the California Pizza Kitchen, and Saks, but I suspect the latter two are actually part of the Prudential Center, which faces Boylston. Must be a nightmare for the parties involved trying to figure all this stuff out!
The abutters
Along Ring Road and Thomson Place are all tenants. I'm pretty sure Boston Properties owns the Prudential Center complex so they'd be on the hook for keeping Ring Road maintained. Sometimes the "digging up" of the street is done by utilities like Verizon or Ever(out)source so they'd be coordinating with the property owner on that work.
Then there's Dorchester Avenue, which is a city street
... but the Post Office gets to close it to the public!
I believe it was Homeland Security….
…. that closed it after 911. Along with the section of the Harborwalk that runs alongside the Fort Point Channel on that side.
Both should have been returned to public use a long time ago.
Another public street closed to the public for security reasons is the short bit at the top end of Mount Vernon St that runs under an archway of the State House. This should be returned as a public right of way as well.