Tufts’ Green Line Extension Planning:

A Student-Run Design Charrette

UEP’s 2015 Field Projects team, working with the Tufts Campus Planning Office and the Tufts Office of Sustainability, hosted a charrette last week in order to get the community’s input on the proposed MBTA extension to Tufts campus at College Ave. Team members and UEP students, Betsy Byrum, Nathaniel Fink, Xiang Yu, and Rayn Riel facilitated a series of discussions on the impacts to pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists, as well as the possible design features of the station and surrounding area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The room was filled with interested community members, who enjoyed the free lunch and green tea offering (get it, Green T?). One proposal was that of “shared space,” which would slow down vehicle traffic and give priority to pedestrians and bicyclists. However, traffic lights would be eliminated, thus decreasing pollution due to idling. The result would be a safer space with a greater sense of place.

The Field Projects team got a lot of input and will produce a final report at the end of the semester. The Green Line extension, however, is a bit further down the line.