Under an on-call contract, Nitsch worked with the Boston Public Works Department (BPWD) and the National Park Service (NPS) to develop improvements for all modes of transportation to access a variety of historic sites and tourist attractions in downtown Boston. Funded by a $15.5 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grant and $5.3 million from the City of Boston, Nitsch designed improvements that help create safe, attractive, and easy-to-navigate pedestrian and bicycle connections between Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) facilities and the City’s historic sites.
Nitsch performed existing conditions surveys to facilitate transportation and pedestrian improvements as well as prepare Recordable Street Alteration Plans. We performed calculations for Global Positioning System (GPS) processing and retracement of street side lines and performed a 3D laser scan of the entire area for the sake of detail and preservation.
On Constitution Road, Nitsch designed improvements to turn the road, which is the primary entrance into the Charlestown Navy Yard, into a multimodal street.
On Joy Street, we designed a more prominent pedestrian entrance and an elevated crosswalk at the Cambridge Street intersection, making the African American National Historic Site more accessible.
On Blackstone Block, America’s most intact colonial street network (adjacent to the historic Faneuil Hall), Nitsch provided construction administration services to see the project through construction.
For each location, Nitsch addressed challenges resulting from a lack of accurate utility location information. We also assisted the City with its public participation process by attending public hearings and developing renderings and graphics to make it easier for the community to understand the improvements being made in their neighborhoods.
Key Collaborators
Owner: Boston Public Works Department
