The Alewife garage has long been a central fixture in Cambridge’s transportation landscape. Initially designed as a “park-and-ride” hub to help funnel commuters from suburban communities on to the red line and downtown, it was supposed to ease congestion on local streets. Over time, the reality of this model has shifted. The garage, once a key part of the region’s mobility infrastructure, is now underused and in disrepair. It’s clear that “park-and-ride” facilities have their limits – as Cambridge becomes an employment destination in itself, many commuters find it more convenient to simply bypass Alewife and continue driving into Cambridge, contributing to the very congestion the garage was meant to alleviate.
This is a challenge, but it isn’t destiny. The Alewife garage reconstruction presents an opportunity to rethink mobility in the Route 2 corridor, especially for suburbs such as Arlington, Lexington and Concord.
Why is this important? A significant percentage of the traffic on Cambridge streets is a direct result of the lack of adequate transit options in neighboring communities. Simply put, people drive because the alternatives are insufficient. While Alewife was intended to reduce this suburban sprawl, its park-and-ride setup has shown that leaving your car behind isn’t always worth the trouble, especially when bus and transit services are mediocre or nonexistent.
A potential model for us to consider comes from Helsinki, which shares many characteristics with Greater Boston. Greater Helsinki is not particularly dense by European standards, and car ownership is among the highest in Western Europe, much like Greater Boston. Yet Helsinki manages to move more riders on its single subway line than the entire red, orange and blue lines combined. While Boston’s subway system serves a population of 4.9 million, Helsinki’s metro system operates in a region of only 1.7 million people. In terms of ridership, Helsinki has proven that it’s possible to achieve high transit use despite a relatively low density and high car ownership. The key? Exceptional bus service – yes, even in the suburbs. The city’s buses run frequently and connect seamlessly with the metro, ensuring that commuters from outlying areas can access transit easily without needing to rely on driving.
In contrast to Alewife’s parking-heavy model, Helsinki has invested heavily in a reliable and frequent bus network that ensures access to the transit system. This network extends well into the suburbs, providing commuters with a seamless, efficient transition to the urban core. It’s a reminder that improving transit infrastructure isn’t just about adding subway lines but about making existing networks work for everyone – especially those in suburban areas where the bulk of our congestion originates.
If Alewife is to be redeveloped into a vibrant community and a major employment node, the focus must shift from a parking hub to one that brings commuters, residents and visitors in the most space-efficient and sustainable way possible. The tons of concrete required to build each floor of parking come at a steep cost – financially and environmentally – and maintaining such a facility is no small task.
The redevelopment also offers huge benefits for Cambridge residents, particularly in terms of job access. Improved suburban bus service would allow residents to reach growing office parks and mixed-use developments along the Route 128 corridor, creating more job opportunities without adding to congestion. Imagine a modern transit facility where buses drop off passengers in climate-controlled corridors with easy access to subway platforms. Imagine a bevy of food and beverage options offering a quick snack or coffee while commuters wait for their transfers – hopefully for a very short time.
Cambridge needs to be a vocal advocate for incorporating regional transportation into the Alewife redevelopment project. The truth is, improved transit access will not only reduce congestion on our streets, but also bring real community benefits – from increased job access to more sustainable urban development. Let’s right-size the parking, make this a forward-thinking, transit-first redevelopment and ensure that the Alewife of tomorrow is one that serves the needs of commuters, residents and businesses alike.
Jarred Johnson is executive director of the transportation advocacy group TransitMatters
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This North Cambridge resident fully endorses this vision of Alewife as vibrant community and major transit hub. I can’t wait for the current ugly parking monstrosity to be torn down and replaced by thousands of beautiful housing units!
Yes to all of this. And fix the bike paths back there too.
Yes yes yes! We need dedicated bus lanes with more frequent bus service. The least expense and one of those effective investments in public transit. Big bang for the buck. 40 people on a bus is 40 less cars on the road.
And yes @eric colburn! Replace that fugly garage with much needed housing.
The promises of the state transportation and MBTA officials to extend the Red Line to Route 128 need to be revisited. While the Red Line was being constructed. Cambridge and Somerville were told Rt 128 would be the terminus. What happened? A community that it would run through complained, so what!
Dedicated bus lanes and more frequent bus service is way cheaper and faster to implement than extending the T.
Great article.
Absolutely correct on every point.
But sadly a robust suburban bus system will never materialize.
So, as we see here, these housing/transit activists will lobby not to replace the 2700 unit parking garage because of their Helsinki/Paris pipe dreams, the MBTA will be to happy to comply because they are broke and Cambridge has no long term vision.
Alewife is expected to add 3,000 more housing units 4,700 more jobs by 2040. Better transportation is vital if you want to keep adding more density and jobs here.
This is what happens when advocates with no expertise inadvertently support municipal decision making that is expedient and short sighted.
If they really are invested in A Better Cambridge they would focus more on transit issues before Cambridge becomes a completely gridlocked Hell-sinki.
Improving bus and train service are great goals for Alewife. Looking forward to a train station that doesn’t feel so oppressive and dark. On top of replacing and improving the station and public transit, bikes seem like a complementary part of this vision. At the intersection of multiple great bike paths Alewife should consider connecting the bus, train and bike infrastructure more holistically. So many Arlington and Lexington commuters are a 5-10 minute bike ride to Alewife. What if we made a first class bike parking too? See Amsterdam for inspiration. https://www.theverge.com/23572761/amsterdam-underwater-bike-garage-future-of-transport
I’m surprised the writer did not mention residents’ request for a commuter rail stop at Alewife. That would be a great way to get people out of cars and onto the subway.