Community Wants Hazmat Vehicles Re-routed Outside City

A letter of support to re-route hazardous cargo trucks out of Boston, especially the North End/Waterfront narrow and densely populated streets has been forwarded to the State Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Administration U.S. Department of Transportation by the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association.

The letter signed by NEWRA President Stephanie Hogue received the neighborhood group’s support by a vote taken at their July monthly meeting.

The letter urges MassDOT to expedite implementation of the recommendations of the City of Boston’s hazardous cargo re-routing for public safety reasons.

Hogue encouraged NEWRA members and residents to prepare letters supporting the re-routing of these hazmat vehicles as soon as possible and mail them to MassDOT.

According to the NEWRA letter, “The results of the study confirmed that residents of the North End/Waterfront believe and have long feared, that trucks carrying hazardous cargo through the City of Boston, and most especially the North End/Waterfront, present a danger with considerable risk for loss of life and property in the event of an accident.”

The NEWRA letter states, “The report strongly recommends that only hazardous cargo vehicles with drop-off or pick-up locations within Boston should be allowed to travel within the city limits, and it supports banning hazardous cargo trucks not doing business in the city from using city streets to reach destinations outside the city.

Boston Transportation Department reportedly estimated that 75-80 percent of the hundreds of hazmat trucks passing through the North End every week are not doing business in the city.

BTD claims “To reduce the risk to the public, these trucks should use alternative routes outside the city.”

At several neighborhood public meetings the North End’s elected officials, Senator Anthony Petruccelli, Representative Aaron Michlewitz and Boston City Councilor Sal LaMattina have supported moving those vehicle routes outside of the city.

In addition, the North End/Waterfront Neighborhood Council has publically requested the re-routing of hazmat cargo trucks.