I strongly agree with Sam Sherwood’s letter in the last issue of the Gazette regarding the abandoned trolley tracks at South and Centre streets in Jamaica Plain.
In March, 2005 I wrote to then MBTA General Manager Michael Mulhern and then state Transportation Commissioner John Cogliano urging the MBTA and the Massachusetts Highway Department to address the safety of the tracks. In that letter I expressed my concern that the tracks created hazardous conditions for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Two years later the tracks still pose a significant threat to public safety, especially when they are wet with rain, snow and ice. As I pointed out then, this situation only gets worse during the spring thaw when large, perilous potholes develop along the edges of the tracks.
Mr. Sherwood correctly notes that even if trolley service is restored to Forest Hills, the existing tracks will have to be replaced. In the meantime, I urge the leadership at the MBTA and the Massachusetts Highway Department to work together to make the road safe for travel.
John M. Tobin, Jr.
Boston City Council
District 6