I don’t live near Forest Hills, but I feel that the future of the Casey Overpass is important to all Jamaica Plain residents and not just those who live in or commute through Forest Hills.
The current bridge is unattractive and, according to MassDOT, “structurally deficient.” But why is the DOT’s vision limited to the options of a traffic nightmare or another ugly bridge?
When we ride over the Casey, we soar over Forest Hills. We can see all the way to downtown. We see the clock tower as it was built to be seen. We see sunsets and storms approaching. We can see the fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Jamaica Plain needs a beautiful bridge, one that can be a symbol of our neighborhood, a bridge that connects the Emerald Necklace with sky, where pedestrians and bicyclists have an equal or greater share than automobiles. This is the Frederick Law Olmsted way.
And when they say we can’t afford it, we should tell them that ugly is never cheaper in the long run and building a beautiful community is worth any price.
Susan Moir
Jamaica Plain
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