The Tunnel of Turmoil

It’s not quite the Big Dig, but it has provoked Cambridge city activists who want to block Harvard’s creeping expansion into their neighborhoods. On Wednesday, the Cambridge Planning Board approved Harvard’s proposal to construct a tunnel underneath Cambridge Street that would link the two buildings that will compose the new Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS). The latest skirmish over a tunnel has been another example of Cambridge activists’ knee-jerk disapproval of all Harvard construction, even when the community stands to benefit.

The tunnel is planned for the northeast corner of campus to connect two buildings on opposite sides of Cambridge Street that have already been approved by the City Council. The tunnel might even decrease traffic on city streets. The passageway will reduce congestion in the area by essentially eliminating the need for CGIS workers and visitors to hold up traffic by frequently crossing busy Cambridge Street to pass from one building to another.

Additionally, by linking the two buildings, the complex will need only one loading dock, effectively cutting in half the amount of time trucks would have to spend making deliveries to CGIS, thereby reducing both noise and traffic in the neighborhood.

Yet, some activists remain steadfast in their opposition despite the apparent benefits of the tunnel due to their determination to block anything related to the CGIS.

The final step for approval is now the Cambridge City Council, which should rethink its opposition to the project because of the tangible benefits it will bring to the area. We look to the council to follow the example of the planning board to resist the temptation to pander to parochial interests.

While Harvard’s neighbors have been skeptical about Harvard’s expansion, they should maintain some objectivity to recognize that this project will bring benefits to both Harvard and to Cambridge.