Nancy Caruso papers

Nancy Caruso, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of Northeastern University and a community activist. At Northeastern University, Caruso was the first woman to be appointed coordinator of the Cooperative Education Department as well as the first woman President of the Alumni Association. She has served as a Trustee of the University of Massachusetts, a consultant to the United States Department of Education, and Director of the Executives Club of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. In 1986, Caruso was a recipient of the Dean Herman Schneider Award from the Cooperative Education and Internship Association. In 2000, she received the honorary degree of Doctor of Community Service from Northeastern University.

Caruso is recognized for her work advocating for residents of Boston's North End neighborhood during the planning and prolonged construction of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, known as the “Big Dig.” She was co-founder and chairperson of the North End Waterfront Central Artery Committee, Chair of the North End Central Artery Advisory Committee, a member of the Mayor's Central Artery Completion Task Force, and a member of the Leadership Committee of the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.

The Central Artery/Tunnel Project was a Massachusetts Department of Transportation construction project aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving the environment in Boston, Massachusetts. Initial planning and environmental impact studies began in 1982. In April 1987, the United States Congress approved federal funding for the project, allotting $755 million for fiscal year 1990. Construction started in September 1991, and the first major milestone was reached in 1995 with the opening of the Ted Williams Tunnel to commercial traffic. Substantial completion of the project was reached on January 13, 2006: the deteriorating six-lane Interstate 93 John F. Fitzgerald Expressway had been replaced with the eight-to-ten-lane state of the art Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel, the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill and Leverett Circle Connector Bridges over the Charles River were added, Interstate 90 was extended to Logan International Airport and Route 1A with the addition of the Fort Point and Ted Williams Tunnels, and more than 300 acres of open land reconnecting downtown to the waterfront was created as a result.

In 1993, Caruso co-founded the North End Waterfront Central Artery Committee (NEWCAC) which represented residents, businesses, and institutions in the North End and Waterfront neighborhoods of Boston. The Committee's goals included lessening the impact of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project on the community; developing a list of priorities of immediate neighborhood concerns; representing the neighborhoods to government agencies; keeping the community informed; and promoting responsible and appropriate development of the post-construction artery corridor in the North End and Waterfront neighborhoods.

Due to the technical nature of the project the Committee requested that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provide funding for an independent expert consultant. The funding was granted and in 1995 Beta Engineering was hired to serve as technical advisors to the Committee. Beta Engineering assisted with the development of a surface street design consensus, construction noise specification (contract C15A1), and sound proofing of buildings. The Committee's successes included agreements on noise reduction and night work on contracts C15A1, C15A2, and C17A2. In 1995, the Committee received the Mass Move 2000 “Urban Design” award.