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State and city officials overseeing the Allston Multimodal Transportation Project (AMTP) signaled continued progress at a Task Force meeting Thursday night but confirmed that the announcement of an independent consultant, expected during that meeting, has been pushed to next month.

Want to follow our reporting on the AMTP? Read some of our past coverage on the megaproject. Cambridge Street Bridge preservation project begins; bike lane updates Public meeting to discuss Lincoln Street noise barriers scheduled How construction on Cambridge Street could affect your commute this year Here’s ten Allston-Brighton developments you should be watching in 2026

Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) officials said the independent consultant, tasked with conducting a strategic review of the project’s scope, budget alignment, and phasing, will now be announced in April. The consultant’s work is expected to play a central role in determining how to scale the project to match available funding while maintaining its broader vision.

The review will inform next steps for environmental filings and construction planning, though officials emphasized it will be only one of several inputs guiding decision-making.

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A central theme of the meeting was the widening gap between the project’s ambitions and its available funding. Officials acknowledged a “mismatch” between scope and budget, exacerbated by inflation, tariffs, and the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support. The purpose of the independent consultant is to conduct a cost and engineering review throughout 2026 to evaluate the elements in the project based on the existing budget.

City representatives cautioned against scaling back the project too dramatically. Using a “layer cake” analogy, City official and transit planner Matthew Petersen warned that trimming too much could result in a diminished project that technically meets requirements but fails to deliver meaningful transformation.

“Rather than adjusting the entire project down to fit the money we have, think strategically about which slices we can take of the whole cake so that we can start now with something that makes sense for the money we have,” said Petersen. 

Tensions also surfaced regarding the level of community involvement in the consultant’s work. AMTP task force members expressed concern that their input may not be accurately conveyed if they are not directly engaged with the consultant.

MassDOT responded that while the consultant will operate independently, the agency will provide regular updates and incorporate feedback from the task force, city officials, and institutional partners.

Still, some participants warned that insufficient alignment between the technical planning process and community expectations could lead to further delays during environmental review.

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The proposed rail layover facility at Beacon Park Yards in Allston continued to draw criticism from community advocates and task force members, who argued it could undermine broader goals for connectivity and neighborhood cohesion.

MassDOT reiterated its desire to relocate layover operations if possible but stressed that such facilities remain necessary to support expanded rail service. Officials said they are working with the city to identify alternative solutions and hope to present new ideas within the next one to two months.

Several members of the Task Force highlighted the risks of delay, pointing to escalating construction costs and the loss of potential economic and community benefits. They urged the state to accelerate “early action” projects that could move forward independently of the full project.

MassDOT executive director of megaprojects Luisa Paiewonsky agreed, emphasizing that “momentum builds momentum” and that early investments can demonstrate progress while larger challenges are resolved.

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The next task force meeting is scheduled for late April, when officials expect to provide updates on the independent consultant selection, progress on resolving the layover issue, early action projects, and preliminary findings from ongoing strategic review efforts. 

City officials also announced plans for a separate public workshop to further refine project goals and explore trade-offs across different design scenarios.

Despite ongoing challenges, both state and city representatives reiterated their commitment to advancing the project, describing it as critical to the region’s transportation future and long-term development.

“We’re not giving up the vision of Allston,”Paiewonsky said. “But we’re saying we’re urging action now, and to get to that action, we need to understand the depth of the problem and what our options are. But we are not walking away from the big picture.”