WindTrain is the recipient of a 2007 Citation from the Unbuilt Architecture Design Committee of the Boston Society of Architects (BSA). This award honors innovation and experimentation in design devoid of standard contextual constraints. Award jurors described WindTrain as, “A bold notion of using found land to reduce automobile emissions.”

Arrowstreet developed the concept of a “wind train” from the imperative to reduce our regional impact on global warming. Massachusetts power plants generate 22% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the state; vehicles contribute 32%. The WindTrain addresses both sources simultaneously, offsetting CO2 production by providing 1,000 MW of power generation capacity through wind turbines located along Route 128 and 93 in Massachusetts, and by linking all existing commuter rail links from the City of Boston with a transit loop-connecting the spokes with the wheel.

The project suggests a vision for the ubiquitous interstate infrastructure in the U.S. and offers opportunities to generate renewable energy across the country without adversely impacting undisturbed land and residential neighborhoods.