MBTA presents updated design for the Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the City of Boston announced a series of community meetings to present an updated design for the Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan and gather additional public feedback. At the meetings, residents will have the opportunity to review the updated project design block by block, ask questions, and provide feedback on parking regulations, street lighting, green space and street trees, bus station design, support for small businesses, and other community priorities.

The project represents the largest investment in the Blue Hill Avenue streetscape in decades. It will fund a full reconstruction of the roadway and sidewalks along the three-mile corridor and add new streetlights, trees, street furniture, safer crossings, and additional improvements. The proposed center-running bus lanes are expected to reduce travel times for all bus routes on Blue Hill Avenue. Route 28 trips from Mattapan to Grove Hall will be shortened by approximately 10-15 minutes during rush hour––cutting trip times in half.

The updated design incorporates changes and responds to concerns raised over the course of three years of community engagement. Key updates and benefits include:

• Traffic Flow & Safety: Two or more travel lanes in each direction throughout most of the project area, providing traffic capacity and managing congestion, along with signalized left turns and U-turns to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians, with a focus on reducing pedestrian crossing distances, providing more crosswalk island areas, and providing a two-way protected lane for bicyclists to access neighborhoods and parks along the corridor.
• A Net Increase in Parking Space: More parking spots along the corridor than there are today. Additionally, Mattapan Square will be resurfaced and re-striped ahead of construction to address present-day parking needs.
• Greenery & Infrastructure: Nearly 200 new street trees, fully replaced streetlights, updated traffic signals, 185 new pedestrian ramps, and 20 additional signalized crosswalks for shorter, safer street crossings.
• Enhanced Transit Service: Center-running bus lanes and boarding platforms designed to reduce congestion, improve transit service, and add curbside parking

 Additionally, the City and MBTA are committed to supporting small businesses and faith-based institutions along the corridor during the construction period and when the project is complete. The City’s Office of Neighborhood Services, Office of Cultural Affairs, Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, and the MBTA’s engagement teams have been reaching out to business owners and faith leaders to learn about their anticipated needs and will be working to develop mitigation tools.

The project is supported by a U.S. Department of Transportation grant administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), along with funding from the City and MBTA. The investment will support the design and full reconstruction of Blue Hill Avenue from River Street north to Warren Street.

Source: MBTA