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Better Bike Lanes

We've installed many bike lanes in Boston. Now we're working to make them better: safe, connected, and comfortable.

Enabling more trips by bike is essential to reaching our climate and public health goals. We need to make sure our streets are safe for the thousands of people who bike today — and for the many more who will choose to ride tomorrow.

While each block of safe, comfortable bike lane is important, it's more important that they connect to each other. A connected network is worth more than the sum of its parts.

Everyone in Boston deserves safe access to our bike network, no matter what neighborhood they're in. We're quickly closing gaps in Boston's emerging network of low-stress bike routes. We're also working intentionally with residents to design an expanded bike network that works for their communities.

  • Still have questions? Contact:
    Boston Bikes
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Our Plan

We're transforming Boston's streets to better serve people walking, rolling, and riding bikes. We're connecting our bike network and bringing safer streets to every neighborhood.

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About our work

Our growing bike network must include the types of bike facilities that make the most people feel comfortable: separated bike lanes and traffic-calmed streets.

Boston has a large network of conventional bike lanes. These lanes dedicate about five feet of space in the street for bicycling. As we’ve added bike lanes across the City, more people have chosen to ride a bike to work, to the T, to farmers markets, or just for fun.

But, many people don’t feel comfortable riding in conventional bike lanes. That’s why we are creating more routes with separation between drivers and bicyclists. We're also creating traffic-calmed local streets.

A series of photos showing types of bike lanes organized from least comfortable to most comfortable.

Separated bike lanes are safe and predictable places for people to ride bikes. You and your family have your own space to ride. You can go at your own pace and ride side-by-side. If you're in a vehicle, you know where to expect people on bikes. You don't have to worry so much. A 13-year study of a dozen U.S. cities found that  separated bike lanes make streets safer for everyone, whether they are walking, driving, or biking.

Traffic-calmed local streets are designed for people. They discourage unnecessary through-traffic by drivers, while making useful connections for people walking or bicycling. These streets make it easier and safer to:

  • travel within your own neighborhood,
  • get to train stations or bus stops, and
  • connect with the city-wide bike network.

About Bike Lanes

About Bike Lanes
An adult bicycles toward us in a green bike. A yellow school bus is in the adjacent travel lane.
Bike Lane Types

Learn about the different bike lane types in the City of Boston.

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Design elements

View the different bike lane design elements in the City.

Bicycle Network Map

View a map of bicycle facilities in the City of Boston.

Bike Network Projects

We're working across the City to plan, design, and build bike lanes that are safe and comfortable. You'll find our projects listed below. We've grouped them based on when we anticipate to install the bike lanes: now, in 2023, and in 2024 and beyond.

In Design for 2023

Berkeley Street

We will connect the South End, Back Bay, and Esplanade with a separated bike lane on Berkeley Street.

Boylston Street (Back Bay)

We plan to add a one-way separated bike lane from Massachusetts Avenue to Arlington Street.

Boylston Street (JP)

We will install a contraflow bike lane and speed humps.

Centre Street

As part of a safety project, we are adding bike lanes to parts of Centre Street in West Roxbury.

Congress Street

Construction Starts 2024

We're redesigning Congress Street in the Fort Point neighborhood.

Connect Downtown

Ongoing

We're redesigning downtown streets to prioritize walking and to create a connected bike network.

Cummins Highway

Construction Starts 2024

Our goal is to improve safety and access for every resident of Mattapan.

Hemenway Street

We will make Hemenway Street two-way for biking as part of a traffic-calming project in East Fenway.

McBride Street

Construction starts 2024

The Public Works Department plans to reconstruct sidewalks on McBride Street. We will add a contraflow bike lane with that project.

Milk Street

Milk Street will be the eastbound pair to separated bike lanes on State and Court Streets.

North Beacon Street

We are adding separated bike lanes to North Beacon Street between Everett Street and Vineland Street.

Poplar Street

We will improve crosswalks and add speed humps on Poplar Street, as well as a short section of contraflow bike lanes.

South Huntington Avenue

JP portion complete

We're adding separated bike lanes to South Huntington in Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain.

Western Avenue

We will add separated bike lanes on Western Avenue as a near-term action from the WACRZ planning process.

Winship Street

We propose adding a separated bike lane in the uphill direction.

Citywide Bike Network Design

While we accelerate our work to close known gaps in our existing bike network, we will be working with residents to create a citywide bike plan. This planning process will embed local needs and priorities in the route selection and design.

Our work will be co-led by City agencies, including the Environment Department and the Public Health Commission. A working group of Boston residents will guide our work and advise us on outreach strategies. We aim to launch the working group in fall 2022.

All residents will be invited to participate in an iterative process with low-stakes opportunities to get involved. We will have honest and transparent conversations about trade-offs and work together to realize streets that help everyone travel safely.

Interested in learning more about the working group? 

Fill out the interest form

Using Parking-Protected Bike Lanes

See our tips for parking your car, getting in and out of your car, and bicycling on streets with parking-protected bike lanes.

Watch videos

Careers

We're hiring more planners and engineers across the Public Works and Transportation Departments to build a low-stress, connected bike network with protected bicycle facilities and traffic-calmed streets. 

Join us!

  • Still have questions? Contact:
    Boston Bikes
  • Get Updates

    Receive news about our work in your inbox.

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