Berkeley Street Bike Lanes

We’re adding separated bike lanes on Boylston Street, Berkeley Street, and a block of Beacon Street. The new lanes are part of a larger expansion to close gaps in Boston’s low-stress bike network so that 50% of residents will be no more than a 3-minute walk from safe and connected bike routes. The Berkeley lane will connect to a new, two-way lane on Beacon Street, bringing riders to the Arthur Fiedler  footbridge and the Charles River.

The Berkeley Street lane will create a continuous, comfortable bike route from the South End and South Boston into the Back Bay--a major employment center. Many people don't feel comfortable riding on streets without bike lanes, or on bike lanes like those on Dartmouth Street that have no separation between drivers and bicyclists. The lane on Berkeley Street will be separated from moving vehicles by a buffer and flexible delineators. Studies have shown that separated bike lanes make streets safer for everyone, whether they are walking, driving, or biking. (You can learn more about our plan for better bike lanes on this webpage.)

Another reason we're building a separated bike lane on Berkeley Street is because it connects to South Boston, unlike Dartmouth Street. Additionally, the section of Dartmouth Street south of Stuart Street is two-way, has a high volume of traffic, significant numbers of vehicles making turns, and a constrained width--all of which make it difficult to design a comfortable bike facility. A lane ending at Back Bay Station would serve a much more limited population of bicyclists.

Bicyclists reaching the northern end of Berkeley Street will soon be able to take a right on a new bike lane we are planning on the block of Beacon Street between Berkeley and Arlington Street. This facility will allow access to the Esplanade via a short walk over the Arthur Fieldler footbridge.

We are also designing a two-stage turn box for bicyclists who wish to turn left from Berkeley onto the existing westbound Beacon Street bike lane.  After crossing Beacon on the green light, cyclists will push a button and wait for the bike signal to indicate that all conflicting movements are turned off and it is safe to cross Berkeley Street. The turn box will be outside the path of vehicles heading straight on Berkeley as well as vehicles turning right from Beacon towards the Storrow Drive on-ramps.

Berkeley Street is also an important connection for drivers accessing Storrow Drive, as well as emergency vehicles serving the neighborhood. While we have not yet developed specific designs for the new bike lane, we plan to retain all of the existing travel lanes and turn lanes north of Boylston Street. We are also working with traffic signal engineers to make adjustments to signals that could improve the flow of vehicles along Berkeley Street.

While there will be some change to the number of parking spaces on Berkeley Street, most of the parking will remain. We always preserve as much parking as we can while keeping all travelers moving and safe.

We are finishing up the design and are excited to share it with you soon! We’re planning a series of in-person events at street corners near you: 

• Tuesday, May 23, 5 - 7 p.m.; Berkeley Street @ Tremont Street. Mandarin interpretation
• Wednesday, May 24, 12 - 2 p.m.; Boylston Street @ Berkeley Street
• Thursday, May 25, 8 - 10 a.m.; Boylston Street @ Trader Joe’s
• Saturday, May 27, 2 - 4 p.m.; Berkeley Street @ Comm. Ave. Spanish interpretation

Additionally, we have regular office hours so you can sign up for a virtual 15-minute meeting with a member of the project team. You can also sign up for email updates on this webpage.

We expect construction to begin this summer. You can also sign up for email updates on our project webpage.