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Connect Downtown

Connect Downtown centers people — residents, commuters, and tourists — in a redesign of iconic streets in our downtown neighborhoods.

Project Vision

Walking will be pleasant and easy. Safe, separated bikeways will serve and connect residents, employers, and local businesses. Families will explore Boston's neighborhoods and iconic parks together, from the Esplanade to the Boston Common to the Southwest Corridor.

Through this project, we will:

  • improve pedestrian crossings along the route
  • provide comfortable, reasonably direct routes for bicyclists, and
  • enhance pedestrian access to the Public Garden and Common.

We plan to design the project in a way that allows for faster construction.

  • Still have questions? Contact:
    Transportation
  • Stay Connected

    Sign up to receive email updates about this project.

Upcoming events

Events
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Public Garden Crossings

We are considering design changes at five intersections near the Public Garden. Learn about our designs and share your thoughts.

In 2020, we made changes to walk signals and created permanent separated bike lanes on the streets around the Public Garden and other downtown streets. Our work in 2020 focused on changes that we could make quickly. But, we were not able to make all of the changes you requested at that time.

Now, we are considering design changes at five intersections near the Public Garden. With this phase of the project, we intend to build lasting changes. We will prioritize people walking and keeping travelers safe. Our work will include new curbs, accessible crosswalks, and traffic signal equipment.

  • Boylston Street at Charles Street
  • Charles Street crosswalk between the Public Garden and Boston Common
  • Beacon Street at Charles Street
  • Beacon Street at Arlington Street
  • Commonwealth Avenue at Arlington Street

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

TAKE OUR SURVEY
You can give feedback about one or all of the intersections.

LAUNCH THE SURVEY

Inicie la encuesta

開始填寫調查問卷

Meet with us during Office Hours

You can talk with a member of the project team one-on-one. We will be available between 3 and 7 p.m. every other Wednesday, starting in January 2022. Sign up for a 15-minute phone call or virtual meeting.

Make an appointment

Send a note

You can mail your comments to us at:

Boston Transportation Department

ATTN: Stefanie Seskin

1 City Hall Square Room 721

Boston MA 02201

Or, send an email to connect-downtown@boston.gov.

Cambridge Street

In June 2023, we finished work on pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements on Cambridge Street between Charles Circle and Government Center. Changes included:

  • A separated bike lane in the westbound direction.
  • Traffic signal adjustments to extend pedestrian crossing times where feasible and ensure a safer traffic flow.
  • Updated curb regulations for more short-term parking and loading while preserving accessible parking spaces in the vicinity.
View the Design

View the design plans for Cambridge Street (5.4 MB PDF)

DESIGN CONSTRAINTS

Read about the main constraints we're working within as we move forward. With any project we do, we look at existing conditions. This helps us understand what is and isn't possible.

Design Constraints

Limitaciones del Diseño

設計限制

Charles Street

We will make design changes on Charles Street between Charles Circle and Beacon Street. 

We've established four goals for Charles Street. These reflect the ideas, concerns, and needs shared by residents, visitors, and business owners since we launched this project in 2019.

  • Charles Street is a destination, a place – not just where people pass through. Design proposals should respond to this fact.
  • Prioritize people who are walking, lingering, and enjoying Charles Street
  • Serve the operational needs of small businesses
  • Create a legible link in the bike network

We created a new webpage for Charles Street. All past and future updates will be shared there.

Charles Street South and Tremont Street

Let’s design a safer Charles Street South and Tremont Street!

Our vision for Charles Street South and Tremont Street between Marginal Road and Stuart Street

Pedestrian safety. We want to improve safety and comfort for people crossing Charles Street South and Tremont Street.

Accessible curb ramps. We will rebuild curb ramps that do not meet accessibility standards.

Connected bicycle network. We will add separated bike lanes on Tremont Street and Charles Street South between Marginal Road and Stuart Street. This will close the gap between Tremont Street south of Herald Street, where separated bike lanes are currently under construction, and the existing separated bike lanes on Stuart Street.

The project area includes: Charles Street South from Stuart Street to Tremont Street and Tremont Street from Charles Street South to Marginal Road.

Join us at an upcoming event

Can't make an event? You can view current project information and share your feedback with us at connect-downtown@boston.gov.

View the current handout (7.8 MB PDF)

  • Drop by. Corner of Charles Street South and Warrenton St. / Melrose St., from 4 - 6 p.m.
    • Tuesday, June 27
    • Tuesday, July 18
    • CANCELED: Tuesday, August 15
  • Virtual office hours. Every other Wednesday from 3 - 7 p.m. Chat one-on-one with the project team

Make an appointment

Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and goals for Charles Street South & Tremont Street. So far, we've heard:

  • Charles Street South is "like a highway that has no traffic." Drivers go too fast and the street is wider than it needs to be.
  • It should feel easier and safer to cross the street, especially at the crosswalk at Melrose Street and Warrenton Street.
  • Changes to the number of parking spaces should be minimized as much as possible.
  • Preference for "Starter idea #2" for Charles Street South between Tremont Street and Melrose Street: one general travel lane going northbound, a one-lane pedestrian crossing, and parking protected bike lane.

Talking with you

On Saturday, April 29 we hosted a community walk. We gathered at the corner of Charles Street South and Melrose Street at 10:30 a.m. An interpreter was available for Cantonese speakers. We shared "starter ideas" for Charles Street South and Tremont Street. Thank you to all who attended.

View the handout (PDF 3.8 MB)

On Tuesday, June 27, we hosted drop-by office hours on Charles Street South near the corner of Warrenton Street. We shared an updated version of our "starter ideas" handout that included new information about existing traffic patterns. An interpreter was available for Cantonese speakers. Thank you to all who dropped by.

View the handout (PDF 6 MB)

A photo of BTD staff and interpreter standing at a table interacting with constituents

We mailed 2,104 postcards to addresses in Chinatown and Bay Village. It includes information in English and Traditional Chinese. The postcards will begin arriving the second week of April 2023.

View the postcard

We are distributing flyers to abutters, posting them in high-visibility locations, and sending them electronically to community groups.

View the flyer (English)

View the flyer (繁体)

Columbus Avenue

June 2023 Update

We are wrapping up our work to understand how people are using Columbus Avenue. We’ve spent the last few months collecting information: we hosted pop-up listening sessions, met with key neighborhood stakeholders, surveyed people riding bikes about their experience, and studied parking utilization. Now, we are sorting through the data collected. This valuable information will inform design changes to Columbus Avenue from Mass Ave to Clarendon Street.



We’re thankful to all the residents and community members who dropped by our events, stopped to take our cyclist survey, or shared their perspectives with us in other ways. We will report back on what we’ve learned soon. We’re looking forward to connecting with you.

Design changes in fall 2020

In fall 2020, we made changes to walk signals and created permanent separated bike lanes on streets downtown. The map below shows where we made these changes:

Connect Downtown Phase 1 map

Additional streets under study

Connect Downtown is a multi-year project that will happen in phases. Right now, we are focused on:

  • Charles Street in Beacon Hill,
  • Charles Street South,
  • Columbus Avenue in the South End, and
  • Public Garden Crossings.

Our study area includes many streets. As we continue with our work, we will contact residents, neighborhood associations, businesses, and other relevant organizations. Your input will guide how we redesign streets. Every street has many needs, from safe crosswalks to family-friendly bike lanes to access to the curb. We will not undertake work nor make decisions without an open and transparent process.

Project updates

Updates

UPDATE JUNE 2023: Traffic signals have changed on Cambridge Street. Please follow the new patterns.

 

A photograph of a street; a temporary sign posted to a street light notifies road uses that no parking is allowed during construction period.

 

Construction of the Cambridge Street pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements started this past weekend. Construction crews started by posting No Stopping signs along the north side (westbound) of Cambridge Street. Over the coming days, they will:

  • Eradicate existing pavement markings that are not being retained
  • Install thermoplastic pavement markings
  • Put flexible plastic bollards in place
  • Re-program traffic signals

Our work is weather dependent and schedules are subject to change. Please pay attention to posted signs and parking restrictions on Cambridge Street. Thank you for your patience.

We launched Connect Downtown in fall 2019 with Cambridge Street as one of our focus corridors. We have heard from hundreds of people to date. Many people spoke with us about their experiences on Cambridge Street. We heard about your safety issues and frustrations, the importance of the planted median, and how small businesses use the street. Cambridge Street is in the top 3% of streets citywide for injury-causing crashes involving people riding bikes. We need to provide safe, everyday accommodation for people on bikes.

Our aim is to make Cambridge Street a better place for walking and biking in the near term. We plan to use “quick-build” materials like flexible bollards, roadway striping, and signage. We also plan to make changes to signal timing and curb regulations.

DESIGN CONSTRAINTS

Read about the main constraints we're working within as we move forward. With any project we do, we look at existing conditions. This helps us understand what is and isn't possible.

Design Constraints

Limitaciones del Diseño

設計限制

View the Design

View the design plans for Cambridge Street (5.4 MB PDF)

We want to hear your ideas and needs for Columbus Avenue.

We launched Connect Downtown in fall 2019. We sent mailers to 5,800 South End residents who live near Columbus Avenue. We hosted a South End community walk on November 13, 2019 and met with many neighborhood organizations in late 2019 and early 2020. During that time, we heard about 140 comments about Columbus Avenue and nearby streets in the South End. But, we paused engagement in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In the summer of 2022, we relaunched engagement. We want to hear from you!

In August 2022, we sent out postcards to 7,600 households in the South End to get the word out about the project and the upcoming listening sessions. We also posted flyers around the neighborhood. 

view the postcard

View the flyer

 

 

JOIN US AT AN UPCOMING EVENT!

We are hosting outdoor, in-person "listening sessions" this September. You can view project materials, share your comments, and ask questions.

We invite you to come by and talk to us at the following days and locations:

  • Monday, September 12, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. | Columbus Avenue and Dartmouth Street
  • Thursday, September 15, 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. | Crite Park
  • Sunday, September 18, 1 - 4 p.m. | Chester Park Festival
  • Wednesday, September 21, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. | Columbus Avenue and Clarendon Street
  • Sunday, September 25, 12:30- 2:30 p.m. | Columbus Avenue and West Rutland Square
  • RAIN DATE: Wednesday, September 28 | 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

    Location TBD
Meet with us during Office Hours

You can talk with a member of the project team one-on-one. We will be available between 3 and 7 p.m. every other Wednesday. Sign up for a 15-minute phone call or virtual meeting.

Make an appointment

Starting in August 2022, we will meet with businesses along Charles Street. Our goals are to understand their needs and hear about their ideas. 

Meet City of Boston leadership. We will be visiting businesses on Wednesday, August 3. You will have the opportunity to meet with leaders from the Streets Cabinet, the Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, and with Councilor Kenzie Bok. This is not the only opportunity for business owners and managers to talk with us. 

City staff will continue to visit Charles Street. We want to learn more about your needs and experiences with deliveries and transportation. We want to hear from every business. If you'd like to make an appointment for us to visit with you, please email us.

Join us at an upcoming event!

We are hosting a series of outdoor in-person "pop-up" sessions this summer. You can view project materials, share your comments, and ask questions.

We invite you to come by and talk to us at the intersection of Cambridge Street and Joy Street during the following dates and times:

  • POSTPONED Thursday, June 30: 7:45 - 9 a.m. (rain date: Wednesday, July 6: 7:45 - 9 a.m.)
  • Wednesday, July 6: 7:45 - 9 a.m.
  • Tuesday, July 12: 3:30 - 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, July 23: 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. MOVED TO WEST END LIBRARY DUE TO ONGOING HEAT ADVISORY
  • Tuesday, July 26: 7:45 - 9 a.m. (rain date: Thursday, July 28: 7:45 - 9 a.m.)
  • CANCELLED Tuesday, August 9: 3:30 - 6 p.m.
Meet with us during Office Hours

You can talk with a member of the project team one-on-one. We will be available between 3 and 7 p.m. every other Wednesday. Sign up for a 15-minute phone call or virtual meeting.

Make an appointment

February 2022 Update

We summarized and answered your questions from fall 2021 about Cambridge Street. This was the first phase of community conversations about the project. You shared your questions with us during a series of in-person outdoor events, in one-on-one virtual appointments or phone calls, and through emails and letters. 

View our Responses

Respuestas a Preguntas Comunes

劍橋街 (CAMBRIDGE STREET) 常見問題回答

We are considering design changes for Cambridge Street. Join us at an upcoming event to learn more.

We launched Connect Downtown in fall 2019 with Cambridge Street as one of our focus corridors. We have heard from hundreds of people to date. Many people spoke with us about their experiences on Cambridge Street. We heard about your safety issues and frustrations, the importance of the planted median, and how small businesses use the street.

Cambridge Street is an anchor for major employers and supports a vibrant small business community. We are looking at ways to add separated bike lanes and to improve walking along and across it. We do not have a preferred design for Cambridge Street yet. We look forward to talking with you more this fall.

Talk with us!

Drop-by in person

We will be at the intersection of Cambridge Street and Joy Street. Come by and talk to us anytime during the following dates and times:

  • Tuesday, August 31, 7:45 - 9 a.m.
  • Thursday, September 9, 3:30 - 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 18, 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, September 23, 7:45 - 9 a.m.
  • Tuesday, September 28, 3:30 - 6 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 7, 3:30- 6 p.m.

If we need to postpone because of the weather, we will post an update on @BostonBTD on Twitter. We will also send an update to our email list. You can sign up for emails in the "Stay Connected" section of this web page.

 
Meet with us during Office Hours

You can talk with a member of the project team one-on-one. We will be available between 3 and 7 p.m. every other Wednesday, starting September 1. Sign up for a 15-minute phone call or virtual meeting.

Make an appointment

Send a note

You can mail your comments to us at:

Boston Transportation Department

ATTN: Stefanie Seskin

1 City Hall Square Room 721

Boston MA 02201

Or, send an email to connect-downtown@boston.gov.

We mailed 11,271 postcards to residential addresses in Beacon Hill and the West End. The postcards began arriving in late August 2021.

View the postcard

In August 2021, we visited businesses along Cambridge Street and gave them flyers about the project. We also posted the flyers along Cambridge Street.

View the flyer

Project launch

We began our outreach for Cambridge Street in the summer of 2021. Your feedback helped to guide us as we worked to develop a design for Cambridge Street. We created an interactive website that shared existing conditions and next steps for our work, hosted a series of outdoor drop-in sessions, sent postcards to residents, and shared flyers about the project with businesses.

Interactive Website

CONNECT DOWNTOWN: CAMBRIDGE STREET

Connect Downtown: Cambridge Street (Español)

連結市中心:劍橋街 (繁体)

Talking with You

We hosted five outdoor drop-in sessions us at the intersection of Cambridge Street and Joy Street during August, September, and October of 2021. We talked with over 170 people during our drop-in sessions. Thank you to everyone who dropped by! We gave out project materials, listened to your comments, and answered your questions.

We mailed 11,271 postcards to residential addresses in Beacon Hill and the West End. The postcards began arriving in late August 2021.

VIEW THE POSTCARD

In August 2021, we visited businesses along Cambridge Street and gave them flyers about the project. We also posted the flyers along Cambridge Street.

VIEW THE FLYER

We held a series of virtual office hours during Fall 2020. You were invited to sign up for a 15-minute appointment during the listed hours with a member of the project team. Appointments were available online or over the phone. You brought your questions and reviewed information related to the project

Appointments were available on Wednesday afternoons during September and October:

  • September 16, 3 - 7 p.m.
  • September 23, 3 - 7 p.m.
  • September 30, 3 - 7 p.m.
  • October 7, 3 - 7 p.m.
  • October 14, 3 - 7 p.m.
  • October 21, 3 - 7 p.m. 
  • October 28, 3 - 7 p.m.

We hosted three outdoor information sessions. We shared information about the upcoming changes to traffic signals and new bike lanes. We answered questions and gathered your feedback. We engaged with people in English, Spanish, and Cantonese.

Meeting announcements were shared via a direct mailing, our email list, a press release, and City social media accounts. We followed state and City guidelines for meetings. All attendees wore a face covering and stood six feet apart.

Download BROCHURES:

ENGLISH 

SPANISH

CHINESE

Download FLieRS:

English-Spanish-Chinese

Chinese-English

Four people wearing face coverings stand outside on a traffic island. Three people are holding brochures. A table has more materials and is covered with a blue tablecloth that says City of Boston Transportation department. One person stands near a cargo bike.

We planned a series of Open Houses in March and expanded Office Hours into the spring. We were able to hold one Open House before in-person meetings were suspended. More than 45 people stopped by the event on March 5 at the Central Library.

The content shared at this Open House is available to explore online.

Colorful sticky notes are attached to a poster.

You were invited to drop in any time during office hours and talk one-on-one with us. You could review project materials, ask questions, and share your feedback. We hosted Office Hours weekly between January 8 and March 4 at the Boston Public Library’s Central Library and West End Library. We talked with 257 community members during our office hours. You shared almost 200 comments with us. We suspended Office Hours in early March because of COVID-19.

View the project fact sheet (PDF)

Ve la hoja informativa del proyecto (PDF)

項目情況說明書 (PDF格式)

We hosted a series four of community walks during the fall of 2019. The walks covered neighborhoods and streets we are looking at as part of Connect Downtown. We invited community members to attend and share their experiences walking and biking in the study area.

Scroll down to read about each walk.

Photo showing participants in the Back Bay Community Walk; about 15 people gathered in a group on a sidewalk.

Beacon Hill: Saturday, November 2, 2019
Beacon Hill

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Beacon Hill Community Walk walking route map

We heard the following themes:
  • Intersections like Beacon Street at Charles Street and Charles Circle feel like barriers for people walking because of long wait times or unclear pedestrian signals.
  • Desire for more pedestrian space and pedestrian-only events on Charles Street north of Beacon Street.
  • Concern about excessive speeding on Charles Street south of Beacon Street and Beacon Street east of Charles Street.
  • Some people want to bike but don't feel comfortable with the busy streets and intersections. People who bike now sometimes use the Common and sidewalks because they don't feel safe on the street.
  • The curbside on Charles Street north of Beacon Street should be better managed to reduce double parking and provide space for commercial loading and passenger pickup and dropoff.
Quotes from participants:

"People come [to Charles Street] for the pedestrian experience."

"This [crosswalk between the Boston Common and Public Garden] is a special place, a major gateway between two iconic, historic open spaces—and should look like it!"

"Biking from the West End to Copley Square is easy but biking back is very hard because of one-way streets."

"I don't usually have sympathy for bikers, but this area needs bike lanes!"

Back Bay

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Back Bay walk route map

We heard the following themes:
  • Walk signals are different at each intersection. Locals have learned how they work, but visitors find them confusing. The inconsistency erodes confidence in the signals. People make their own decisions about when to cross.
  • The Beacon Street, Arlington Street, Mugar Way intersection is stressful for people walking because of long wait times, confusing signals, and multi-stage crossings via small islands.
  • Many people bike in the area but the streets and intersections are not designed for them. As a result, people who bike have developed their own strategies to navigate the area. Some feel like the only "safe" option is to go during the pedestrian signal to avoid stressful interactions with vehicles.
  • People often bike across the plaza on the southwest corner of Charles Street South and Boylston Street to get to Columbus Ave and continue to the Southwest Corridor. They are avoiding the stressful weave from Stuart Street to Charles Street South to Park Plaza.
Quotes from participants:

"Consistency in walk signals is important. It gives pedestrians confidence."

"Can we put a big crosswalk in the middle of the intersection so you can cross directly from the Public Garden to the Commonwealth Ave Mall?"

"Being on the island in the middle of the intersection [of Beacon Street and Arlington Street] is like being a penguin on an iceberg with rising sea levels."

"It's common to see bicyclists cut across the intersection [of Boylston Street at Charles Street] and use the sidewalk to get to Columbus Ave [heading southwest]."

South End

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

South End walk route map

We heard the following themes:
  • Walk signals are inconsistent. Some are concurrent with vehicles while others are exclusive. People find this confusing. Some make their own choices about when and where to cross.
  • The sidewalks on Columbus Ave are narrow and feel congested, especially during peak travel hours. Nearby Back Bay Station is a major draw for people walking.
  • Columbus Ave is an important bike route through the city. In the South End, bike commuters choose Columbus Ave over the Southwest Corridor Park because it's a direct connection between downtown and neighborhoods to the southwest.
  • Desire for better bike lanes on Columbus Avenue. The existing bike lanes on southwest of Dartmouth Street feel too narrow and are often blocked by doubled-parked cars. Northeast of Dartmouth Street, there are no bike lanes.
Quotes from participants:

"We should embrace the cold weather. Can we have car-free street events during the winter?"

"Can we make the intersections more compact and feel human-scaled?"

"Sidewalks [on Columbus Ave] between Clarendon and Berkeley are very congested, particularly when trains let out at Back Bay Station."

"Can we reduce the number of travel lanes on Columbus Ave northeast of Dartmouth Street so we can have separated bike lanes? There could be a left turn lane at Berkeley Street for the [Route 39] bus and drivers going to Storrow Drive."

Bay Village/Chinatown

Tuesday, December 10

Bay Village/Chinatown walk route map

We heard the following themes:
  • Walk signals are too short and infrequent. People who aren't able to walk fast have to wait for two full cycles.
  • Some unsignalized crosswalks are stressful to use because there are many lanes and drivers go fast. Examples include Tremont Street at the Tufts Medical Center garage, Charles Street South at Melrose Street, and Arlington Street at Isabella Street.
  • In some places, many people cross the street but there is no crosswalk. Examples include Boylston Street mid-way between Tremont Street and Charles Street, Stuart Street at Warrenton Street, and Charles Street South at Park Plaza.
  • Stuart Street, Charles Street South, Boylston Street, and Tremont Street are important bike routes in the city but don't have bike facilities.
  • People who bike find some intersections very stressful because of turning or weaving traffic. To avoid conflicts with vehicles, some choose to go during the pedestrian phase. 
Quotes from participants:

"The north-south crossing on the east side of Arlington Street at Stuart Street has a staggered pedestrian crossing. You get stuck in the middle. It's difficult."

"Exclusive pedestrian phases are too short with too long of a wait in between."

"The turn from Stuart Street onto Charles Street South is scary as a bicyclist. You have to weave across a bunch of lanes. This results in people going when they feel safe based on their ability level, including on the walk signal."

"This area is very very loud because of cars, trucks, and sirens. We have had to shout to hear each other this entire walk!"

"Can we do something to manage pickup and dropoff traffic? Tremont Street south of Stuart Street gets really congested with Ubers when theater shows start or finish."

  • Still have questions? Contact:
    Transportation
  • Stay Connected

    Sign up to receive email updates about this project.

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