Lower Roxbury Transportation Study
We're guiding investments in Lower Roxbury's streets.
The City of Boston is working to enhance biking and walking for neighborhood residents. We met you in nine locations over seven months in 2019 and 2020 to hear what you love in Lower Roxbury and where you envision changes to your streets.
In 2021, we confirmed your priorities in virtual meetings, at events, and with a survey. Earlier in 2022, we shared the seven locations we prioritized together. Now, we’re proposing changes to neighborhood streets in response to your priorities. Learn more and let us know what you think at an upcoming event.
-
Still have questions? Contact:
Transportation
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 721Boston, MA 02201-2026
-
Get updates
Sign up for updates:
Summer 'Pop-up' sessions
About the sessions
We’re hosting a series of outdoor in-person “pop-up” sessions this summer. You can view proposed changes, share your comments, and ask questions. We invite you to come by and talk to us at the following locations, dates, and times:
Schedule:
- Pop-Up #1: Friday, June 24, 2022 | 4 - 7 p.m.
Corner of Harrison Ave. and E. Lenox St.
Spanish interpretation available. - Pop-Up #2: Friday, June 29, 2022 | 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Corner of Northampton St. and Tremont St. - Pop-Up #3: Saturday, July 9, 2022 | 12 - 2 p.m.
Shawmut Ave adjacent to Ramsay Park
Spanish interpretation available. - Pop-Up #4: Monday, July 11, 2022 | 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Corner of Washington St. and E. Lenox St. - Pop-Up #5: Thursday, July 13, 2022 | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Corner of Hammond St. and Tremont St. - Pop-Up #6: Friday, July 14, 2022 | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Tropical Foods - Rain date: Thursday, July 21, 2022 | 8 - 10 a.m.
(Location TBD)
Upcoming events
EventsPriorities
Here are the seven locations we’ve prioritized together.
Potential to improve crosswalks or add new crosswalks.
Potential for two-way travel for people biking (not driving).
Types of changes we could make
Below are some types of changes we could use to make it safer and more enjoyable to travel on Lower Roxbury streets.
CLEAR CORNERS
Parking is prohibited ahead of a crosswalk or intersection. Drivers are more likely to see approaching vehicles or people crossing the street. This reduces the likelihood of crashes at intersections.
CROSSING ISLAND
A crossing island allows people to pause while crossing multiple travel lanes. Crossing islands can also slow turning traffic by ensuring that drivers cannot “cut” turns quickly.
Curb extension
A curb extension extends the sidewalk out into the parking lane. This makes crosswalks shorter and improves visibility of people crossing.
Raised crosswalk
Raised crosswalks slow drivers and make crossings more comfortable for people using wheelchairs and mobility devices.
raised intersection
An intersection where the entire interior has been raised a few inches, with ramps on every side. It reinforces slow speeds and encourages drivers to yield to pedestrians.
'T' Intersections
Reshaping wide or irregular intersections to look more like a “T” improves visibility and shortens crosswalks.
CONTRAFLOW BIKE LANES
Contraflow bike lanes allow people to bike in both directions. We would not change the street direction for people driving.
OUTREACH ADVISORY GROUP
We are working to co-create next steps together with Lower Roxbury residents and stakeholders.
We've convened an outreach advisory group to help us communicate with and engage communities in Lower Roxbury. The group meets quarterly. You can access all meeting notes and materials below. For more information, email jennifer.rowe@boston.gov.
| DATE | TIME | MATERIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, October 28, 2020 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | October 28 presentation October 28 meeting notes |
| Thursday, December 3, 2020 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | December 3 presentation December 3 ideas generated December 3 meeting notes |
| Thursday, March 4, 2021 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | March 4 presentation March 4 meeting notes |
| Thursday, June 24, 2021 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | June 24 presentation June 24 meeting notes |
| Thursday, September 23, 2021 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | September 23 presentation September 23 meeting notes |
| Thursday, December 16, 2021 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | December 16 presentation December 16 meeting notes |
| Thursday, March 17, 2022 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | March 17 presentation March 17 meeting notes |
| Thursday, May 19, 2022 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | May 19 presentation May 19 meeting notes |
Study area
The project area is bounded by, but does not include Columbus Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue, and Melnea Cass Boulevard.
Project updates
UpdatesWe held a series of "Ideas on the Street" pop-ups at locations around Lower Roxbury to ask your thoughts about the neighborhood. We asked people what they love about the neighborhood and where they find joy. We also asked people to envision the future of their streets in Lower Roxbury.
We gathered 285 comments from residents and visitors of all ages.
| DATE | START | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, August 17 | 12 – 3 p.m. | Shawmut Avenue, adjacent to Ramsay Park |
| Wednesday, August 28 | 8 – 11 a.m. | Southwest corner of Washington Street at Lenox Street |
| Friday, August 30 | 4 – 7 p.m. | Northeast corner of Harrison Avenue at E. Lenox Street |
| Sunday, September 1 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Southwest corner of Tremont Street at Camden Street |
| Wednesday, September 4 | 8 – 11 a.m. | Northeast corner of Tremont Street at St Cyprians Place |
| Friday, September 13 | 4 – 7 p.m. | Southwest corner of Tremont Street at Hammond Street |
Community members shared 297 ideas for how to improve transportation for people riding the bus, walking, biking, and driving or parking.
We heard many comments about improving safety for people walking and biking. We also heard a lot about improving bus service, accessibility, and walkability in the neighborhood.
- "Better wayfinding and markers related to neighborhood history: Frederick Douglass, Melnea Cass, MLK, Eustis St, and Harriet Tubman House."
- "Crossing is dangerous and difficult on foot because of conflicts with cars."
- "Smoother roads for biking and skateboarding"
- "Blind people have a hard time crossing the street. We need countdown timers with sounds at intersections."
- "The Silver Line is good."
- "We need another crosswalk on Washington Street at Ball Street."
- "Frederick Douglass Way has no stop sign at the corner of Tremont—can we add a stop sign?"
- "You want enough space for kids to play and ride bikes."
- "Bumpy sidewalks on Tremont near Melnea Cass. Elderly people stay inside because the sidewalks are bumpy and hazardous."
We hosted a series of open houses. We aimed to share what we'd heard about what you love in Lower Roxbury — and how you envision your streets.
| DATE | TIME | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, October 15 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Mandela Homes |
| Monday, October 28 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Peoples Baptist Church |
| Monday, November 4 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Camfield Estates |
| Thursday, January 30 | 6 – 7 p.m. | St. Stephen's Church (Youth Group) |
| Sunday, February 2 | 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | St. Stephen's Church (Coffee Hour) |
In spring 2021, we launched a new round of engagement to confirm neighbors' priorities and make sure we hadn't missed anything. We hosted three virtual public meetings with Spanish interpretation in June 2021.
You can review:
- the presentation
- information we shared during the meeting, and
- maps of priorities (based on the comments received).
En español:
- la presentación
- información compartida durante la reunión, y
- mapas de prioridades (basado en los comentarios recibidos).
