Claybourne / Tonawanda Safety Improvements

We’re making changes at Claybourne Street and Tonawanda Street to reduce crashes and make everyday travel safer.

Page Sections

Have questions? Contact:

send an email
Sign up for Email Updates

Please share your email address to sign up for email updates.

Enter Your Email Address

Surname

Project Phase

Pending

Planning

Design

Construction

Complete

Project Information

Location

Claybourne Street and Tonawanda Street Dorchester 02124

See all

Project Features

Accessibility

Infrastructure improvements

Street Safety Improvements

See all

Expected Year to be Completed

2029

Primary Project Type

Streets

Claybourne Street and Tonawanda Street is a neighborhood intersection at the entrance to Mothers’ Rest Park in Dorchester. Residents and visitors use the intersection every day to access the park and other nearby community destinations. In this part of the neighborhood, you have raised concerns about speeding vehicles, limited visibility, and driver behavior that make crossing the street feel unsafe.

This project focuses on addressing those issues and making the intersection safer and easier to use. We’ll be developing design options and continuing to gather feedback along the way.

This project is funded by an Implementation Grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program.

About the Project

PROJECT GOALS

Based on what we’ve heard from youcommunity members, we’re working to develop a design that improves everyday safety. Our goals are to:

Create a safer and more comfortable experience for people walking, especially those accessing Mother’s Rest Park
Improve visibility and make it easier to cross the street
Slow vehicle speeds and reduce unsafe turning movements

WHY NOW?

This intersection was identified as a priority location for safety improvements through the Bowdoin Geneva Transportation Action Plan, which highlighted concerns about speeding, visibility, and unsafe crossings in the neighborhood.

We now have funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program to move forward with design and construction. This project is an opportunity to build on past planning work and community input to make meaningful safety improvements at this intersection.

As we move forward, we’ll continue working with the community to refine the designs and make sure it reflects local needs.

Concept Design

We have continued to refine the design concept that we worked on with you as part of the Bowdoin-Geneva Transportation Action Plan. Now, we want to hear your thoughts on this concept! We still have more details to work out like the size and shape of the curb extensions and what might fit in the new sidewalk space. See the Upcoming Events section below to find us, or share your thoughts on the concept at claybourne-tonawanda-safety@boston.gov.

This design includes:

A new crosswalk on the south approach of the intersection, aligning with the accessible entrance to Mother's Rest Park.
Six new accessible curb ramps so people of all abilities can comfortably cross the street.
Curb extensions on all corners to improve drivers' visibility, shorten the distance people need to cross the street, and slow turning speeds. Learn more about curb extensions on the Street Planning and Design Glossary.

The design concept also retains the existing stop signs and much of the existing on-street parking space.

An aerial image of the intersection of Claybourne Street and Tonawanda Streets with an illustration of the design concept overlaid on top. At the intersection, the sidewalk extends out from its current location along Mother's Rest park and at the corners. A new crosswalk is shown at the south end of the intersection. Areas with on-street parking are shown in blue.

Click here to download the updated concept design (18mb)

View the original design concept on page 46 of the Bowdoin-Geneva Transportation Action Plan.

Upcoming Events

Who's Involved