Congress Street, A Street, and Sleeper Street
The Public Works Department is reconstructing Congress Street, A Street, and Sleeper Street in the Fort Point neighborhood.
With the help of the Fort Point neighborhood, we are planning to improve Congress Street between Sleeper Street and Boston Wharf Road, A Street between Congress Street and Melcher Street, and Sleeper Street between Congress Street and Seaport Boulevard. We will be building streets that are safe, convenient, and comfortable for everyone, while meeting the needs of residents and businesses. This project will include:
- new, accessible sidewalks
- safer crosswalks
- street-light upgrades
- street trees and landscaping, and
- separated bike lanes
-
Have questions? Contact:
Public Works - Engineering Division -
Project Status
We are completing the final design now and will begin construction in 2025.
-
Email Updates
Receive updates on this project via email by signing up below:
Congress Street Details
We are excited to build a Congress Street with:
- Significantly wider, saw-cut concrete sidewalks on both sides of the street
- New crosswalks on Congress Street and raised crosswalks over Sleeper and Farnsworth Streets
- Bike lanes that are grade-separated from the sidewalk and have a built island separating the bike lane from the travel lanes
- Places for short-term stopping to enable safe pick-up and drop-off of goods and people
- Protection for the 8 living trees on Congress Street and the planting of 37 more trees, diversifying the species along the corridor
- Permeable pavers and structural soils to improve tree health
- Consistent street lighting using the Fort Point fixture
- Additional bike racks and benches
A Street Details
With the Congress Street project, we will widen sidewalks on A Street between Congress Street and Melcher Street.
- For many years, the Fort Point community has advocated for wider sidewalks.
- Today's sidewalks are in poor condition and too narrow for pedestrians, especially those using mobility devices. Street lights, sign posts, and fire hydrants further narrow the passable space.
- New sidewalks will be at least 7' wide and up to 10' wide.
Sleeper Street Details
Following the tragic death of Gracie Gancheva on March 24, 2024, we implemented rapid response improvements at the Congress Street/Sleeper St intersection as an interim measure, including:
- Intersection daylighting (clear corners)
- Refreshed crosswalks & other safety-critical markings and signage
- Restrictions on parking that interfered with sight lines
- Speed humps on Sleeper Street
- Boston Police Department mobile speed radar followed by permanent installation
The community conversation following the pediatric fatality led to additional questions and discussion about the long-term design. We are in the process of finalizing details with stakeholders, but we know that:
- The new Sleeper Street will feature accessible sidewalks and a raised crosswalk for Martin's Park.
- We will retain Resident Permit Parking on the eastern curb.
- We will install speed humps that meet our current design standards.
Other projects on nearby streets
Boston Wharf Road
As part of the development at Boston Wharf Road and Congress Streets, the proponents are constructing one-way separated bike lanes on Boston Wharf Road between Pastene Alley and Seaport Boulevard.
- Construction is underway.
Melcher Street
The proponents of 51 Melcher Street are building curb extensions and accessible crosswalks at the intersection of Melcher Street and A Street, building a compliant sidewalk from their building to A Street, and funding accessibility improvements for the southern sidewalk, east of site approaching Summer Street.
- Construction is largely complete.
Background
Congress Street is an important connection between South Station and the Fort Point neighborhood and the South Boston Waterfront. Initial planning for this project began with the Crossroads Initiative, which emerged with the completion of the "Big Dig."
"Crossroads" are streets connecting neighborhoods previously divided by the elevated highway:
- Causeway Street
- Broad Street
- Summer Street, and
- Congress Street.
Congress Street is the final of these four streets to be redesigned.
Previous Meetings
Previous MeetingsOn June 5, 2023, we hosted a virtual meeting to discuss the wider sidewalks on A Street. In the meeting, we covered:
- Context for the project, including current and planned transit and biking networks
- The City's design goals for A Street
- Multiple options for allocating space between the wider sidewalks, including:
- Changing the number of travel lanes (we will pursue this option)
- Changing the direction of A Street to one-way northbound (we will not pursue this option)
- Variations on possible bike lanes on A Street
In our public meeting on November 16, 2022, we shared the final design for Congress Street.
On May 26, 2022, we hosted a public meeting. We talked about the City's approach to street design, including how we design signalized intersections, accessible sidewalks, bike facilities, and more.
We shared our preferred design for Congress Street. We plan to provide more room for people walking, create safe opportunities to cross the street, allow for some on-street curb access, build separated bike lanes, and plant new street trees.
The graphics represent an informed design, but are not final. We are gathering feedback through June 17, 2022.
Below, you can view the graphics we shared at a public meeting on May 26, 2022. These graphics are not final.
On February 28, 2022, we hosted a public meeting. We talked about the history of this project and shared how other ongoing projects and plans impact our design options.
We shared three ideas for how we could redesign Congress Street. In every option, we can provide more room for people walking, create safe opportunities to cross the street, and plant new street trees. In some, we show what is possible if we retain more parking or if we add separated bike lanes.
These concepts are not the final design, but meant to start a conversation. We are gathering feedback through March 21, 2022.
OPTION A INCLUDES:
- Raised crosswalks over the side streets
- Wider sidewalks with room for street trees and some outdoor dining
- On-street parking and deliveries
OPTION B INCLUDES:
- Raised crosswalks over the side streets
- Maximized sidewalk widths with lots of space for street trees, outdoor dining, and other street furniture
OPTION C INCLUDES:
- Raised crosswalks over the side streets
- Wider sidewalks with room for street trees and some outdoor dining
- Separated bike lanes
After our meeting, we visited Congress Street multiple times to meet with business owners and staff. We asked about their use the street for deliveries and curbside pick-up. We also accepted feedback via email or online form. We sought their input through April, 2022.
-
Have questions? Contact:
Public Works - Engineering Division -
Project Status
We are completing the final design now and will begin construction in 2025.
-
Email Updates
Receive updates on this project via email by signing up below:
