Mass. Ave. Better Bike Project
We are designing a safe, comfortable biking facility to connect Dorchester, Roxbury, and the South End.
We began planning this corridor with you in September 2019. The final design reflects comments and feedback from nearby residents, business owners, and people who use this corridor.
Construction began in summer, 2022. Our contractor began by adding and improving curb ramps so that they will be fully accessible to people using assistive devices like wheelchairs or walkers. After pausing for the winter construction moratorium, they recommenced work this spring on bus boarding islands, ramps, and other sidewalk elements.
They are now finishing the remaining work in the following order:
- Complete the remaining bus islands, ramps, and other sidewalk elements (June)
- Mill and pave roadway segments (early July)
- Permanently stripe pavement markings, implement changes to traffic signals and signs (mid-July)
- Install flex-posts and pre-cast concrete barriers (late July)
We expect construction to wrap up in mid-August.
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Still have questions? Contact:
Transportation
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1 City Hall Square
Room 721Boston, MA 02201-2026
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Get Email Updates
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Final Plans
Our final design includes:
- A two-way separated bike lane on the west side of Massachusetts Avenue
- New crosswalks and reconstructed curb ramps to improve accessibility for people with disabilities
- Changes to intersections to improve safety and keep vehicle traffic moving
- Improved bus stops along the corridor, including a new pair of bus stops near the Stop and Shop driveway
- Modified loading and parking regulations in response to local business needs
We made changes to the design plans based on feedback from people who work, live, and use the corridor. We have a document that explains and summarizes these changes:
We have illustrated the final design plans for Massachusetts Avenue between Melnea Cass Boulevard and Columbia Road. Our illustration includes information about the bike lanes, bus stops, new and reconstructed curb ramps, parking and loading areas, and travel lanes.
WHY THIS PROJECT?
The section of Mass. Ave. between Melnea Cass and Columbia Road is a critical missing link for bike travel.
Despite less-than-ideal bike conditions, a lot of people bike on Mass. Ave. today! Between 350 and 400 people ride in the street each weekday, and that doesn’t include the many people riding on the sidewalks. It’s scary for biking and walking and — all too often — it's dangerous too. Mass. Ave. is one of the worst streets in the City for crashes involving people walking and biking.
For these reasons, you identified Mass. Ave. as a priority Better Bike Corridor through the Go Boston 2030 process.
Past events
Past eventsWe met with the Newmarket Business Association regularly as we developed and then refined the project design.
| DATE | TIME | LOCATION | MEETING MATERIALS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, July 29, 2019 | 9 a.m. | City Hall | NA |
| Monday, February 10, 2020 | 1 p.m. | NBA Offices | DownloaD Presentation |
| Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 2:30 p.m. | Google Meet | DownloaD Presentation |
| Wednesday, June 17, 2020 | 2 p.m. | Google Meet | DownloaD Presentation |
| Thursday, July 9, 2020 | 2:30 p.m. | Google Meet | DownloaD Presentation |
| Thursday, August 20, 2020 | 9 a.m. | Google Meet | DownloaD Presentation |
We followed-up one-on-one with project abutters to share the proposed design and hear feedback.
| DATE | TIME | Abutter | Meeting Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, May 26, 2020 | 9:30 a.m. | Victory Programs | DownloaD Presentation |
| Tuesday, May 26, 2020 | 1 p.m. | EDENS (South Bay Shopping Center) | DownloaD Presentation |
| Tuesday, May 26, 2020 | 2 p.m. | Best Western Roundhouse Suites | DownloaD Presentation |
| Friday, May 29, 2020 | 2:30 p.m. | Dorchester Brewing Company, M&M BBQ, Doug George | DownloaD Presentation |
| Friday, June 5, 2020 | 11:30 a.m. | National Development | DownloaD Presentation |
| Monday, June 15, 2020 | 1:30 p.m. | Good Seasons Trading Inc. | DownloaD Presentation |
| Tuesday, July 21, 2020 | 3 p.m. | Dorchester Brewing Company, M&M BBQ, Doug George | DownloaD Presentation |
| Friday, September 25, 2020 | 9 a.m. | Metro Credit Union | NA - Field Visit |
| Thursday, November 12, 2020 | 12 p.m. | EDENS (South Bay Shopping Center) | DownloaD Presentation |
| Friday, November 20, 2020 | 10 a.m. | Metro Credit Union | DownloaD Presentation |
| Monday, January 11, 2021 | 2 p.m. | Good Seasons Trading Inc. | NA - Field Visit |
| Monday, January 25, 2021 | 10:30 a.m. | EDENS (South Bay Shopping Center) | DownloaD Presentation |
At the request of the Newmarket Business Association, we met with business stakeholders on Shirley Street to discuss changes to the intersection of Mass. Ave. with Shirley Street and Newmarket Square.
| DATE | TIME | Abutter |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, September 28, 2020 | 10 a.m. | Cram Seafood |
| Thursday, October 1, 2020 | 10 a.m. | Holland Construction |
| Thursday, October 1, 2020 | 2:30 p.m. | City Fresh Foods |
| Friday, October 2, 2020 | 9:30 a.m. | A2Z Auto Repair |
| Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | 9 a.m. | Ryder Trucking |
| Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | 1 p.m. | Taurus Packing Co. |
| Wednesday, November 18, 2020 | 3 p.m. | The BASE |
Download materials from the meetings:
As the City continued to take precautions around public gatherings, we created a Virtual Open House to allow the public to learn more about our draft design plans. We collected feedback via an online survey, email, phone calls, and written letters.
Download the Virtual Open House flyer:
Before the City of Boston canceled all in-person public meetings, we had scheduled four open house events. We had also planned to coordinate a fifth open house during the weekday working hours in response to a request from the Newmarket Business Association.
| DATE | TIME | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, March 23, 2020 | 6:30- 8 p.m. | Plumbers and Gas Fitters Local 12, 1240 Mass Ave |
| Wednesday, March 25, 2020 | 1 p.m. | Plumbers and Gas Fitters Local 12, 1240 Mass Ave |
| Saturday, March 28, 2020 | 10 a.m. | Plumbers and Gas Fitters Local 12, 1240 Mass Ave |
| Monday, March 30, 2020 | 1 p.m. | Hayes Conference Room, 1010 Mass Ave |
We met one-on-one with with project abutters and other stakeholders to understand how they use and experience Mass. Ave. The Newmarket Business Association and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services helped us identify and meet with businesses likely to be most affected by the project.
We also discussed plans for City-owned property along Mass Ave with the City of Boston’s Public Facilities and Property Management departments. We met with the appropriate MBTA teams to discuss bus stops and operations. We meet almost every week with BPDA’s PLAN: Newmarket team to ensure coordination with ongoing development projects as well as the larger PLAN effort.
| DATE | TIME | Abutter |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, January 17, 2020 | 3 p.m. | MBTA Bus Priority and Schedule Planning |
| Thursday, January 23, 2020 | 1 p.m. | Suffolk Construction |
| Monday, January 22, 2020 | 10 a.m. | Victory Programs |
| Monday, January 22, 2020 | 1 p.m. | South Bay Auto Body and Ace Plumbing |
| Monday, January 22, 2020 | 2:30 p.m. | Best Western Roundhouse Suites and DiPierro Construction |
| Monday, January 22, 2020 | 9:30 a.m. | Boston Cyclists Union |
| Tuesday, January 28, 2020 | 3:30 p.m. | City of Boston Public Facilities and Property Management |
| Thursday, February 6, 2020 | 1 p.m. | Dorchester Brewing Company |
| Monday, February 24, 2020 | 10 a.m. | Boston Cyclists Union |
| Wednesday, March 11, 2020 | 1 p.m. | Home Run Cafe |
| Monday, March 16, 2020 | 10:15 a.m. | Boston Public Schools |
| Monday, April 13, 2020 | 11:30 a.m. | EDENS (South Bay Shopping Center) |
Download materials from the meetings:
We asked people to share their experiences traveling on Massachusetts Avenue. We gathered written input during the biking and walking tours and meetings with civic and business associations. We also collected comments via phone, email, and an online form. In total, we heard from over 200 people who live, work, and travel along Massachusetts Avenue.
We hosted a series of biking and walking tours for the general public, for employees of 1010 Mass. Ave., and for members of the Newmarket Business Association. Our goal was to learn about the experience of people who use the corridor.
| DATE | TIME | AUDIENCE |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, September 18, 2019 | 6:30 p.m. | General public |
| Saturday, October 4, 2019 | 10:30 a.m | General public |
| Wednesday, October 16, 2019 | 12 p.m. | Employees of 1010 Mass. Ave. |
| Thursday, November 21, 2019 | 12 p.m. | Members of the Newmarket Business Association |
Download materials from the biking and walking tours:
Biking and Walking tour of Mass. Ave. flier
We flyered and distributed materials along Mass Ave., advertising a series of walks and rides of the corridor. We made phone calls or sent emails to neighborhood association leaders and other identified stakeholders, posted on social media, and handed out flyers to businesses and posted flyers on light posts.
We later canvassed the corridor three times in order to visit every business when it was open. On these business walks, we provided information about the project, answered questions, and offered a future meeting as needed.
| DATE | TIME | Actigivey |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, September 13, 2019 | 4 p.m. | Flyering for walk/rides |
| Monday, September 16, 2019 | 4 p.m. | Flyering for walk/rides |
| Thursday, January 30, 2020 | 2 p.m. | Business walk |
| Thursday, February 13, 2020 | 9 a.m. | Business walk |
| Thursday, March 12, 2020 | 9 a.m. | Business walk |
Download materials from the flyering:
Biking and Walking tour of Mass. Ave. flyer
We informed civic and business associations along the Mass. Ave. corridor about the project.
| DATE | TIME | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, November 4, 2019 | 7 p.m. | Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association |
| Tuesday, November 5, 2019 | 7 p.m. | Hancock Street Civic Association |
| Tuesday, November 12, 2019 | 6 p.m. | Uphams Corner Westside Neighborhood Association |
| Wednesday, November 13, 2019 | 7 p.m. | Jones Hill Neighborhood Association |
| Tuesday, November 19, 2019 | 7 p.m. | McCormack Neighborhood Association |
| Monday, November 25, 2019 | 7 p.m. | Polish Triangle United |
| Wednesday, December 18, 2019 | 9 a.m. | Newmarket Business Association |
| Thursday, January 16, 2020 | 7 p.m. | Eastman-Elder Neighborhood Association |
Download materials from the meetings:
Project area
The project includes the section of Massachusetts Avenue between — but not including — its intersections with Melnea Cass Boulevard and Columbia Road.
-
Still have questions? Contact:
Transportation
-
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 721Boston, MA 02201-2026
-
Get Email Updates
Sign up for our email list to receive updates on the project.
