News

Some street changes stay

by Adam  Gaffin
Thursday Sep 22, 2022

Originally made for the Orange Line shutdown

Huntington Avenue between Brigham Circle and Gainsborough Street and Boylston Street in Copley Square will keep their dedicated bus lanes, city officials announced today.

They're among the permanent changes announced Tuesday by Mayor Wu, who says their use during the Orange Line shutdown showed they could help permanently with traffic flow and access to public transit.

The complete list:

  • Chinatown MBTA SL4 bus stop: This newly added bus stop creates a vital link for Chinatown residents to the SL4.

  • Copley Square area bus lanes: These bus lanes include Boylston Street (Ring Road to Clarendon Street); Clarendon Street (Boylston Street to Columbus Ave.); St. James Street (west of Berkeley Street to Dartmouth Street). These bus lanes support the 39, 9, and 10 bus routes, which together serve more than 10,000 riders per weekday.

  • South End loading zones and drop-off zones: Changes to parking restrictions in this area will remain in place for improved curbside management and reduced double parking in the unprotected bike lane.

  • Jamaica Plain pavement marking and signage: This includes traffic safety elements such as "Don't Block the Box" and parking restrictions at corners to improve visibility. These changes have shown to improve traffic safety and management.

  • Boylston Street one-way for vehicles: Closing part of Boylston Street (between Amory & Lamartine) to traffic throughout the shutdown has improved safety (collisions and near-misses) along the Southwest Corridor. Reopening this stretch as a one-way street from Amory to Lamartine for vehicles will support long-term bike connectivity plans, improve safety for all modes, and reduce conflict at the high crash intersection of Boylston and Lamartine Streets.

  • Huntington Avenue bus & bike priority lane: The priority bus and bike lane that was added to Huntington Avenue from Brigham Circle to Gainsborough Street has improved speed for the Route 39 bus. As a permanent lane, it will continue to support the thousands of people who ride the Route 39 bus and will improve safety for those on bikes.

  • Columbus Avenue pop-up bike lane: This will remain until early December and then be removed for the season. BTD Active Transportation will continue to monitor and move barrels daily to enable street sweeping. Long-term planning is underway for a potential permanent facility. This is one of the busiest corridors for biking. Improving conditions, even on just a few blocks, can make the overall trip safer and more enjoyable.

  • Bluebikes parking: The City will retain Bluebikes docks added during the shutdown, with minor modifications as needed, to keep up with record-breaking ridership numbers. The City is also exploring options to provide free or low-cost bike share service.

  • The Boylston Street pop-up bike lane will be removed as the City works to design the recently announced permanent facility. Boylston Street is an important link in the bike network, and improved infrastructure here will make a safer ride for people biking from Brookline, Mission Hill, the LMA, and Back Bay to Downtown. The pop-up Boylston Street bike lane will be in place through September 26. The permanent Boylston Street bike lane will be prioritized for installation in the spring.