May is National Bike Month and Boston happens to have a new bike lane project cruising into the construction phase this month. Here’s what’s going on in Back Bay.
Boylston Street is an active area for bike riders and due to its popularity, this area is also too frequently the site of crashes. Notably, there is also a lot of double parking + commercial loading, with a lack of dedicated bike lanes, but this project aims to fix that.
The plan is to add a one-way separated bike lane going eastbound on Boylston Street from Massachusetts Avenue to Arlington Street. These additions will help keep two travel lanes for motor vehicles with some directional updates and establish a peak-time bus lane from 4 to 7 p.m. next to the curb by the McKim Building of the Boston Public Library.
Bonus: The project will also add a bus lane from Ring Road to Arlington Street. This bus lane will help improve reliability for MBTA routes 9, 10, 39, 55, and 57.
This is one piece of a bigger picture.
The Boylston Street project is part of a larger plan for updating the streets for Bostonians who are walking, rolling, and riding bikes. Over the next three years, the city’s goal is that 50% of residents will be a three-minute walk from a bike route.
Construction will begin soon.
Pay attention for signage and construction crews as the teams work to rebuild the sidewalk on the north side of Boylston Street, between Dartmouth Street and Clarendon Street.
Let your voice be heard.
Schedule a 15-minute appointment during upcoming office hours today, May 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. or on Wednesday, May 29.
