Pressure mounts over center-running bus lane plan in Mattapan
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An aerial view of the Blue Hill Avenue and River Street intersection near Mattapan Square. Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Dozens of Mattapan and Dorchester residents spent two-plus hours on Thursday listing their frustrations and fears over the proposed center-running bus lanes on Blue Hill Avenue.
- Among them? Making schoolchildren, elders and other pedestrians cross the major thoroughfare to reach the bus.
Why it matters: The multimodal plan, now under review by regional planning officials, has sparked one of the biggest neighborhood transportation fights in years.
Catch up quick: City officials for years have promoted the plan, which would nix parking spots to make room for center-running bus lanes, bike lanes and a single lane for car traffic.
- A revamped proposal unveiled in September includes a consolidated bike section, up to 42 more parking spots, and two car lanes alongside the center-running bus lanes, per the Dorchester Reporter.
- City officials say some 40,000 people ride the bus daily through Blue Hill Avenue.
Yes, but: Mattapan residents say the plan would worsen traffic in a corridor where delivery drivers routinely double-park and parking laws aren't enforced.
- Their concerns dominated a two-plus-hour hearing by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization.
- Opponents said the plan would hurt small businesses and expose pedestrians to chaotic traffic as they cross the street to make the bus, pointing to complaints from some bus riders along Columbus Avenue.
The latest: The MPO board let the project proceed, approving a public-comment period for amendments that would incorporate the Blue Hill Avenue redevelopment into the region's long-range plan.
- Meanwhile, the city and the MBTA scrapped plans to extend the existing center-running bus lanes on Columbus Avenue.
- Officials instead plan to add a curbside bus lane, per the Boston Globe.
Friction point: Transit advocates said they surveyed frequent bus riders and residents who support the center-running bus lanes but couldn't make the meetings.
- Residents who testified, however, urged officials to take the word of locals who did show up.
- "I do not need someone else to speak for me," said Jisca Philippe, a mother of four from Grove Hall whose children ride the bus to school.
- Philippe, who walks, drives and uses public transit, asked the MPO board to pause the project.
The other side: "The last seven years, the city has worked in really close partnership with the MBTA to refine the design, listen to community, incorporate feedback, and come back earlier this fall with a substantially revised design," said Tali Robbins, interim chief of staff for Boston's Streets Cabinet.
- Robbins said that includes 6 miles of rebuilt sidewalks, 200 new trees, new street lighting, reconstructed roads and safer pedestrian crossings.
What's next: The public-comment period for two amendments related to the project runs until Nov. 1.