BEFORE REACHING THE MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE OF 70. BOSTON IS LAUNCHING A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PLAN TO UNCLOG ONE OF THE BUSIEST AND DANGEROUS ROADS, BLUE HILL AVENUE. ITS A THREE MILE STRETCH RIGHT THROUGH DORCHESTER AND MATTAPAN. ITS THE TARGET OF A $44 MILLION UPGRADE THAT WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY. ITS CENTERPIECE WILL BE BUS LANES RUNNING RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD. PASSENGERS WILL BOARD AND EXIT THROUGH RAISED PLATFORMS. A FEDERAL GRANT WILL PAY FOR ABOUT A THIRD OF THAT PROJECT, AND THIS IS WHAT THE END RESULT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. DESIGNERS SAY THAT THE NEW CONFIGURATION COULD CUT THE TRAVEL TIME FROM GROVE HALL TO MATTAPAN, AND MATTAPAN SQUARE IN ABOUT HALF FROM

Boston announces $44M investment to remake Blue Hill Avenue

Plans feature changes for bus service

Updated: 10:23 PM EST Feb 28, 2024

A dedicated bus lane, safety improvements and other upgrades are part of a $44 million plan to upgrade Boston's Blue Hill Avenue, which runs through Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan.Mayor Michelle Wu announced the plan Wednesday, saying the project will begin with short-term improvements this spring, followed by full roadway construction in 2026.Of the $44 million for the project, $15 million will come from a federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration, Wu said. Other funds will come from the city and MBTA, according to the mayor's statement. The addition of a center-running bus lane along the corridor will serve more than 37,000 bus riders every weekday, the mayor said. With a crash requiring Boston EMS occurring along Blue Hill Avenue once every three days on average, Wu's announcement said the plan aims to cut back on the estimated 3,000 hours per weekday lost by bus riders stuck in traffic.A bus trip down the length of Blue Hill Avenue, which currently takes up to 1 hour, could be slashed to 25 minutes. Free rides along MBTA bus routes 23, 28 and 29, which run along Blue Hill Avenue, were recently extended for another two years. From the majority of commuters in Blue Hill Ave. who are stuck in traffic waiting on the bus, to seniors and families who cant safely cross the wide roadway to get where they need to go, weve heard community feedback that improvements are needed for all road users," Wu said in a statement. Additionally, Wu's announcement said the project would create wider sidewalks and additional crosswalks while increasing trees throughout the area, upgrading street lighting and adding opportunities for benches, bike parking and public art.The next steps for the project will include a spring effort to collect community input on the block-by-block layout, including the right proportion of parking and loading zones. Short-term work will include refreshing pavement markings, lighting upgrades and repairs for damaged sections of the road or sidewalk.

A dedicated bus lane, safety improvements and other upgrades are part of a $44 million plan to upgrade Boston's Blue Hill Avenue, which runs through Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan.

Mayor Michelle Wu announced the plan Wednesday, saying the project will begin with short-term improvements this spring, followed by full roadway construction in 2026.

Of the $44 million for the project, $15 million will come from a federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration, Wu said. Other funds will come from the city and MBTA, according to the mayor's statement.

The addition of a center-running bus lane along the corridor will serve more than 37,000 bus riders every weekday, the mayor said. With a crash requiring Boston EMS occurring along Blue Hill Avenue once every three days on average, Wu's announcement said the plan aims to cut back on the estimated 3,000 hours per weekday lost by bus riders stuck in traffic.

A bus trip down the length of Blue Hill Avenue, which currently takes up to 1 hour, could be slashed to 25 minutes. Free rides along MBTA bus routes 23, 28 and 29, which run along Blue Hill Avenue, were recently extended for another two years.

From the majority of commuters in Blue Hill Ave. who are stuck in traffic waiting on the bus, to seniors and families who cant safely cross the wide roadway to get where they need to go, weve heard community feedback that improvements are needed for all road users," Wu said in a statement.

Additionally, Wu's announcement said the project would create wider sidewalks and additional crosswalks while increasing trees throughout the area, upgrading street lighting and adding opportunities for benches, bike parking and public art.

The next steps for the project will include a spring effort to collect community input on the block-by-block layout, including the right proportion of parking and loading zones. Short-term work will include refreshing pavement markings, lighting upgrades and repairs for damaged sections of the road or sidewalk.

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Boston announces $44M investment to remake Blue Hill Avenue - WCVB Boston