BTD Holds Community Walk of Neighborhood Before Southwest Corridor Expansion Project

In anticipation of its planned expansion of the Southwest Corridor to downtown, the Boston Transportation Department held a community walk of Beacon Hill on Saturday, Nov. 2.

BTD Active Transportation Director Stefanie Seskin wrote that the walk, which was one of several held around the city in recent weeks, attracted around 30 neighborhood residents and provided a “good opportunity for residents and business owners to speak directly to BTD planning staff about the project.”

Among the feedback she heard was that the intersection of Charles and Mt. Vernon streets is “special and reflects the heart of the community,” and that the mid-block crossing between the Public Garden and the Boston Common should feel more like a “gateway” and less like a “barrier” between these two destinations. 

Other points of discussion were how best to make the area more pedestrian friendly; how bicyclists can “fit into the equation” in its streets; and how to manage parking on Charles Streets to meet the needs of customers, delivery vehicles and others, Seskin said.

“The next step is undertaking a parking occupancy study; schedule office hours in the neighborhood to give residents and other community members an opportunity to stop by and ask questions and/or provide their comments; and conducting additional outreach to local business association and merchants,” Seskin wrote.

The extension of the Southwest Corridor was identified as “priority projects” stemming from the Go Boston 2030 plan, which the city launched two years ago to create  “better and more equitable travel choices,” and while the Corridor now ends in the South End, the project would create better walking and bicycling access to Beacon Hill, Back Bay, Bay Village and beyond.

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