By Dan Murphy
District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan joined Patricia Tully of the Beacon Hill Civic Association and Maccon Bonner from the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services on March 17 to conduct a comprehensive audit of sidewalk conditions on Charles Street.
Photos Courtesy of the City of Boston Brick repairs are made to Anderson Street by Boston Public Works.
Together, they walked both sides of the street and identified 75 repair needs; three remaining make-safes; and a number of rat burrows. The repair needs and make-safes were subsequently reported to Boston Public Works while the rat borrows have been reported to the city’s Inspectional Service Department. (Not all of the sites identified in the audit are owned by the city, however, noted Councilor Durkan, with some spots located on land owned by utility companies instead.)
“We’re grateful to our partners at Public Works, ISD, and the Beacon Hill Civic Association for working with us to keep the neighborhood walkable, safe, and cleanly,” said Councilor Durkan, adding she has connected with ISD and hopes to join its early-morning crew when they treat the rodent burrows. “When the city and community work together, we get results.”
In addition to Tully and Bonner, Councilor Durkan extended her gratitude to the Charles Street Business Association and Public Works leaders Julia Campbell, Norman Parks, and Clarence Perkins for their concerted work in this effort.
Likewise, Maccon Bonner, the city’s liaison to Beacon Hill, said: “The Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services is pleased to have partnered with the Beacon Hill Civic Association and Councilor Durkan’s Office to address sidewalk concerns during a recent walkthrough to ensure our streets and sidewalks are safe for residents. Additionally, the Inspectional Services Department is currently treating tree pits and Public Works in-house craftsmen have been doing brick repairs in Beacon Hill, including on Anderson and Grove streets.
“Thank you to Public Works, their contractors, and Inspectional Services for their efforts in addressing these concerns. The work to repair our streets is ongoing. I encourage constituents to contact Boston 311 to report any rodent activity or damaged sidewalks, and the City will respond accordingly.”
A Boston Public Works spokesperson added: “In 2024 in the City of Boston over 30 miles of sidewalks were repaired or reconstructed. With construction season beginning on April 1, that important work will continue in 2025 with the Office of Streets executing six new neighborhood sidewalk contracts covering Allston-Brighton, Mattapan, Roslindale, Mission Hill and the South End. The remaining contract will cover repairs to both brick and concrete sidewalks citywide. In addition to the area-based sidewalk contracts, the Public Works Department has a dedicated team of in-house craftsmen who work diligently to respond to brick sidewalk cases reported via Boston 311. As part of that work, crews have been performing extensive brick sidewalk repair on Anderson Street, Grove Street, and Garden Street in Beacon Hill.”
The recent audit comes on the heels of a survey administered by the Beacon Hill Civic Association Streets & Sidewalks Committee and sent to BHCA members on Jan. 30, with the last response submitted on Feb. 20. The survey was sent to 679 individuals in all, and 188 of them participated in it.
Among the noteworthy findings from the survey were that 100 percent of respondents said they had observed uneven and/or missing bricks on Beacon Hill sidewalks while 95 percent of respondents reported they had seen a rodent in the neighborhood.
In the recent audit, rodent burrows were identified in the areas of 25, 82, 118-120, 121, and 147-149 Charles St., respectively. “We hope that the businesses near these tree pits will continue to monitor them with 311 reports if they do not improve,” said Tully, executive director of the Civic Association.
Meanwhile, Councilor Durkan’s said her office pushed for immediate fixes after two trip-and-falls were reported on Charles Street in January, and that the Public Works Department “swiftly” repaired major sidewalk voids at 143, 119, and 77 Charles St.
Since taking office in October 2023, Councilor Durkan said her office has conducted detailed audits of sidewalks across the neighborhood, starting with Charles Street and expanding to the entire North Slope. This effort has identified hundreds of necessary repairs across 11 streets, she said, including Charles, Joy, Hancock, Myrtle, Garden, Anderson, Irving, Phillips, West Cedar, Revere, Ridgeway Lane, and Grove streets.
“Sidewalk safety is one of the most common concerns I hear from Beacon Hill residents,” said Councilor Durkan. “We’ve been out there, block by block, in partnership with residents, making sure repairs get done.”
In response to requests from the BHCA and herself, Councilor Durkan said Public Works has repaved Anderson, Revere, Irving, and Myrtle streets; repainted crosswalks; and completed numerous sidewalk repairs, “with more planned after summer utility work.”
Moreover, Councilor Durkan continues to emphasizes accessibility and pedestrian safety as top priorities in her district, particularly for seniors, people with disabilities, and families with young children.
“This is about making Beacon Hill safe and accessible for everyone,” said Councilor Durkan. “It also supports our small businesses and helps preserve the charm and integrity of our historic neighborhood.”