Why I’m Excited About Transportation Improvements on Boylston Street

Construction starts soon for bus and bike lane changes on Boylston St

If you have ever traveled from Hynes Convention Center to the Public Garden via Boylston Street, you know that the street plays host to many different modes of travel. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and more use Boylston Street both as a major corridor connecting the Fenway and downtown and as a central gathering place to experience some of the best that Back Bay has to offer. Not to mention, throughout the course of the year and, even the day, Boylston Street wears many different hats: it is a major hub for 13,000 daily bus riders; it is a school hallway connecting the two Back Bay buildings comprising Snowden International’s campus; it is the boundary to a robust and regular farmer’s market; it is the doorstep of America’s first public library; and, of course, it is the terminus to our beloved Boston Marathon.

As a premier thoroughfare with a multitude of roles to play, Boylston Street demands the best of modern, multi-modal travel. That is why I am so excited about the upcoming additions of protected bike and bus lanes along Boylston Street.

With construction starting this Sunday, June 9th, the City will introduce two majorly beneficial additions to the streetscape along Boylston Street: 1) a fully protected bike lane that stretches from Massachusetts Avenue to Arlington Street, where it will meet the bike lane around the Public Garden; and 2) a bus lane between Ring Road and Arlington Street. 

The bike lane will be permanently protected, offering a safe ride for all who choose to cycle down Boylston Street—a major transportation improvement for those who currently cycle Boylston Street with general car traffic. Meanwhile, the bus lane will allow for rapid and reliable bus service, thereby reducing congestion, shortening commute times, and enhancing accessibility for all residents, particularly those reliant on public transportation. By streamlining multi-modal operations, we not only improve the efficiency of our transit system but also reaffirm our commitment to social equity, ensuring that every Bostonian has access to safe, fast, affordable, reliable and sustainable transportation options. 

These changes come with significant input from the public. Public meetings over the last two years served as another reminder to me of how community feedback improves the City’s proposed projects and goals. 

Throughout these meetings, the Boston Transportation Department made necessary adjustments based on public feedback including: 

• A peak-time bus lane adjacent to parked cars on the southern curb of Boylston Street starting at Ring Road will be active between 4PM and 7PM.

• The city is keeping two eastbound travel lanes for motor vehicles and providing a left turn pocket for vehicles turning onto Berkeley Street and retaining parking adjacent to the bike lane to serve commercial uses on the north side of the street.

The implementation of these major changes are a necessary addition for such an important road, and I thank all who have been a part of the process to positively shape what exactly these changes entail. In Boston, we need to create space for all of our constituencies and road users, to keep our city moving. The best environment for our most vulnerable road users, pedestrians and bike riders, is one that takes those constituencies out of conflict with each other. The proposed bike and bus lanes in Boston's Back Bay embody a spirit of coexistence on the city's streets, promoting the idea of different groups sharing space. The aim is to create a balanced and equitable transportation ecosystem where pedestrians, cyclists, bus riders, and motorists can coexist harmoniously.