Image taken from the median of Blue Hill Avenue with traffic shown in both directions including an MBTA bus, personal vehicles, and a school bus.

Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan​

Draft Concept Design

Blue Hill Ave Today

Blue Hill Avenue between Warren Street in Grove Hall and River Street in Mattapan Square is one of the busiest transportation corridors in Boston. Despite its role as a critical connector for the region’s transportation network, Blue Hill Avenue today isn’t meeting the needs of the people who live, work, and travel along it daily. From traffic safety to unreliability to poor connectivity, we have the opportunity to improve Blue Hill Avenue to better serve the people who rely upon it

When it comes to traffic safety, there is on-average a crash requiring EMS every three days on Blue Hill Ave. Due to this high rate of traffic safety incidents,  Blue Hill Ave is one of the most dangerous places in the City of Boston to drive, walk, or bike . ​

Blue Hill Avenue is a critical transit connector for Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan residents. During rush hour, more than half of the people traveling along Blue Hill Avenue are on an MBTA bus. Each weekday, more than 40,000 people board or get off one of the nine bus routes serving the corridor; that’s similar to ridership numbers on the Blue Line.

Image of the crowded inside of a bus with the seats filled and several passengers standing.

Despite this high ridership, bus service along the corridor is chronically delayed due to congestion. Each weekday, more than 3,000 hours are lost collectively by bus riders on Blue Hill Avenue due to traffic and delays, which has a disproportionate impact on people who rely on public transit to get around. ​

In many areas of Blue Hill Avenue, crosswalks are infrequently spaced, especially near areas like Franklin Park, Harambee Park, and south of Westview Street, where crossings are more than 1,300 feet apart. In addition to their spacing, many crossings exceed 90 or even 100 feet in length, with no compliant refuge space. Further, many side streets intersect at odd angles, creating longer crossing distances without protection.

Although Blue Hill Avenue plays a vital role in connecting people with open spaces, crucial services, schools, and job opportunities, the street itself often feels more like a highway than a neighborhood street. The lack of greenery and shade along Blue Hill Avenue contributes to the urban heat island effect and air pollution, negatively impacting community health

Blue Hill Avenue today does not meet the needs of the communities along it. To make meaningful investments in the lives of those who live, work, and commute along Blue Hill Avenue, the MBTA and City of Boston are proposing a plan for the corridor that is safer, more connected, and more vibrant. 


How We Got Here

Since 2019, MBTA and the City of Boston have been working together to make much-needed improvements to Blue Hill Avenue.

Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan Launches: September 2019

The Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan got started with a kick-off meeting in  September 2019 , followed by an  open house in March 2020  and a subsequent virtual meeting in  September 2020 .

City-led Community Engagement Process: 2022 - 2023

For almost two years, the City of Boston worked with MBTA, BPDA, and community organizations to learn more about residents’ experiences on Blue Hill Avenue between Grove Hall and Mattapan Square to best understand how to move forward with the Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan. Below is a summary of some of those community engagement activities.

Virtual Meeting Series

The project team held nine virtual public meetings between October 2022 and July 2023. Each meeting included foundational project content that was repeated monthly, new content that responded directly to community questions raised during the previous meeting, presentations from partner agencies or community partners, and community discussions. Some of the topics addressed included the  historic context of Blue Hill Avenue  presented by Powerful Pathways,  bus service along the corridor ,  housing , and  green infrastructure .

Real Talk for Change Conversations

Blue Hill Avenue Real Talk for Change conversations occurred in small-group settings in which participants were asked to envision a future of Blue Hill Avenue and share personal stories that influenced this vision. Over 170 adults and youth participants were engaged through 23 Real Talk sessions. You can listen to some of the voices of Real Talk for Change participants  here 

Bus Rider Surveys

Through a partnership with LivableStreets Alliance, 520 intercept surveys were conducted with bus riders in-person at bus stops along Blue Hill Avenue. A summary of those findings were  presented in July 2023 .

Business Surveys

Members of the project team went door-to-door to 113 small businesses along the project corridor and completed at least 87 surveys with small business managers and owners about their delivery and transportation needs.

Youth-focused Workshops, "Not Your Average Public Meetings," and More

Through a partnership with Consult LeLa, two "Complete Streets Deetz" were held to educate youth on transportation planning and collect feedback on proposed changes to Blue Hill Avenue. Additionally, three "Not Your Average Public Meetings" were held to make planning a fun, enjoyable and inclusive experience in a different format than a typical public meeting.

City releases Community Engagement Report: October 2023

You can read the comprehensive report summarizing the 2022-2023 community engagement process  here .

Multimodal Redesign Moves Forward: February 2024

The City of Boston and MBTA announced that a multimodal redesign of Blue Hill Avenue between Warren Street and River Street will move forward to better serve bus riders, create safer conditions for pedestrians and drivers, increase the tree canopy, and install new amenities for a more vibrant small business corridor. A new multimodal design will add center-running bus lanes for the more than 40,000 bus riders who travel on Blue Hill Avenue every weekday, and better define spaces for drivers and pedestrians creating a safer, calmer experience for everyone. The multimodal corridor redesign is supported by a $15 million  RAISE Grant  from the U.S. Department of Transportation and administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Read the full  press release announcement here. 

Pre-concept Design Community Engagement: May-July 2024

Earlier this year, the MBTA and City of Boston began reaching out to residents, block-by-block, to plan for a multimodal street that meets the needs of residents, commuters, and small businesses from Mattapan Square to Grove Hall. The project team reached out to 24,000 households and held or attended 19 outreach events where they interacted with over 2,000 people to collect feedback on everything from potential bus stop locations to crosswalks to trees and parking. You can see a  summary of that feedback here.  The MBTA and City of Boston have applied feedback received to-date to this draft concept design with the goal of creating a safer, more connected, and more vibrant Blue Hill Avenue. The following sections give you an overview of the draft design and how you can help us make this plan stronger.


A Safer Blue Hill Ave

Improving traffic safety, especially for people walking, is a priority for this project. This draft concept design includes at least 14 new signalized crosswalks along the corridor, providing community members 40% more opportunities to safely cross the street compared to today. These safer crosswalks on Blue Hill Avenue will be approximately 25% shorter, significantly reducing crossing distances. On intersecting side streets, crosswalks will be on average 19-feet shorter. Throughout the project area, sidewalks will be rebuilt and brought up to a state of good repair. At least 185 curb ramps will be upgraded and brought into compliance with accessibility standards.

Wherever feasible, crosswalks were added in locations that community members requested. Special emphasis was placed on areas near community centers or with locations with a history of traffic crashes. Below is an overview of new proposed crosswalks.

1

River Street

Proposed new crosswalk: River Street at Blue Hill Avenue (south side of intersection)

2

Babson Street

Proposed new crosswalk: Babson Street at Blue Hill Avenue (north side of intersection)

3

Woodhaven Street

Proposed new crosswalk: Blue Hill Avenue Fairmount Line Station - Woodhaven Street at Blue Hill Avenue (south side of intersection) Note: This is one of the locations the project team would like your feedback.

4

Norfolk Street

Proposed new crosswalk: Norfolk Street at Blue Hill Avenue (north side of intersection)

5

Wellington Hill Street

Proposed new crosswalk: Wellington Hill Street at Blue Hill Avenue (north side of intersection)

6

Clarkwood Street

Proposed new crosswalk: Clarkwood Street at Blue Hill Avenue (south side of intersection)

7

Goodale Road

Proposed relocated and improved crosswalk: Goodale Road at Blue Hill Avenue (north side of intersection) Note: This upgraded crosswalk would replace the  current unprotected one on the south side of the intersection .

8

Deering Road

Proposed new crosswalk: Deering Road at Blue Hill Avenue (north side of intersection)

Note: This is one of the locations the project team would like your feedback.

9

Callender Street

Proposed new crosswalk: Callender Street at Blue Hill Avenue (north side of intersection)

10

Paxton Street

Proposed new crosswalk: Paxton Street at Blue Hill Avenue (south side of intersection)

11

Calder Street

Proposed new crosswalks: Calder Street at Blue Hill Avenue (north and south sides of intersection)

12

American Legion Highway

Proposed new crosswalk: American Legion Highway at Blue Hill Avenue (south side of intersection)

13

Esmond Street

Proposed new crosswalk: Esmond Street at Blue Hill Avenue (south side of intersection)

14

Ellington Street

Proposed new crosswalk: Ellington Street at Blue Hill Avenue (south side of intersection)

15

Nazing Street / Pasadena Road

Proposed new crosswalks: Nazing Street / Pasadena Road at Blue Hill Avenue (north and south sides of intersection)

16

Wayne Street / Supple Road

Proposed new crosswalks: Wayne Street / Supple Road at Blue Hill Avenue (north and south sides of intersection)

17

Castlegate Road

Proposed new crosswalk: Castlegate Road at Blue Hill Avenue (south side of intersection)

These proposed crosswalks are shorter, safer, and more accessible than the crossings on Blue Hill Avenue today.

Let’s look at one intersection: Walk Hill Street and Blue Hill Avenue, where both of the crosswalks across Blue Hill Avenue and the crossings at side streets like Walk Hill Street and Babson Street will be shorter, making it easier and less intimidating for people to walk to the Mattapan Branch Boston Public Library and other destinations. ​The existing median on Blue Hill Avenue today is not accessible, and the addition of new pedestrian refuges included in this draft concept design will provide a safer and more accessible crossing experience for everyone.

Wherever possible, raised crosswalks will be installed on neighborhood side streets intersecting Blue Hill Avenue to calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety. Throughout the project area, sidewalks, pedestrian ramps, and crosswalks will be brought into a state of good repair to make sure pedestrians have a smooth, accessible experience whether they are walking or rolling.

The City of Boston has already started to implement speed humps and other traffic calming features on neighborhood streets adjacent to the corridor through the Safety Surge program. As a  short-term action item , the City of Boston is prioritizing installation of speed humps on neighborhood streets near Blue Hill Avenue in 2024 and 2025.

Learn more about the  Safety Surge program here .

Additional traffic calming measures include narrower travel lanes to encourage slower speeds, which improves traffic safety for all road users. On Blue Hill Avenue today, there are 16 un-signalized left turn and U-turn lanes, which make it difficult for people driving to safely access side streets. In the draft design, intersections like this one at Esmond Street and Blue Hill Avenue include a new, signalized left turn lane. In addition to improving traffic safety for people driving, this upgrade also allows a new crosswalk to be installed, providing safer access to Franklin Park for the surrounding neighborhood.


A More Connected Blue Hill Ave

The Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan aims to better connect community members with their neighborhoods and the rest of the city. A major component of the project is the introduction of center-running bus lanes to drastically reduce transit delays and improve service reliability for over 40,000 bus riders daily. This draft design is expected to reduce bus travel times by up to 15 minutes for Route 28 trips traveling the length of the corridor.

Due in large part to traffic, bus trips along the length of the corridor can vary widely - from around 20 minutes in low traffic periods to nearly 45 minutes in peak periods. Center-running bus lanes will make bus trips much more reliable, regardless of whether you’re traveling during the morning rush hour or on a weekend. When bus trips are reliable, it makes it easier to schedule your day, whether it's getting to work, kids to school, to medical appointments, or to meet up with friends and family. ​

The introduction of center-running bus lanes will not only improve service reliability today, but it also allows for a major increase in service in the years to come.

The map to the right shows the current network of high frequency bus routes that serve the corridor today: MBTA route 22, 23, and 28.

Note: This map does not include lower frequency MBTA bus routes on Blue Hill Avenue.

Future service increases, pictured to the right here, include new high-frequency, one-seat bus rides connecting community members along Blue Hill Avenue with the Longwood Medical Area, Fenway, and Kenmore Square. Routes like the 31 and the 16 will be promoted to high-frequency service, providing better cross-town access to destinations like Forest Hills Station, Upham's Corner, and Andrew Square Station. Based on this service upgrade, an MBTA bus will arrive between every 2.7 and 6 minutes depending on where you are along the corridor. These transit upgrades will better connect Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan residents with more destinations through more frequent and more reliable service.

Note: This map does not include planned medium and low frequency MBTA bus routes on Blue Hill Avenue. Learn more about all planned bus service changes  here .

Along the project corridor, this draft concept design includes between 9 and 11 pairs of bus boarding platforms to serve as bus stops. These locations were chosen because they provide riders access to key community destinations like schools, parks, libraries, housing, commercial districts and health centers while addressing service needs like improving accessibility and allowing for sufficient stop spacing. 

Red labeled stop pairs in the map on the right indicate locations where the project team wants your feedback to help determine the final number of bus stop pairs along the project corridor.

Click on the bus stop locations to the right to learn more.

All of the bus boarding platforms will include new amenities, including 1) enhanced canopies to protect riders from the elements, 2) real-time arrival screens to let riders know when the next bus is arriving, 3) enhanced lighting, 4) security cameras and emergency call boxes, 5) new seating, 6) accessibility upgrades, and more. All bus boarding platforms will have crash protection barriers and will be connected to the sidewalk with at least one signalized crosswalk.

To ensure that people biking have a safe, protected option connecting them to adjacent the adjacent bike network, this draft concept design includes separated bike lanes from Mattapan Square to Franklin Park and onward to Schuyler Street, providing a low-stress way to access local destinations and the surrounding region.

Solid green lines indicate dedicated bike facilities that are separated from traffic.

The draft design includes dedicated space for biking and other active mobility options that will be separated from car traffic. It will also be differentiated from pedestrian sidewalk space.

Solid green lines indicate dedicated bike facilities that are separated from traffic (like in the photo pictured above).

The project team heard loud and clear from community members about where they want to maintain parking. In addition to collecting community members’ feedback, the City of Boston and the MBTA have conducted a parking study and a survey with businesses along the corridor to better understand parking and curbside access needs on weekdays and weekends. Here are some of the key findings from the parking study: ​

  • During peak occupancy, 1 out of 5 parking spaces were available.
  • For parking turn-over rates during weekdays, 2 out of 3 vehicles along the corridor were parked for less than 2 hours.
  • Up to 12 vehicles at once were double-parked near the intersection of Harvard Street and Blue Hill Avenue; the highest frequency on the corridor.
  • 36% of vehicles parked along the corridor were registered outside of the City of Boston.

Throughout the corridor, the project team worked to apply these findings and to retain as much parking as possible. The draft concept design includes 90% of parking spaces compared to today, and more parking was retained in areas with higher need. The City of Boston will continue to develop the curbside regulations, whether that’s more pick-up/drop-off zones or longer-term parking, to ensure they meet the needs of the businesses and residents along the corridor. ​

Take for example this proposed design for the intersection of Talbot Avenue, Harvard Street and Blue Hill Avenue, which experiences chronic double (and sometimes triple) parking throughout the day. This proposed design includes +4 change in spaces along the curb that needs it the most, and more pick-up/drop-off zones can encourage more parking turnover. 

A More Vibrant Blue Hill Ave

A priority for this draft concept design is improving the public realm, and includes at least 2.3 additional acres of public space. That’s the equivalent of 1.74 football fields of new space, which will provide opportunities for at least 150 additional trees,  green infrastructure , public art and amenities like benches and trash bins. 

Take for example this proposed design for the intersection of Seaver Street and Blue Hill Avenue. Closing the slip lane for cars allows for 3,000 new square feet of public space to be created on the edge of Franklin Park, which creates more opportunities for planting 10 new trees, installing benches and other amenities, and featuring public art.

In commercial areas, the draft concept design includes wider sidewalks and more public realm space to support local businesses, like in this example at Warren Street and Blue Hill Avenue, where 800 new square feet of sidewalk space and public realm could be added.

Share Your Feedback

The concept design is still in draft form. The MBTA and City of Boston need to hear from you to make this plan stronger.

Check out the full  concept design plans here .

Participate in one of our  upcoming community engagement events .

Sign up for email notifications on this project  here .​

Tell us what you think!

City of Boston email address  BLUEHILLAVE@BOSTON.GOV 

City of Boston phone number 617-635-3944