Latest Updates
Plan Implementation Status
Since the A-B Mobility Plan was adopted by the BPDA Board in May 2021, the Plan has moved into the implementation phase. During this phase, the Planning Department is coordinating closely with the Boston Transportation Department (BTD), Public Works Department (PWD), other City departments and agencies, and external agencies (such as the MBTA, MassDOT and DCR) to implement the Plan. The Action Plan, contained in Chapter 7, provides a roadmap for implementing the A-B Mobility Plan. The Planning Department will track implementation of the Plan and post reports on progress at least twice per year (please see “Plan Implementation Progress Report” below).
Neighborhood Transit Link Study
One of the A-B Mobility Plan recommendations is to explore ways to combine current privately operated shuttles and to expand these services to be open to the local community and better serve the neighborhood needs (see Neighborhood Transit Connector Policy Proposal, pages 41–42.). In September 2021, the BPDA extended a grant to the Allston Brighton TMA (ABTMA) to conduct such a study. In January 2022, the Allston-Brighton Transportation Management Association (ABTMA) selected Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., a transportation planning and engineering consulting firm, to prepare what has come to be called the "AB Transit Link Study".
As an initial step in the Study, in March 2022, in collaboration with the BPDA, the ABTMA conducted an online survey to elicit suggestions from the community about destinations and stops for the Neighborhood Transit Link. Following extensive notification using social media and an email list of residents, businesses and stakeholders garnered through the A-B Mobility Study, the online survey went live from March 3 - 25, 2022. Respondents to the survey suggested over 270 stops and destinations, as shown on this map.
Based in part on results of the March 2022 online survey, as well as on other data gathered as part of the Transit Link Study (including gaps in existing MBTA bus, subway and commuter rail service in the neighborhood; .25 and .5 mile walking distances around the transit stops; demographic data, such as people and jobs per acre and rates of car ownership; and, the location of pending and recently approved development in the neighborhood), a preliminary network of service routes was developed.
As of November, 2022, the AB Transit Link Study has drafted recommended consolidated routes for Allston and Brighton. These specific new first/last mile transit routes for the neighborhood which are designed in large part to fill in gaps in first and last mile connections to the "T". An InfoGraphic summarizing the results of the Transit Link Study may be viewed here. A PowerPoint slide presentation elaborating more detailed results of the Transit Link Survey may be viewed here.
Next steps will include more detailed costs analyses and funding strategies. To be kept abreast of next steps, please contact [email protected].
A-B Transit Corridor: Parking Utilization Study
Among the recommendations of the A-B Mobility Plan is the creation of the A-B Transit Corridor. The A-B Transit Corridor would help increase bus service and bicycle mobility by establishing peak hour bus and bicycle lanes along Washington Street and Cambridge Street between Oak Square and Union Square (see A-B Mobility Plan, pages 28–39).
In April 2021, the BPDA secured a Technical Assistance Grant from MAPC to conduct a Parking Utilization Study for the proposed AB Transit Corridor. The purpose of the parking study was to help determine feasibility based on parking impacts along the corridor. On October 18, 2021, in collaboration with MAPC, the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization conducted a parking occupancy and duration study along Washington Street and Cambridge Street between Oak Square and Union Square. The study found that it would be feasible to convert one parking lane to a shared bus and bicycle lane in the inbound direction of travel during the AM peak and another in the outbound direction of travel during the PM peak. Study details and results are summarized in the A-B Transit Corridor Parking Utilization Study InfoGraphic. Additional details about the Parking Utilization Study may be viewed in both the Technical Memo - Allston-Brighton Parking Analysis for Boston 11/22 and PowerPoint: Allston Brighton Parking Analysis for Boston - 11/22.
BTD is tentatively planning to move forward with implementation of pilot peak hour bus lanes in this corridor in 2023. In advance of implementation, BTD will work with local merchants to socialize the project and understand and address parking needs and concerns.
Plan Implementation Progress Report - November 2022
Twice each year, staff provides updates on progress in implementing the recommendations of the A-B Mobility Plan. The most recent Implementation Program Report, dated November 2022, can be found here. In particular, the progress report focuses on implementation of the “Action Plan”, found in Chapter 7, pages 156-158, of the A-B Mobility Plan.
Final Allston-Brighton Mobility Plan Adopted on May 13, 2021
After release of the Draft Plan in November 2020 and extensive public review and comment (see details below), the Final Allston-Brighton Mobility Plan was approved by the BPDA Board on May 13, 2021. Staff would like to thank all the members of the Allston-Brighton community for their time, patience, and energy and for contributing over 1,600 comments to develop the Plan since fall 2018.
Plan Summary
The Final A-B Mobility Plan provides a blueprint for improving how people move around Allston and Brighton by making it safer and more efficient for all modes of transportation—walking, biking, transit, and cars.
The Plan will:
- Improve the transit network
- Expand the bike network
- Improve walkability
- Enhance the main street and neighborhood experiences
- Simplify intersections for all users
View a pre-recorded 25-minute presentation on the November 2020 Draft Plan
Review a pre-recorded, 25-minute presentation on the Draft November 2020 Plan prepared by the team members who prepared the plan. (Note: As indicated above, a number of substantive changes have been made to the Final Plan since the November 2020 draft; however, much of the content of this pre-recorded video remains relevant.)
Public Comments on November 2020 Draft Plan
The BPDA released the Draft Plan for public comment on November 11, 2020 and the public comment period remained open through February 15. During late 2020 and early 2021, a virtual open house was held on the Draft Plan along with several "chats with a planner" where project team members made themselves available to community members to discuss and answer questions about the Draft Plan. A number of meetings on the Draft Plan were hosted by civic and advocacy organizations. Comments were also solicited through an online feedback tool. The BPDA received over 400 comments on the Draft Plan from the following sources:
| Public Comments submitted via: |
# of comments |
| Story Maps Online Commenting Tool |
76 |
| [email protected] |
129 |
| Comment Letters |
55 |
| Virtual Public Meetings |
159 |
| TOTAL |
419 |
After February 15, 2020, the A-B Mobility Plan project team reviewed all the public comments and incorporated numerous substantive changes to the plan based upon the comments and suggestions. A complete list of all public comments received can be viewed here.
Revisions to Plan Since November 2020 Draft
Based upon the public comments, and in consultation with the interdepartemental A-B Mobility Working Group, numerous revisions were made to the Plan before it was presented to the BPDA Board for adoption on May 13. A summary of substantive changes to the Plan since the November 2020 Draft Plan may be viewed here.
Updated on July 23, 2021: Article 80 Development Transportation Mitigation Tracking
In response to inquiries from the community about the status of neighborhood transportation mitigation and improvements required of development projects in Allston-Brighton, the BPDA Planning team prepares regular tracking reports on the status of transportation mitigation, including monetary contributions and physical improvements (or other services), associated with Small and Large Article 80 development projects approved by the BPDA Board in Allston-Brighton since 1999. These updates will be provided every six months, in July and January. The latest report, along with previous versions, are shown below.
Preliminary Draft A-B Mobility Recommendations
In December 2019, after considerable research, public engagement, and analysis, the BPDA presented Preliminary Draft Recommendations for the A-B Mobility Study.
A series of public engagement activities followed the release of the preliminary draft recommendations, including the following meetings:
- Open House at the Jackson Mann School, December 16, 2019
- Allston Brighton Health Collaborative, January 16, 2020;
- Brighton Main Streets, January 22, 2020;
- Allston Village Main Streets, February 10, 2020;
- Allston Civic Association, February 19, 2020;
- Brighton Board of Trade, February 12, 2020;
- Allston Board of Trade, February 19, 2020;
- Brighton Center businesses on February 22, 2020;
- Oak Square community in Oak Square, March 5, 2020;
- Brighton Allston Improvement Association, March 5, 2020.
Additionally, the A-B Mobility Team hosted a virtual public meeting on June 24th to make up for the meeting which was originally scheduled in-person for March 12, 2020 at Charlesview. Details about each of these engagement activities is provided below under Previous Public Meetings and Presentations.
Between the public meetings, online interactive map, and comments received through the [email protected] email address, the BPDA received nearly 700 comments. Comments from all the public meetings, the online interactive map, and the [email protected] email address have all been compiled in a single document found here. Records of comments from each of the individual public meetings may be found here.
Existing Conditions Report
In August of 2019, the Allston-Brighton Mobility Team released an existing conditions report, which can be found here. This existing conditions report includes a review of existing Article 80 development projects, previous and ongoing transportation planning initiatives, and multimodal transportation analyses and data.
Overview
The Allston and Brighton neighborhoods have recently experienced significant growth in new development. While this growth adds economic opportunity and vibrancy, it also raises questions and concerns about how the existing and future multi-modal network will accommodate new development. To address these concerns, and after two years in development, the Allston-Brighton Mobility Plan recommends strategies to improve the transportation network—for example, bike infrastructure, sidewalks/crosswalks, transit service, traffic calming—and help mitigate the impacts of new development.
Past Engagement
Monday, May 8, 2023 | 6:30 PM
The BPDA and the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) partnered in a virtual meeting to share updates on transportation projects in Allston-Brighton, including transit and bike projects identified in the Allston-Brighton Mobility Plan.
Presentation | Recording
Tuesday, November 15, 2022 | 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Jackson Mann Community Center, 500 Cambridge Street, Allston, MA 02134
The Boston Planning & Development Agency, MBTA's Green Line and Bus Network Redesign teams, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and more provided information and updates in an expo-style setting. Community members discussed projects and plans, shared feedback, and learned where and how neighborhood changes affect them and how they can engage.
Allston-Brighton Neighborhood Transit Link Presentation
Draft Plan Meetings with Allston-Brighton Main Streets
Brighton Main Streets | Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Allston Village Main Streets | Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Draft Plan Online Chats with a Planner
Monday, November 23, 2020
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Monday, December 14, 2020 | Transit Focus
Draft Plan Virtual Open House
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
At this meeting, there was a brief 10-minute presentation about the Draft Plan followed by Q&A with the A-B Mobility Study Team.
Preliminary Draft A-B Mobility Recommendations
As described above, in December 2019, after completing extensive field research and data analysis as part of the Work Plan, the BPDA released Preliminary Draft Recommendations for the A-B Mobility Study. Following release of these draft recommendations, a variety of in person and online digital public engagement activities followed, as described below.
June 2020 Virtual Public Meeting: North of the Pike Focus
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
The BPDA hosted a virtual public meeting for the Allston-Brighton Mobility study, to make up for one originally scheduled in-person for March 12, 2020 at Charlesview. The meeting included a presentation followed by Q&A and comments. Participants were able to review and comment on the existing preliminary draft recommendations. There were no new recommendations presented. Please click here to view a recording of the virtual meeting. Additionally, you can click here to view a PDF of the presentation.
March 2020 Oak Square Workshop
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Based on preliminary feedback from the community, the Team decided to set aside the prior draft recommendations for Oak Square and start over. This meeting included a presentation followed by breakout groups to discuss what currently works well in Oak Square and what, if anything, should change to improve mobility. To view the annotated maps from each workshop table, visit here.
January and February 2020 Civic Group Engagement
The A-B Mobility Team attended various civic group meetings to present the preliminary draft recommendations. These civic groups included: Allston Brighton Health Collaborative (ABHC), Allston Board of Trade, Brighton Board of Trade, Brighton Main Streets, Allston Village Main Streets, Allston Civic Association, and Brighton Allston Improvement Association (BAIA). To view comments recorded by staff members at each of these meetings, visit here.
December 2019 Open House
Monday, December 16, 2019
At this open house, the A-B Mobility Team presented a series of preliminary draft recommendations for many different geographies in Allston-Brighton. The Open House included nearly three dozen poster boards containing a wide range of recommendations, as well as a brief PowerPoint presentation. The PowerPoint presentation can be viewed here. To view the preliminary draft recommendations, please visit here. All of the comments provided on comment cards at each poster board can be viewed here.
July 2019 Community Update: Work Plan
For the past several months, our team has been engaging with the Allston-Brighton community to determine priority areas for mobility improvements. Out of these conversations we have developed a Work Plan to model and analyze a wide range of potential mobility improvements (such as new bus lanes, dedicated bike lanes, pedestrian crosswalks, signal retiming, traffic calming, and many other possible improvements). Three community meetings were held (see links directly below), and comments on the Work Plan were also elicited through the online mapping tool. To see a summary of the community feedback received over the summer, click here.
Monday, July 22, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Winter 2018/Spring 2019 “Priority Locations” Forums
January 2019 Work Session
January 30, 2019
At this meeting, the A-B Mobility Team presented a summary of community comments that were received to date. Additionally, the Team presented a map of draft priority locations for potential improvements and draft Study goals for public comment.
Spring 2019 Public Workshops
At these workshops, community members brainstormed preferred mobility solutions for different locations throughout Allston-Brighton. Each of the 3 sub-area workshops focused on specific geographies.
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Monday, March 18, 2019
September 2018 Open House
September 12, 2018
The A-B Mobility Team introduced the scope of the A-B Mobility Study as well as examples of the types of improvements that would be explored. More than 100 community members attended and over 200 comments relating to all modes of transportation were received. We heard about the importance of safe street crossings, frequent and reliable transit, better bike infrastructure, effective parking capacity management, and connectivity to open space.
Schedule & Milestones
As currently envisioned, the 18-month Study will consist of the following schedule and milestones:
Coordination
DCR's Leo Birmingham Parkway Feasibility Study
On March 25, 2021, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) hosted a public hearing on redesign alternatives for Leo Birmingham Parkway and the Nonantum Rotary in Brighton. A copy of the public presentation presenting the alternatives may be found here.
The BPDA submitted comments on the design alternatives. A copy of the BPDA's letter may be found here.
One of the options being evaluated by DCR as part of the Leo Birmingham Parkway Feasibility Study is the repurposing excess roadway—specifically, the north carriageway of Leo Birmingham Parkway between Market Street and N. Beacon Street—for a pedestrian and bicycle path and open space. In fact, this is entirely consistent with the recommendation of the A-B Mobility Plan for Leo Birmingham Parkway. If you would like to let DCR know that you support this recommendation, you may contact DCR.
Portsmouth Street Safety Improvements
The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) is leading a public process to explore safety improvements for Portsmouth Street. Below are recordings of the virtual meetings held for this initiative:
Better Bus Proposals Affecting Allston-Brighton
As part of the A-B Mobility Study, the BPDA and Boston Transportation Department have been in regular communication with MassDOT and the MBTA about regional mobility issues affecting Allston-Brighton. Since late summer of 2018, the MBTA has been working on the Better Bus Study to explore ways to improve the frequency and reliability of bus service in the greater Boston area.
Recently, the Better Bus Project proposed 47 cost-neutral proposals to improve bus service. The BPDA has summarized the Better Bus Project proposals for Allston-Brighton.
Other Ongoing Plans & Studies
A number of plans related to Allston and Brighton have been completed and adopted in the past or are currently underway. This A-B Mobility Study will be coordinated with these plans and studies, including:
Adopted Plans
Plans and Studies Currently Underway
In addition to past studies, close coordination will be need between this study and ongoing planning efforts in the area. These include: