Overview
- Mayor Michelle Wu and MBTA general manager Phil Eng presented block‑by‑block renderings on Thursday, and the meeting prompted organized protests and vocal opposition from residents, business owners and some city councilors.
- The plan calls for a center‑running bus lane, full roadway and sidewalk reconstruction with at least two travel lanes each direction in most places, nearly 200 new trees, 20 new signalized crosswalks and 185 ADA ramps.
- City officials say the design preserves most car lanes and increases parking from about 675 to 717 spaces while improving safety on a corridor the city describes as crash‑prone.
- Opponents say the center bus lane will force riders to cross traffic to board buses, hurt storefronts by changing parking and traffic patterns, and reflect a process that has not meaningfully changed in response to community input.
- The $163 million proposal is funded largely by a U.S. Department of Transportation grant with city and MBTA contributions, and the project remains in the planning phase with three more public listening sessions scheduled and no final construction decision.