Last updated on November 1, 2017
Reducing the speed limit to 20 miles per hour, installing speed humps and utilizing lane markings to help bicyclists are several methods that are part of the city’s new Neighborhood Slow Streets Program that debuted in Jamaica Plain’s Stonybrook neighborhood on Wednesday.
“This is an active neighborhood, filled with families and residents who want to take advantage of our location near Franklin Park and Jamaica Pond,” said Danielle Cerny, Stonybrook resident and neighborhood association steering committee member, via press release. “Walking or riding a bike, taking your kids to school, visiting a neighbor — all of those should be pleasant experiences the neighborhood is built to encourage. But in the past, these types of activities could feel stressful and unsafe because of how many vehicles sped down our streets. With the implementation of this new program, we’re looking forward to having safer and quieter roads, and to continuing to work with the city to learn from and expand this initial pilot.”
The program is a new traffic calming initiative implemented part of the Go Boston 2030 project, which is also being implemented in other Boston neighborhoods. Among other goals, the Slow Streets Program was designed to expand access for all modes of travel by better connecting neighborhoods, improve safety by reducing collisions through reorganizing street space and reduce traffic from cutting through local neighborhood streets
Eleven speed humps have been placed throughout the Stonybrook neighborhood, including on Rossmore Road, Williams Street, Brookley Road and Kenton Road. Other implementations include added pavement markings and delineator posts to physically restrict illegal parking near crosswalks, more stop signs, new crosswalks, daylighting to improve visibility, and shared lane markings to help bicyclists navigate between Washington Street and Franklin Park.
The community was instrumental in refining the planning and design elements of the program, as there were multiple community meetings.
The Stonybrook neighborhood was one of five neighborhoods chosen to participate in the initial implementation of the program. The Boston Transportation Department will be accepting applications in 2018 for the next neighborhoods to part of the program.
— BostonTransportation (@BostonBTD) November 1, 2017