Tremont Street is an old street that begins at Government Center and runs through Boston’s South End neighborhood. In recent years, the city has committed to making more bike lanes to make this safer and to encourage alternatives to driving.
The redesign, which was approved in 2021, and can be seen below, converted a very busy section of Tremont Street which runs through the heart of the South End from two lanes in each direction with on- street meter parking to one lane in each direction with on-street meter parking and bike lanes along with new / improved crosswalks for pedestrians.
The resulting construction has led to many complaints from people, which is to be expected. Change never goes unnoticed in Boston and rarely is praised but I’m a big fan of this redesign and wanted to share why. My reasons may not resonate with you or you may agree – it doesn’t really matter. I’m writing this more to explain my point of view than to change anyone’s mind or heart.
Why I’m a HUGE fan of the Tremont Street redesign in the South End.
REASON 1: It’s About The Pedestrians Not The Cars This section of the neighborhood is chock-full of pedestrians walking up, down, and across this street at all times and crossing 4 lanes of traffic with so many drivers showing so little regard for pedestrians is not safe and in recent years there have been tragic accidents that could have been averted (in my opinion) if one needn’t cross so many lanes of traffic.
REASON 2: City of Boston expects 4X More Cyclists on Boston’s Roads by 2030 Cyclists, mopeds, and other forms of transportation are on the rise but our city streets have not been designed to safely accommodate them. Transforming the streets may cause headaches for some drivers but the safety issues will only get worse without these changes.
REASON 3: Fewer Cars On The Streets I’m sure this will infuriate many but giving more of the streets over to pedestrians and cyclists is necessary and there are alternate forms of transportation to the car that are available. While the MBTA is currently a shit show, more demand and more focus on public transportation will result in pressure to fix it, which in turn should help reduce the volume of cars on our roads.
REASON 4: Aesthetics I think the South End is a beautiful neighborhood and Tremont Street which runs through the heart of the neighborhood is far more visually appealing with a single lane running in each direction. I get that some may disagree but the streetscape becomes more visible and visually quaint which is the word I hear many people use when describing the South End.
REASON 5: Drivers Can Use Washington Street and Columbus Avenue Just two blocks to the South and North of Tremont Street – running mostly parallel through the heart of the South End are two larger streets that cars can use. While it is true that traffic volumes have increased on those streets. In the case of Washington Street, one lane is dedicated to buses, which drivers largely ignore – only further reinforcing my initial point regarding safety. If traffic on Tremont is truly that awful, either turn left or right, drive two blocks to Washington or Columbus, and you’ll get to your destination much faster.
Perhaps you disagree but like I said, I’m not here to persuade anyone – just stating my feelings.
BosGuy 