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Politics & Government

JP's Washington Street "Automile" Has a Long Way to Go

Home to the Arborway Yards, the Casey Overpass, and many car-related businesses, there's hope at the end of the tunnel for a desolate section of Washington Street.

“JP has a lot of great walkable places. Washington Street isn’t one of them,” said Stonybrook Neighborhood Association (SNA) member Bill Reyelt in his opening remarks at Saturday’s "Livable Community Workshop.”

The meeting, sponsored by SNA and the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), examined the pedestrian- and bicycle-friendliness of the blighted stretch of Washington Street from Green Street to the Casey Overpass, and the contributing design elements. 

Held at , the event began with a presentation by MPO staff member Cathy Buckley. Besides providing examples of good planning and model streetscapes, Buckley stressed that poorly designed streets also contribute to safety and health problems such as accidents, obesity and even carbon emissions. Subsequently, despite the rain, the participants took a walking tour of the area.

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“I live between Green Street and Forest Hills and I never walk here,” said SNA member Andrew Padilla, as he stood on a desolate street corner near the Arborway Yards. 

As it walked, the group evaluated factors such as crosswalks, curb cuts, landscaping, fencing and storefronts. A major contributing factor to the area’s blighted atmosphere and lack of pedestrian traffic is the predominance of automobile-related businesses including several service stations, repair shops, a car wash and a dealership. 

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One observer noted that the no man’s land also falls outside of the purview of any of the City’s Main Street districts, a municipal initiative that has led to many tangible improvements in Boston’s commercial areas. 

Jonathan McCordy, a member of the City’s Bicycle Advisory Board, said he has advocated for bicycle lanes along this stretch of Washington Street but the congested artery was deemed too narrow for bike lanes. 

“There is a lot of resistance to removing parking or reducing travel lanes,” he said. 

Nonetheless, the area is slated for some big changes ahead. While the future of the massive seems like a long-broken promise, supporters continue to press the MBTA to redevelop the eight-acre site. Plans are also in the works to demolish the unsightly and deteriorating , and there is a  in the preliminary stages for a mixed-use commercial and residential project at the corner of McBride and Washington Streets. Additionally, has selected a site near Forest Hills for a new supermarket.

“I’d love to be able to walk to the grocery store,” one participant said Saturday.

After the walking tour, the group returned to, to brainstorm and mark up a map with ideas for improving Washington Street. Low- and no-cost suggestions included repainting and adding crosswalks. 

One SNA member proposed improving the connection between the  tours and  by leasing bikes between the two destinations in Boston’s new  program. The group also recommended traffic-taming measures be put in place on some of the neighborhood’s side streets that are used as cut-throughs. 

Another participant suggested working with  to move the fence back alongside the school’s playing field. Others favored undertaking a rezoning effort, and lobbying the City Council for improvements to the corridor.

Though it may be a long time before Washington Street resembles the Champs d'Elysées, SNA member Bill Reyelt, who works as a smart growth coordinator for the state, said plans are in the works to hold subsequent sessions.

“The community needs to build momentum,” said the MPO’s Buckley.

To learn more about the "Livable Community Workshop" and to get involved, please visit the websites of the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Stonybrook Neighborhood Association, or the JP Washington Street Livability Project.

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