Let your voice be heard
The City of Boston Transportation Division is seeking feedback on the Summer Street Pilot. Your input is not only valued but vital, as you have the closest touchpoints to this transportation corridor. Below, you will find two ways to offer feedback:
1. You can fill out the online survey here.
2. Via Email (wherein you can expand your comments and attach media). Public comment via online survey will conclude the first week of May. You can email your response here.
You can get the full details of this pilot program here.
**Please share with your neighbors + networks (also attaching shareable graphics)**
WHAT IS THE PILOT?
● 6 Month Painted Bus / Truck Lane Pilot between Dorchester Ave at South Station and Butler Freight Corridor
More on the Summer Street Pilot: boston.gov/summerstreetpilot
PILOT GOALS
● Enable Sustainable Mobility with a focus on better conditions for buses and bikes
● Improve Safety for Bikes and Pedestrians with a focus on improved infrastructure
● Accommodate Economic Activity with improved Port/Maritime access and mobility options for people who live and work here
NEXT STEPS
Determination on Pilot Outcome in June 2024:
● Evaluation of User Feedback
● Technical Evaluation of Transportation Data
● Potential Outcomes:
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Pilot largely left in place
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Major modifications are made with some elements kept in place
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Pilot is ended/elements removed
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
I feel the pilot program should be removed. I see a lot of wasted space here. Many times the lane is empty. Other times coming home a little later than the rush hour, no one is in the lane. Then when the other lane backs up, people move into the bus lane anyway and probably chance getting a ticker, which I don’t think is right nor fair. Bicycles, I rarely see them. I know Mayor Menino’s Boston 2030 would love to see all the autos gone, but lets face it, it is not going to happen.
The city seems to be punishing those with automobiles, why? There will always be more automobiles than bicycles. This is not Denmark, which has the perfect system, it will never happen here in Boston.
I understand the reasoning behind this, but I recommend having the bus lane during rush hours only. Say 7am-9am and 4pm-6:30pm. That is the fair thing to do.
But what if we could do better?
You don’t see as many bikes because they don’t take up as much space as cars do.
For what it’s worth, the timed bus lane would be nice. And no one is risking a ticket. In the way you rarely see bikes, I have yet to a see a police officer enforcing the laws along summer street.
I hope you can actively try to imagine a better future. We need fewer cars on the road. It’s that simple.
Exactly…for the first few days drivers abided by the rules but when it became clear there was zero enforcement it was back to the status quo…of it taking 20-30 minutes on the #7 just to get over the first bridge.
what was wrong with my comment Maureen that you got rid of it??? It didnt fit what you believed in?
Linda – I have to manually approve each and every comment. A little patience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
it just came through but I looked a few times and nothing was there. thank you
Also try refreshing your browser.
Get rid if both bike and bus lanes . We are sick and tired of the climate change crap. We have been hearing the predictions of global warming gir 50 years now and not a one has come true. It’s all about the money and control. Period.
Total pain in the ass no one likes it
I walk over the Summer St bridge from 2nd Ave to D St in Seaport twice a day to and from my office. The bus lane is usually empty, as it seems there’s rarely a bus but maybe every 15 min, even during the rush hour times that I walk to work. I also have zero understanding how the *bus* lane improves the situation for bikers, of which there are also few. Additionally it makes driving generally more dangerous, with the semi trucks having to pile into car traffic of the left lane coming into the port to then turn left right after the bridge. It’s one of dumbest, most poorly conceived things I’ve seen, but it’s also right on point for Boston gov’t & city planning officials. It doesn’t help the communities they intended, and it results in worse traffic and congestion for our neighborhood, so it also isn’t more ‘green’ – both of which were supposed objectives of this experiment. But, like many such efforts by local government officials, this was more about the appearance of doing social good than the actual logic required to do any real meaningful good, resulting in overall worse outcomes for all.
One of the worst designed projects I have ever seen. I didn’t take into account how many trucks need to move between the port and the highway and how many trucks need to get into the various businesses between summer street and west Broadway. Other frustrations of mine include the problems trying to make a left at any point during the bus lane (essentially holding up all traffic to do so) and how little distance a car has to legally get into the right lane to make a turn on pump house house to get onto the mass pike.
Neighbors- we need to speak up. These politicians will sell us dry with their forced solutions if we don’t challenge them. Of course public transportation is important but this solution isn’t working. In my opinion it’s just made it more dangerous to walk on our streets- more fast driving in the neighbors, more aggression after dealing with the summer street mess, etc.
I agree with the previous comments. The lane is useless. I must turn into the A street and it is very confusing and dangerous if I am not in the bus lane.
Bus lanes only make traffic worse! Take away a lane from a busy downtown area??? Whose idea was that?
There’s a similar Bus/Bike only lane on Route 28 (i. e. the Msgr. O’Brien Hwy), and it, too, can cause a real mess, particularly during Rush hour. The same thing is true of the Bus/Bike only lane on Somerville’s Washington Street, in the Union Square vicinity.
The bus lane on summer street is only one bus. The 7. Other than two hours in AM and PM the bus only runs every half hour or so. So you are shutting down a lane on a heavily traveled road with no bussed. It’s not logical.
Do away with bus lane. Volume of cars should be recognized.
Do away with cars.
I use the bus/bike lane everyday on my electric scooter or taking the bus (I don’t have a vehicle). It’s made my life so much easier and safer and I see dozens of other people using it every morning on my way to work. The buses are always packed with people and the lane makes it a lot quicker to get into work if it’s raining or snowing and I can’t scoot. I’m sure it’s frustrating if you drive but I think that’s kind of the point as we want people to drive less and use other options more if they can.
Not every one has the luxury you have of working downtown .I need to take summer street to get on the mass pike .I also have a family that plays sports and last time I checked my scooter with sidecar isn’t allowed on pike .
Buses never use the lane. I have never witnessed a traffic problem that required a separate bus lane. Makes no sense. Go redesign Leverett Circle if you want to solve transportation problems.
If you were the only person who lived in Boston, this would make a lot of sense!
A bus lane for 1 bus that after the rush hour runs every 30-40 minutes. How stupid is that. The constant backup of traffic is causing a lot more pollution than before. And most cars don’t pay attention to it anyway.
Ok what is the period to do survey. Will city release results. I hope they do and then set a meeting date with our elected officials to go over findings.
The bus lane on these streets is not effective, it obstructs the free flow of many vehicles for the sake of very few busses in comparison to the need of commercial and business drivers to do their work in a timely fashion. Trucks and buses need both lanes at times to made turns and exits from these roadways. It’s an idea that just does not work effectively and smoothly as proposed. Bikes there are few, very few you would have us sacrifice the commerce of a great city for a minute saved or two on the bus route if at all.
I have watched and followed a bus or two too see what happens, it just is not working as the plan hoped.
The bus lanes need to be removed. You can’t have a single lane of traffic without methods for people to cross lanes. If you follow the rules, which frankly no one seems to, this has only added to your commute and continued frustration.
The city needs to stop making it difficult to get into South Boston. Between closing roads with no warning for months on end, to bus lanes, and new one-ways. The city has become increasingly more difficult to commute in and out of since 2021.
—-In-Chief is fer it…then I’m agin’ it.
That’s absolutely true with every single ludicrously ridiculous, non-sensical, disruptive, divisive and deconstructionist “policy” she’s implemented across my city…just cuz she can.
Get rid of the bus and bike lanes on Summer Street! The only real public transit solution would be to install a subway to the City Point area, but that will never happen. The #7 bus rarely operates outside of the busy 7-9am weekday period. The bike traffic lights are the icing on the cake – I’ve seen numerous cyclists just ignore them. Traffic is only going to get worse with the new development at 776 Summer Street.
I do not see a need for all day long.
The #7 is busy, 7am-9am and 4pm-6:30pm.
They should focus on having more #7 busses than bikes etc….
A bus lane that handles four buses an hour fir the number seven from City Point to South Station is not needed. Whoever came up with this idea needs to be shown the door !!! I want to know how much money of the taxpayers was wasted on this stupid pilot plan. In addition, the city is responsible for the Joe Moakley Park 58 acres in our neighborhood and the place is a complete shit hole.! Other that I have no strong feelings!! It’s time to organize for a campaign for a new Mayor that actually listens to the people she represents. If she won’t listen to us ? Then we should not listening to anything they say, and it may be time for civil disobedience, like they do with protest in the street!! Right to her house with the new hours of protest that she’s implemented!!!
The only reason why these people are actually putting in these bus lanes because it’s part of the green new deal build back better federal money. They look at it as of free money for them to spend no matter what. With all the issues that we have, and lack of money, these geniuses will spend our money recklessly, and really don’t care of the ramifications. So the city really should come up with a figure on how much money they wasted on this pilot nonsense.!!! find a new lab rat for your federal free money. It’s really sad that you can’t find where is a spending money on real problems, then coming up with solutions that create new problems.