MORRISSEY BOULEVARD

REDESIGN FOR RECONSTRUCTION

Columbia/Savin Hill Neighborhood Association

November 6, 2017

DCR Mission Statement

To protect, promote and enhance our

common wealth of natural, cultural

and recreational resources

for the well-being of all.

Primary Project Goals

• Stormwater and flooding: Provide stormwater

improvements and climate resiliency

• Transportation: Ensure the finished project will not

worsen traffic congestion or encourage more traffic from

I-93. The project must accommodate all road users when

finished (i.e. motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles)

• Landscape & Urban Design: Enhance parkway

character and strengthen connections to recreational

facilities, natural resource areas, and neighborhoods

Design Project Scope

Mt. Vernon St.

Pattens

Cove Bridge

Interstate

93/Freeport

St.

Neponset

Circle

North Area

Middle Area

South Area

General Concept Features

• Elevate roadway for coastal resiliency Green Infrastructure & Drainage Improvements

Limit to 3 full-width closures per year (max.) from tidal flooding in

2065

• Maintain traffic capacity throughout the corridor Targeted lane reductions

Optimized intersections

• Design and posted speed of 30 mph (vs. 40 mph) Will undergo MassDOT approval process

• Separate bicycle and pedestrian facilities where feasible Cycle track at same grade as sidewalk

Combination of 1-way paths (running with road traffic) and 2-way

cycletracks

Public Input Collected

• Corridor-Wide Reduce traffic speeds

Connect neighborhoods to parks / shore

Provide dedicated bicycle and pedestrian facilities

Change character from highway to urban boulevard

Enhance aesthetics and landscaping

• Specific Locations Intersection operations for all users

Driveway safety

Additional crosswalks; U-turns; left-turns

Enhance/take advantage of natural features

(beaches, wetlands, open space)

Proposed Short-Term Improvements

• Bianculli Boulevard Intersection • Provide detection on all the lanes at the

four approaches.

• Revised timings and minor changes to

the vehicular phases

• Modify the pedestrian phase from

exclusive to concurrent

• Freeport Street Intersection Revise timings

Modify the pedestrian phase from

exclusive to concurrent

FAQ’s from Public Meetings

• The capacity of the corridor is determined by the ability of the

signals to process traffic through the intersections, not by the

number of lanes.

• The proposed design maintains or slightly improves the

throughput of traffic at each signal.

• Better, more modern signal hardware at intersections will

improve their efficiency.

• Won’t taking a lane away from Morrissey Boulevard

make traffic worse?

FAQ’s from Public Meetings

• Why not increase roadway capacity, instead of

adding bicycle lanes and sidewalks?

• Any increased roadway capacity would immediately draw more

regional traffic from I-93, causing greater congestion on

Morrissey Boulevard.

FAQ’s from Public Meetings

• Won’t traffic back up further due to fewer proposed

lanes at the Freeport Street intersection? The proposed plan does not change the number of lanes at

Freeport Street, with the exception of the SB left turn lane.

The SB Left Turn will be accommodated at a proposed

intersection at Victory Road.

This removes a signal phase, which results in more green time

to allow existing travel lanes to process traffic more efficiently.

Removal of the exclusive pedestrian phase will also reduce

delays, while allowing more frequent opportunities for

pedestrians to cross.

• Won’t traffic back up further at Bianculli Blvd

(UMass) due to fewer proposed lanes at that

intersection?

Improved geometry will remove the “jug handle” for SB

vehicles turning left onto Bianculli. This allows NB & SB

through traffic to move simultaneously.

Upgrades to signal timing will also improve efficiencies.

FAQ’s from Public Meetings

MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BIANCULLI BOULEVARD INTERSECTION - EXISTING

MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BIANCULLI BOULEVARD INTERSECTION – PROPOSED TRAFFIC PLAN

MORRISSEY BOULEVARD FREEPORT STREET INTERSECTION – EXISTING

MORRISSEY BOULEVARD FREEPORT STREET INTERSECTION – PROPOSED TRAFFIC PLAN

MORRISSEY BOULEVARD VICTORY ROAD INTERSECTION / MBTA OVERPASS – PROPOSED TRAFFIC PLAN

U-Turn to

Improve Safety

Eliminate Short Weave Provide Lane

MORRISSEY BOULEVARD TOLMAN STREET – PROPOSED TRAFFIC PLAN

MORRISSEY BOULEVARD NEPONSET CIRCLE – PROPOSED TRAFFIC PLAN

General Questions?

For more information on this project, including materials from past

public meetings, see:

https://www.mass.gov/service-details/morrissey-boulevard-redesign-for-

reconstruction

If you would like to comment, please send in an email to

dcr.updates@state.ma.us, noting “Morrissey Boulevard” in the subject

line OR mail to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Office

of Public Outreach, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA

02114. The deadline for receipt of comments is Monday, December

18, 2017.

If you have questions or concerns or wish to subscribe to a DCR

general information or project-related listserv, contact DCR’s Office of

Community Relations at (617) 626-4973 or Mass.Parks@state.ma.us.

Additional Information