Illustration of a green curbside Tremont Street bike lane separated from traffic by parked cars beside brick rowhouses, with a cyclist riding.

Tremont Street Bike Lane: Mission Hill Safety Work Starts

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The City of Boston will begin building a parking-protected Tremont Street bike lane in Mission Hill next week, part of a set of “quick-build” safety changes at the intersection of Tremont, Parker and Terrace streets, city officials announced Friday, Oct. 9. Construction is expected to start Tuesday, Oct. 13, and take about a week, weather permitting, according to interim Chief of Streets Chris Osgood.

The corridor is where Louisa Gag, a 36-year-old city bikeshare and transportation planner, was fatally struck on July 9 while riding a bicycle. WBUR reported that the driver was not charged.

What the Tremont Street Bike Lane Plan Includes

A city spokesperson provided a written list of the planned changes to Streetsblog Massachusetts, and the city described them in statements to the Boston Globe, WBUR and WBZ-TV. The work uses paint and other low-cost materials rather than new curbs. The main elements are:

  • Parking-protected bike lane: Between Terrace and Parker streets, curbside parking will shift toward the center of the roadway and the bike lane will move to the curb, so parked cars separate cyclists from moving traffic.
  • Clearer corners: One parking space on the south side of Tremont Street will be removed to improve sight lines at crosswalks, and tan paint will mark an extension of the curb at Parker and Tremont. The spokesperson told Streetsblog this is a new quick-build tactic for Boston, though it has been used in New York and Somerville.
  • Turn restriction: Left turns from eastbound Tremont Street onto northbound Parker Street, toward Roxbury Crossing, will be restricted.
  • New markings: White paint will be added at the intersection and nearby crossings to make cyclists more visible, WBUR reported.

According to Streetsblog, several elements carry out recommendations from the city’s 2023 Mission Hill Transportation Planning Project, which had identified these intersections as the most serious safety risks in the immediate area. Tape markings that advocates placed at the intersection in late August to create an unofficial bike lane will be removed as the city installs its design, WBUR reported.

What City Officials Said

“Everyone deserves to be safe on our streets,” Osgood said in a statement quoted by the Globe. He said the changes “will make the corridor work better for residents and all road users, while laying the groundwork for additional improvements in this area in the future,” and that the city “will continue to act urgently to prevent crashes.”

Osgood told WBUR the design was informed by past planning, transportation department reviews and public feedback gathered before Gag’s death, and that the city consulted transportation experts, advocates and Gag’s family. He described the work as a first phase. Next year, he said, the city aims to begin a second phase of planning that could include repaving the intersection and corridor and “a likely inclusion of a new crosswalk” at the eastern edge of the Parker and Tremont intersection, with design details still being finalized.

Reaction From Family, Advocates and a Councillor

In a statement to WBUR and the Globe, Gag’s parents, Steve Gag and Laura Gang, and her sister, Emily Gag, said they were glad the city is “implementing meaningful street improvements.” They added that the city “must act with more urgency moving forward,” both in responding to serious crashes and in advancing safety projects.

Tiffany Cogell of the Boston Cyclists Union told WBZ-TV the group was “really grateful” the intersection is getting attention. Maha Aslam of the LivableStreets Alliance, where Gag previously worked, told the Globe the changes “mark a return to rapid response safety interventions.” Reggie Ramos, executive director of Transportation for Massachusetts, called the project a “good step” in comments to WBUR and said advocates also want state legislation requiring side guards on trucks.

City Councillor Erin Murphy told WBZ-TV that residents and cyclists had raised safety concerns about the area for a long time and that she believes the city should have evaluated and addressed them sooner. WBZ-TV reported that Mission Hill residents are expected to meet early next week to discuss the changes.

How It Fits Boston’s Wider Street Safety Work

The Globe reported that since July the city has replaced many removed flex posts and advanced other street projects, including the Blue Hill Avenue redesign. The Tremont work also arrives as Dorchester councillors seek answers on the Boston speed hump program; we have also covered the Columbus Avenue bus lane. Separately, the city has announced a free Link Bus shuttle plan for neighborhoods with limited transit.

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