Press Release  DCR Schedules Additional Improvements to the Arborway Parkway in Boston

BOSTON — Seeking to improve safety and add bike infrastructure along the Arborway, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) expects to conduct pavement marking work along the parkway in the coming weeks. The latest round of improvements comes after the agency invested $100,000 this year in the removal of highway-grade signs from the parkway as well as sidewalk and crosswalk repairs as part of its continued effort to upgrade the Arborway.

The approximately $20,000 investment in pavement marking work is expected to take three days and includes, but is not limited to:

• The addition of clear lane lines within Murray Circle;
• The directing of through traffic between Kelley Circle and Murray Circle via the ‘main barrel’;
• The addition of a buffered bike lane and wider parking lane southbound at the Arboretum;
• The execution of a single-lane road diet in both directions along the carriage roads; and,
• The addition of a buffered bike lane along the carriage roads in both directions.

In September 2020, DCR engaged stakeholders by sharing a proposed pavement marking plan and gathering public input. The agency received approximately 40 pages of comments with nearly all expressing support for the proposed plan. Where feasible, DCR considered constructive suggestions from the public and made changes to the proposed plan. 

The expected pavement markings work is weather dependent as the parkway surface must be dry and warmer than the minimum temperature of approximately 50 degrees. While the agency seeks to conduct the work in the coming weeks, a cold weather event may cause delays. If this is the case, DCR expects to conduct the work in spring 2021.

The highway sign removal project, sidewalk and crosswalk repairs and the pavement marking project are taking place while DCR continues the design development process for the Arborway Parkway Improvements Project. The goals of the project are to improve the safety and accessibility for all users, create a better balance among the various demands placed on the roadway, and create a welcoming environment with enhanced public access that reflects the natural and cultural history of the project. Over the course of the project, DCR expects to make near-term safety improvements (current stage), develop design plans for sustainable and lasting improvements, and select a final design and make improvements to the entire parkway. At this time, the project is at 25% design completion.

For additional information on the pavement markings project visit the project website.

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