Strides made at second meeting on Melnea Cass Blvd. design

The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) held its second public meeting on the redesign of Melnea Cass Boulevard to create a more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly street while still accommodating car, truck and public transit traffic.

The BTD is the lead agency among a group of city and state agencies involved in the improvement project, to be funded by $600,000 in City of Boston funds and $7.5 million in federal earmarks and state funding. A team of consultants with expertise in transportation engineering, bicycle planning and landscape architecture has been engaged to help with the planning.

The BTD and the outside consultants for the project learned from this mistake, said BTD Senior Transportation Planner Patrick Hoey.

"We've set the reset button tonight, and we're going to get a fresh start," Hoey said. "We did our homework. We're going to put Melnea Cass Boulevard in its historical context this time."

Melnea Cass Boulevard was built in 1981 on one of the bulldozed paths. Running from Tremont Street near Ruggles Station to the Mass Turnpike Connector at Mass. Ave., today the boulevard is widely seen as a highway within the city, with fast-moving traffic and dangerous street crossings.

Now, the city wants to redesign the street with a new "complete streets" approach that emphasizes sustainability and a more pedestrian-centered approach.

After the slide presentation, attendees were divided into small groups — something that was on the agenda in the first meeting, but didn't come to pass — to brainstorm on improvement ideas. In one group, led by Keri Pyke, director of transportation planning at Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates and the Melnea Cass project's lead design consultant, attendees had a variety of suggestions.

"We're going to have to change the lighting," said one participant named Dan, pointing out how forbidding the area feels after dark for pedestrians.

"I appreciate bicycles," said one woman, "but for women with children, bicycle paths are not a priority. I want convenient access to public transit and a well-lit walkway."

State Rep. Byron Rushing, assigned to this group, said a dedicated lane for buses is needed, no matter what else comes into the design.

Group members agreed that traffic needs to be calmed with stoplights or prominent speed limit signs, and that crosswalks need to be improved or shortened.

Pyke asked what group members thought about adding on-street parking. This is a difficult issue, with some people feeling that businesses along the boulevard will depend on convenient parking, while others predicting problems with double-parking.

At the meeting's close, the design team gathered up the flip chart sheets full of ideas. The consultants clearly have their work cut out for them to create a cohesive design plan that melds the larger transit considerations with the public input. Discussions will continue after the holidays, with the next public meeting likely to be in late January or early February.