Mayor Michelle Wu and Interim Secretary & General Manager Phil Eng Announce Community Meetings for Transformative Blue Hill Avenue Project

City, MBTA to present updated design renderings and seek additional input after more than three years of community feedback

The City of Boston and the MBTA today announced a series of community meetings to present an updated design for the Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan and gather additional public feedback. At the meetings, residents will have the opportunity to review the updated project design block by block, ask questions, and provide feedback on parking regulations, street lighting, green space and street trees, bus station design, support for small businesses, and other community priorities. 

The project represents the largest investment in the Blue Hill Avenue streetscape in decades. It will fund a full reconstruction of the roadway and sidewalks along the three-mile corridor and add new streetlights, trees, street furniture, safer crossings, and additional improvements. The proposed center-running bus lanes are expected to reduce travel times for all bus routes on Blue Hill Avenue. Route 28 trips from Mattapan to Grove Hall will be shortened by approximately 10-15 minutes during rush hour––cutting trip times in half. 

“After years of listening and learning from residents, local businesses, elected leaders, and transit riders, we are excited to share an updated proposal reflecting detailed feedback and gather additional public input on the future of Blue Hill Avenue,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I encourage residents to join our upcoming community meetings and help guide this transformative, generational investment in a safer, more connected Blue Hill Avenue for everyone who lives, works, worships, owns a business, or travels along this historic corridor today and for generations to come.” 

“The residents, businesses and those that frequent and traverse Blue Hill Avenue deserve a corridor that balances the needs of all. The city and the MBTA appreciate all the public input we have received to develop this new set of street designs. With these upcoming public meetings, we encourage all to come and see the changes that are being proposed and welcome additional feedback that is so essential  for us to successfully deliver this project,” said Interim Secretary of Transportation and General Manager Phillip Eng. “Most recently as we continue engaging with your local delegation, local businesses, and residents, it is clear the community has been asking for and deserves a Blue Hill Avenue redesign that addresses longstanding neighborhood priorities. One that improves safety, preserves parking, supports businesses and allows many modes including pedestrians, motor vehicles, buses and bikes to be enjoyed improving everyone’s quality of life. We encourage everyone to join these upcoming meetings to see the updated proposal and allow us to continue refining details and deliver this transformational project for you.”

The updated design incorporates changes and responds to concerns raised over the course of three years of community engagement. Key updates and benefits include:

• Traffic Flow & Safety: Two or more travel lanes in each direction throughout most of the project area, providing traffic capacity and managing congestion, along with signalized left turns and U-turns to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians, with a focus on reducing pedestrian crossing distances, providing more crosswalk island areas, and providing a two-way protected lane for bicyclists to access neighborhoods and parks along the corridor.
• A Net Increase in Parking Space: More parking spots along the corridor than there are today. Additionally, Mattapan Square will be resurfaced and re-striped ahead of construction to address present-day parking needs.
• Greenery & Infrastructure: Nearly 200 new street trees, fully replaced streetlights,  updated traffic signals, 185 new pedestrian ramps, and 20 additional signalized crosswalks for shorter, safer street crossings.
• Enhanced Transit Service: Center-running bus lanes and boarding platforms designed to reduce congestion, improve transit service, and add curbside parking

Additionally, the City and MBTA are committed to supporting small businesses and faith-based institutions along the corridor during the construction period and when the project is complete. The City’s Office of Neighborhood Services, Office of Cultural Affairs, Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, and the MBTA’s engagement teams have been reaching out to business owners and faith leaders to learn about their anticipated needs and will be working to develop mitigation tools.

“I want to thank Mayor Wu, General Manager Eng, and the transportation teams at the City of Boston and the MBTA for their tireless work on this updated design for Blue Hill Ave,” said State Representative Russell Holmes. “Our communities deserve this investment into our neighborhoods. I look forward to the continued robust community engagement this fall to further refine the design and bring this long awaited project into fruition.”

“I’m encouraged by this type of community engagement around the Blue Hill Avenue project,” said City Councilor Enrique Pepén. “It’s critical that residents, business owners, and bus riders remain at the center of this process so we can deliver a corridor that is safer, more accessible, and works better for everyone. As the City Councilor representing the first 1.4 miles of the project, I’m proud to support this work and to continue advocating for the needs of our community.”

“At Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, our vision is to see Mattapan as a healthy, connected, and thriving community,” said Executive Director of Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition Shavel'le Olivier. “Reliable, safe, and accessible public transportation is essential to making that vision a reality. These upcoming Blue Hill Avenue community meetings are an opportunity to re-engage residents, hear directly from those who rely on this corridor every day, and work together to shape the future of transit in our neighborhood. We encourage everyone to participate and help ensure community voices remain at the center of this process.”

Meeting Schedule:

Language interpretation will be available.

Town Hall in Mattapan

Date: Thursday, September 10, 2026

Time:  6:30–8:00 p.m.

Location: Morning Star Baptist Church

1257 Blue Hill Avenue

Mattapan, MA 02126

Open House in Dorchester

Date: Monday, September 14, 2026

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: BCYF Perkins Community Center

155 Talbot Avenue Boston, MA 02124

Open House in Mattapan

Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: Mattapan Branch Library

1350 Blue Hill Ave, Mattapan, MA 02126

Town Hall in Grove Hall

Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: BCYF Holland

85 Olney St, Boston, MA 02121

The project is supported by a U.S. Department of Transportation grant administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), along with funding from the City and MBTA. The investment will support the design and full reconstruction of Blue Hill Avenue from River Street north to Warren Street. 

More information is available at: mbta.com/projects/blue-hill-avenue-transportation-action-plan.

This announcement is available in the following translated languages:

Cabo Verdean

Haitian Creole

Spanish