Redesign Columbia Road in Dorchester, Boston, MA from Glendale Street to Edward Everett Square

Table of Contents

Objectives of the Redesign

Provide safe, attractive bike infrastructure

Make the street more of a parkway (greenway)

Minimize parking loss

Annotated Map of Project Site

Annotated Plan View of Columbia Road from Glendale Street to Edward Everett Square.

Existing traffic signal locations and proposed side street crossing table locations are shown. 

Existing Columbia Road

Existing Typical Cross Section of Section 1

This part of the roadway is poorly designed because there are no protected biking accommodations. There are sharrows painted on the rightmost vehicle travel lanes, but sharrows are not considered good bike infrastructure because of their inability to properly create separate space for cyclists. This is especially true when sharrows are installed adjacent to parking lanes because cyclists are more likely to get "doored" by parked vehicles. 

Annotated Typical Plan View Window of Existing Section 1

Despite the fact that Columbia Road was once proposed to be a greenway that connected Franklin Park in Roxbury to Moakley Park in South Boston, the current street in Uphams Corner has no green space. 

Existing Typical Cross Section of Section 2

There are unprotected bike accommodations along this stretch of Columbia Road with very wide vehicle travel lanes and parking lanes. While some parts of the section have trees along the sidewalk, there are no trees in the median. 

Annotated Typical Plan View Window of Existing Section 2 

Proposed Columbia Road

Proposed Typical Cross Section of Section 1 

Annotated Typical Plan View Window of Proposed Section 1 

Proposed Typical Cross Section of Section 2 

Annotated Typical Plan View Window of Proposed Section 2 

Plan of Bidirectional Cycle Track Connection at Edward Everett Square.

By implementing corner islands at the intersection and buffers to separate the cycle tracks and pedestrians from the street, the two proposed Columbia Road cycle tracks from the south would seamlessly connect to the proposed north-south Massachusetts Avenue cycle track from the northwest and the proposed west-east Columbia Road cycle track from the east. 

Decision-Making for the 80' Uphams Corner Section

There were several options that I had to choose from when designing the narrow Uphams Corner section (Hancock Street to Dudley Street/Stoughton Street intersection.)

First, I had to consider whether I wanted to install bidirectional cycle tracks or unidirectional cycle tracks, either both sides or one side of the street, and either on the northbound or southbound side of the street. I chose to install a bidirectional cycle track on only the southbound side of the street. This is so that I can maximize the size of the buffer that separates the cycle track from the southbound travel lanes, as well as place a parking lane only on the northbound lane to reduce the risk of cyclists getting doored by parked cars. Also, placing the bidirectional cycle track on the southbound side of the street would provide better connectivity to the cycle tracks on Dudley Street and Massachusetts Avenue.

Next, I had to consider the parking lanes on the street and if I should maintain one in each direction or only in one direction. I decided to only have one parking lane because there was not enough room to fit a 8-foot parking lane in each direction while maintaining two 10-foot sidewalks, two 10-foot travel lanes in each direction, and two 4-foot cycle tracks. Then, I had to consider whether to put the parking lane in the northbound or southbound side of the street, and I chose to install one on the northbound side to reduce dooring by parked cars as stated before.

Afterward, I had to consider installing a raised median in my design, and I chose to not include one so that the street resembles less like a highway to cars and space can be maximized for buffers for the cycle track.

Finally, I had to consider whether to put buffers either on both sides or one side of the street, on the northbound or southbound side, and the type of buffer. I chose to install a buffer on the southbound side of the street between the bidirectional cycle track and travel lanes so that cyclists are fully protected from passing vehicles. Then, for the type of buffer, I chose to install a tree zone because there was enough space to place small trees along the stretch and promote the re-greening of Uphams Corner.

Intersection Plan of Columbia Road / Dudley Street / Stoughton Street

Plan follows Columbia Road from north to south, with Dudley Street coming from the west and Stoughton Street coming from the east.

Gray areas indicate proposed sidewalks, red areas indicate proposed cycle tracks, green areas indicate proposed tree zones, yellow areas indicate proposed buffers

USA Example of Tree Zones on Both Sides of a Cycle Track

Hudson River Greenway cycle track in between two tree zones alongside State Route 9A in New York City, NY