To the Editor:

Following are excerpts from the Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council’s statement on the Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan:

On Dec. 9, 2024, the Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council (GMNC) Board convened a special meeting to review and discuss the current components of the Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan—also known as TAP. After careful consideration of the latest designs presented by both the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) and the MBTA, the GMNC Board must express that we do not support most of the proposed TAP components in their current form.

For us, this is not just a bus lane project. For our community, this is about the future function of Blue Hill Avenue - how it serves our residents, how it supports our businesses, and how it shapes the daily lives of those who live, work, and move along it. This must be a project rooted in equity, access, and opportunity.

As currently designed, the TAP appears to prioritize external goals - specifically, the mobility needs of the Longwood Medical Area and attendees of events at White Stadium. These plans, while strategic for some, do not adequately reflect the lived realities or future aspirations of Greater Mattapan residents.

If the goals of this project are to truly serve both the city and our neighborhood, then the approach must change. Blue Hill Avenue should be uplifted as a culturally defined economic empowerment corridor. This is more than infrastructure - it is about people, legacy, and wealth-building. Without embedding outcomes that support the economic development of current residents, the plan imposes new burdens instead of creating shared benefit.

Greater Mattapan is the only Boston neighborhood with eight major corridors. Blue Hill Avenue is one of the most significant - and its vitality is critical. But today, we face a number of unresolved and defined issues that must be addressed.

•First: The current funding is inadequate. The TAP project is estimated at $44 million, but to match the scope and needs of the corridor, we estimate at least $100 million is required. As a comparison, this funding is only marginally more than the capital allocated to Cummins Highway - yet Blue Hill Avenue serves a much larger population and broader range of uses.

•Second: There is a lack of coordination between MassDOT and the city to redirect suburban traffic back to the highways. More than 36 percent of the daily traffic through Mattapan originates from outside of the neighborhood - and outside of Boston entirely. This pass-through traffic offers no local economic benefit and will only worsen congestion if not addressed.

•Third: Trust in the MBTA and BTD remains low. Our community has seen promises made and then broken. A recent example: the nine low-income condominium units once promised next to the Mattapan Loop were instead turned into parking. This erodes faith and undermines any outreach that follows.

•Fourth: Across all age groups, modes of transit, and among small business owners, support for a center-running bus lane remains very low. This is evident in petitions, public surveys, and ongoing resident feedback.

•Fifth: Pedestrian safety and traffic enforcement remain insufficient. From Fernandez Car Wash to Happy Supermarket, known traffic hazards persist without intervention. These are daily risks for children, elders, and residents with limited mobility.

•Sixth: Pedestrian infrastructure fail to meet the needs of pedestrians. The designs fall short of the City’s own Design Vision Guidelines—and do not reflect an age-friendly or inclusive streetscape.

•Seventh: The MBTA’s route planning still lacks connectivity. Transit riders do not experience the seamless, accessible network that is often described in proposals.

•Eighth: Small businesses have not been engaged in a meaningful or consistent way. There is little evidence of majority support for TAP as currently presented.

•Ninth: There is no clear plan to support these businesses through the disruptive construction phase—nor any assurance that construction jobs will go to residents from affected neighborhoods.

•And finally: The presentation of current design proposals has been flat and confusing. It is unclear what is being removed, altered, or added - particularly regarding the loss of bus stops and the disconnection between the east and west sides of the Avenue. The slip lane removal at Seaver Street, for instance, was not a community request, yet it is now included without clear justification.

To move forward, the GMNC Board urges the following:

•Increase investment to reflect the real scale of the project-bringing funding up to at least $100 million.

•Implement traffic diversion strategies to reduce out-of-town congestion through Mattapan.

•Restore trust by honoring past promises and creating accountable, transparent channels for community oversight.

•Designate Blue Hill Avenue as a cultural economic zone, with support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

•Honor the values of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Neighborhood Development guide, including the consideration of elevation changes and topographic safety.

•Address local business operations, such as Fernandez Car Wash, whose activities regularly obstruct traffic.
•Provide financial and logistical support for small businesses during construction.

•Ensure that construction jobs prioritize local residents - not outside contractors.

The GMNC stands ready to collaborate, but not to rubber-stamp. Blue Hill Avenue is more than a road. It is the spine of our neighborhood, the heart of our economy, and a reflection of who we are.

It deserves better. And so do we.