The City unveiled a redesign plan of the Hyde Square rotary during a community meeting Sept. 29 that would increase the width of the sidewalk, enhance greenery and add public art, according to Boston Transportation Department (BTD) Director of Planning Vineet Gupta.
The redesign appears similar to a plan that was presented during an earlier community meeting in the process in 2010.
The Sept. 29 meeting was the third in the latest planning series on the Jamaica Plain/South/Hyde/Jackson Design Projects, which date back to 2009. Gupta said about 20 to 25 people attended the meeting.
The Jamaica Plain/South/Hyde/Jackson Design Projects will stretch along Centre Street from Jackson Square to Hyde Square to Monument Square, then down South Street to Forest Hills. The project is intended to make sidewalks and crosswalks more pedestrian-friendly, improve traffic flow and add green space. A facelift at Monument Square, which was included in earlier phases of the redesign project, might not happen, as the City revealed during an April 28 meeting.
The redesign presented at the Sept. 29 meeting would increase the width of the sidewalk around the Hyde Square rotary, expand the cement islands in the middle of Centre Street, add numerous trees and install bike racks and public art. The improvements would lead to the loss of five parking spots.
“For the most part, people were supportive of the design,” said Gupta.
He said the idea of raising every crosswalk on side streets along Centre Street between Mozart Park and Jackson Square was also discussed during the meeting.
There is still no budget for the project. Gupta said that will be determined later, as the City still needs to bring the project to a more detailed level of design and figure out the cost of maintenance of the completed project.
“I think we are moving along and going in a good direction,” said Gupta about where the project stands.
Jamaica Plain/South/Hyde/Jackson Design Projects is part of the Centre and South Streets Streetscape and Transportation Action Plan that developed general guidelines for the look and feel of the Centre/South corridor, and aimed to fix some specific traffic trouble spots. The planning first began in 2009. For more information, visit bit.ly/1nZ4Nfk.
Gupta said that the next meeting would be held in a couple of months.
An illustration of the proposed changes to the Hyde Square rotary area. (Courtesy Boston Transportation Department)
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