Boston City Council Hearing on Transportation Safety, Project Delays, and Funding – April 22, 2026
Boston City Council Hearing on Transportation Safety, Project Delays, and Funding – April 22, 2026
On April 22, 2026, the Boston City Council's Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation, chaired by Councillor Sharon Durkin (District 8), held a combined hearing on three dockets: Docket 0204 (30-day review of street projects), Docket 0588 (transportation philosophy and infrastructure project status), and Docket 0589 (status of state and federal transportation funding). The hearing featured testimony from Streets Cabinet interim chief Nick Gove and Office of Neighborhood Services executive director Mohammed Mazuri, along with rounds of councillor questions and over 40 public speakers. Key topics included stalled or slowed street safety projects, loss or reallocation of federal funds, the status of speed hump and bike lane programs, and community engagement processes.
Discussion Items
- 30-Day Review and Project Pauses: Councillor Benjamin Weber, lead sponsor of Docket 0204, noted that the city's 30-day review, initiated in April 2025, called for better community engagement but resulted in a year of inaction with no clear process for advancing projects. Councillor Durkin echoed that residents lack clarity on transportation priorities and project timelines.
- Funding Risks: Council President Liz Braden highlighted that $327 million in I-90 project funds were cut because of delays, and $8 million for the Boylston Street–Fenway project was reallocated to 2031. She requested a comprehensive schedule of all state and federally funded projects. Chief Gove stated the Boylston Street funds were not lost but moved to later years, and he pledged to provide a project-by-project breakdown.
- Speed Hump Program Changes: Chief Gove described a shift from an algorithm-based speed hump placement to a more tailored approach considering alternative measures like raised crosswalks and bump-outs. He announced 100 new speed humps to be installed in the coming month. Councillors Weber, Pepin, and others questioned the criteria for eligibility and the lack of a transparent process for residents to request speed humps.
- Blue Hill Avenue Center-Running Bus Lane: Councillor Culpepper and others voiced strong community opposition to the center-running bus lane on Blue Hill Avenue, citing a petition with over 2,000 signatures. Chief Gove said the city is working with the MBTA to host a joint community meeting and is assessing the flexibility of federal grant conditions. Several public speakers supported the bus lane as necessary for transit equity, while others demanded alternative designs.
- Removal of Bike Lane Infrastructure: Councillor Durkin and multiple public speakers noted the removal of protective infrastructure (flex posts) from bike lanes without replacement. Chief Gove defended the shift to more permanent cast-in-place barriers, citing a "better buffer program" that starts with repaving projects. Councillor Durkin pressed for completion of the Dartmouth Street bike lane.
- Data and Transparency: Several councillors called for updated Vision Zero crash data (current only through December 2025) and the release of a detailed project list with milestones. Chief Gove agreed to update the website and share status reports this week.
Key Outcomes
- Commitment to Provide Project Status: Chief Gove and Director Mazuri agreed to supply the council with a complete list of state and federally funded transportation projects, including their current status and funding obligation levels. This list is expected to be shared within days.
- Speed Hump Program Redesign: The administration will revise the speed hump eligibility criteria and engage councilors and community stakeholders in the process. The spring 2026 installation of 100 speed humps was confirmed, with additional streets to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- Community Engagement on Blue Hill Avenue: A joint community meeting with the MBTA is being scheduled to address concerns about the center-running bus lane. The city will also explore curb management and enforcement improvements on the corridor.
- Update to Go Boston 2030 Plan: Chief Gove stated that an update to the Go Boston 2030 plan will be undertaken this year, incorporating new mobility patterns and micro-mobility devices.
- No Formal Votes Taken: The hearing was informational; no motions or resolutions were voted upon.
Public Comments & Testimony
Over 40 individuals testified in person and online. Key themes included:
- Support for Accelerated Safe Streets Projects: Speakers from ACE, Boston Cyclists Union, Walk Massachusetts, TransitMatters, and others demanded concrete timelines and milestones for delayed projects, particularly on high-crash corridors like Hyde Park Avenue, Blue Hill Avenue, and Columbus Avenue. Many cited rising pedestrian fatalities and the urgency of using already-allocated federal funds.
- Criticism of Project Pause: Multiple residents expressed frustration that a “30-day pause” had stretched to over 400 days without clear communication or action. Speakers like Tristan Thomas (ACE) and Reggie Ramos (Transportation for Massachusetts) called the administration’s claim that “nothing is paused” disingenuous, pointing to canceled MBTA meetings and zeroed-out budget lines.
- Support for Blue Hill Ave Bus Lane and Opposition: Some residents, including Elijah Evans (Bikes Not Bombs) and Kate Crockford, strongly supported the center-running bus lane as a necessary transit improvement for predominantly Black and brown communities. Others, represented by Councillor Culpepper, argued the community was not meaningfully consulted and opposed the design.
- Demand for Transparent Process: Several speakers highlighted the lack of accessible data, including crash statistics and project updates. Allegra Cohen proposed using technology to collect real-time resident feedback. Patricia Connors (West Roxbury) requested planter barriers to prevent illegal parking in bike lanes on Centre Street.
- Small Business Concerns: Kelly McGrath (Brighton Main Streets) reported a 20–25% loss of business due to removal of 150 parking spaces on Western Avenue without a mitigation plan, urging a balanced approach that includes loading zones and restored parking where feasible.
Meeting Transcript
For the record, my name is Sharon Durkin, District 8 City Councilor, and I'm chair of the Committee on Planning Development and Transportation. Today is April 21st. The exact time is 2 p.m. This hearing is being recorded. It is also being live streamed at Boston.gov backslash city dash council dash TV and broadcast on Expendity Channel 8, RCN Channel 82, BIOS Channel 964. Written comments may be sent to the committee email at CCC.plan DEV at Boston.gov and will be made part of the record and available to all counselors. Public testimony will be taken at the end of this hearing. Individuals will be called on in the order of which they've signed up and have two minutes to testify. If you are interested in testifying in person, please add your name to the sign-up sheet near the entrance of the chamber. If you are looking to testify virtually, please add your please email our central staff liaison, ShanePack at Shane SHANE dot PAC at Boston.gov, and um your name will be added to the list. Today's hearing is on Docket 0204, order for a hearing to discuss making neighborhood streets safer following the 30-day review of street projects in Boston. This uh matter was sponsored by Benjamin Weber and Enrique Pepin and referred to the committee on January 28, 2026. Docket 0588, order for hearing to discuss City of Boston transportation philosophy and status of infrastructure projects. This matter was sponsored by Councillors Durkin, Pepin, and Weber, and is referred to the committee on March 18, 2026. And Docket 0589, order for a hearing to discuss the status of state and federal funding allocated for transportation projects. This matter was sponsored by Council President Liz Braden and was referred to the committee on March 18, 2026. Today I am joined by my colleagues in order of arrival. Okay. Councillor Flynn, Councillor Murphy, Councillor Peppen, Councillor Braden, Councillor Weber, Councillor Cole Pepper, and Councillor Fitzgerald. Um good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for being here. When I introduced my docket to the council floor, I committed to scheduling this hearing as soon as possible in the midst of budget season because I believe this issue is important and urgent. Residents expect and deserve to feel safe on our streets. Meeting that expectation is a shared responsibility that depends on consistent work and clear coordination across city across the city. Boston has committed through Vision Zero to eliminate fatal and severe traffic crashes by 2030, and there are a number of important street and safety projects underway to help get us there. But in recent months, there has been concern that too many of these projects have been slowed down or stalled without clear evidence of what's happening or why. Constituents ask me every day for updates as well as through through being the chair of planning development and transportation, and I haven't always had answers to those questions. Many of these projects are desperately needed to protect all road users and ensure everyone can get around our city safely, especially our most vulnerable. In District 8, where so many residents and visitors navigate by foot all every day. This is something I think about consistently. More and more young people are choosing not to drive. We need to embrace the future and plan accordingly, recognizing that many Boston residents, including myself do not own a car. The delay of many of these projects has also put state and federal transportation funding at risk. Similarly, we've had discussions in this chamber about Blue Holav at a time when we are facing challenges and a challenging budget season, coupled with federal uncertainty and decreasing state funding. I know that the city is taking steps to extend public engagement and community involvement. However, there does remain a lack of clarity on how we're moving in an overall direction, what our transportation philosophy is, what our long-term goals are, and how these projects are going to be made whole. I hope that we can gain more clarity from City of Boston leadership about the transportation philosophy and decision making process, the status of key projects, and the path forward to delivering safer and more efficient streets for Boston residents. As city councillors, we have an important role to partner with the administration to advance the goal of safety on our streets and sidewalks. Thank you to all the residents and organizations who are here, what are watching this afternoon, and thank you for your continued advocacy on these important issues. I want to thank uh interim chief chief Nick Gove and Mohammed Mazuri for joining us today. Um Nick uh Gove is the interim chief of streets for the city of Boston, and Mohammed Missouri is executive director for the Office of Neighborhood Services. Um I'm going to go to opening statements from my colleagues that are sponsors. So Councillor Liz Braden, you have I'm sorry, Council President Liz Braden, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you all for being here. Lots of road users in the in the House to uh listen to this very important discussion. Um I filed a docket 0589, an order for a hearing to discuss the status of state and federal funding allocated for transportation and streets projects. Uh it it came as sort of a wake-up call recently when we lost 327 million cut dollars cut from the I-90 project as part of a map uh because the project was years behind schedule and the money wasn't obligated. I think in this case, we're looking citywide at uh hundreds of millions of dollars that are in jeopardy. Uh as we as a city uh if we as a city do not move forward decisively and obligate these funds and show forward direction. We have many unanswered questions about why the process is stalled, and we also um feel that this is a moment uh of in the middle of our budget season and uh looking forward to what we can and and uh foreseeably deliver from Boston. That in this moment it's critically important that we partner with our state and federal partners and that we f partner with the MBTA to make sure that we uh utilize the funds and use them as uh as they were intended.
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