Walk and Bike the Longfellow Bridge

Posted by Luisa Paiewonsky, MassDOT Highway Division Administrator

Whether you are cycling to work, walking to the Charles/MGH station, jogging over the Longfellow Bridge, or driving through Charles Circle, I hope you’ve noticed the new signs and freshly painted bike lanes and crosswalks we just installed earlier this week. In order to improve safe travel for all users, MassDOT employees have replaced and installed a number of traffic signs, including thirteen new signs to increase drivers' awareness of cyclists and pedestrians. MassDOT Highway crews painted and marked with bicycle emblems the bike lanes on both sides of the bridge, and re-painted ten pedestrian crosswalks and stop lines at Charles Circle.

I hope you find the Longfellow Bridge and Charles Circle to be a safer and more enjoyable place to walk, ride, and drive.  The Longfellow Bridge will receive many more improvements in the coming years, including, most immediately, ADA-compliant sidewalks as part of our Early Action work set to begin this spring. Our top priority is to improve safety and access for all our users and that’s why it was important for us to implement these preliminary safety improvements for our pedestrians and cyclists as soon as possible.

The restoration and rehabilitation of the Longfellow Bridge is part of Governor Patrick’s historic Accelerated Bridge Program to repair bridges in every corner of the Commonwealth. Learn more.

Comments

[Alyson]

I second Glen - I use that bridge almost every day and the welcoming infrastructure is much appreciated.

Alyson
Cambridge/Somerville, MA

[Mark]

This is great. What an opportunity for the City of Boston to now make a connection on their end via Charles and Cambridge Streets.

[Glen Berkowitz]

To Ms. Paiewonsky and all at Highway Division. As both a frequent bicyclist and pedestrian on the Longfellow, thank you so much for this great new work. We look forward to getting the real sidewalks put in place near Charles Circle this spring under the Early Action contract as discussed in your blog.

Glen Berkowitz
Boston, MA