Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Casey Arborway - eastern section up close

The eastern section of the new Casey Arborway creates a long allée - a tree-lined boulevard that enhances civic and community spaces from Hyde Park Avenue to Forest Hills Cemetery and Franklin Park in keeping with the historical intent of the Emerald Necklace parkways. Hundreds of new trees and shrubs (solid green circles) will be planted. Click the image for hi-res detail:


The north side of the Arborway features off-street bike paths (blue) and grade-separated sidewalks (tan) for the entire run to Franklin Park, enhancing recreational access to Franklin Park and improving the Emerald Necklace. An echo of the historically important Stony Brook (which runs in an underground culvert  to the Fens) is built into the landscaping here on a diagonal from Hyde Park Avenue to the northeast (barely discernable here under the trees). On the south side beginning at the Courthouse where access and sight lines to significant civic spaces is improved, the off-street bike path becomes on-street bike lanes on the frontage road, separated from the Arborway by a tree-lined median.

Eastbound Arborway vehicles will be prohibited from turning north at Washington, and must U-turn at the "eastern bow-tie" in front of the Courthouse to do so - a scheme similar to the western end of the project, and much like the turn options utilized on Beacon Street in Brookline. Courthouse parking will be accommodated by a new lot carved out of the Arborway Yard to the north, with entrance crosswalks for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Shea Circle Rotary at Circuit Drive and the southern entrance to Franklin Park is being reconfigured as a signalized intersection (called "Shea Square" during the planning process) which will provide significant traffic calming on the Arborway as well as safe crosswalks for pedestrians (white ladder striping) and cyclists (green crosswalks). The stone wall features of Franklin Park here will be preserved. Eastbound Arborway vehicles wishing to reach Forest Hills Street will do so via Cemetery Road under Circuit Drive. The southeast corner of Shea Square, in front of Franklin Park Villa elderly housing, will feature a new park with a history kiosk, benches and perennial plantings.

For a look at the central portion of the Casey Arborway, see here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-central-section-up-close.html

For a detailed look at the northwestern end of the Casey Arborway, see here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-northwestern-end-up-close.html

The southern portion of the Casey Arborway project area is detailed here:
http://arborwaymatters.blogspot.com/2015/01/casey-arborway-closer-look-at-southern.html

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