Charter Street reconstruction and Accommodation of Pedestrian Traffic in Construction Projects

The city is finally addressing the abysmal conditions of the sidewalks and ADA ramps on Charter Street after years of neglect. This is a much needed project and, anecdotally, fully supported by the neighbors. Everyone was very excited to see the surveyors this spring and the construction crews finally break ground last week.

That excitement quickly turned to confusion and then frustration for the thousands of pedestrians that walk along Charter and Salem streets late last week - because pedestrian access between Salem and Charter had effectively been cut off. The quixotic non-solution by the contractor is captured perfectly with the opposing "Sidewalk closed, cross here" signs posted a block up on Salem.

Dueling cross here signs on Salem Street. Both sidewalks end in blocked-off pits with no ramps or pedestrian access of any kind to Charter.

It's hard to describe what happens at the actual intersection. Both sidewalks are closed along with a portion of the roadway. There are large pits where the construction is taking place and they are barricaded. The only way to get from Charter to Salem is walk against traffic on Charter, turn up Salem and head against traffic again in a small funnel left open for vehicular traffic. Traffic is often queued at the stop sign leaving zero path for pedestrians. Even when traffic isn't queued up, you need to enter the center of the roadway walking towards traffic. Oh, and the drivers of the vehicles probably won't see you either way because the power is currently out and there are no street lights.

Here's a very crude diagram.

As the former NEWNC Streets Committee chair, several residents reached out to me to ask what could be done and others told me they had filed 311 reports already. I'm not sure what can be done, but I filed a 311 report as well. That's when things turned frustrating.

The city's response

"There are going to inconveniences" and "noted".

What the law says

I'm not anything close to an attorney, but don't think this an inconvenience. An inconvenience would a clearly marked pedestrian detour, or a civilian traffic detail. This isn't an inconvenience, it's a blatant violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90e, § 2a, which states:

The commissioner shall make all reasonable provisions for the accommodation of bicycle and pedestrian traffic in the planning, design, and construction, reconstruction or maintenance of any project undertaken by the department.

It goes on to define what might be considered unreasonable provisions which I can assure you do not qualify in this case. It's my understanding that Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90e, § 2a only applies to state-funded projects - and I assume this is funded by the City of Boston. But I'm confident it's not unreasonable to meet the bare minimum pedestrian safety standards laid out by the state in one of the most densely populated census tracts in the state. One in which more than 50% of households don't have a vehicle.

I'm not sure what is the most disturbing aspect of this case. The fact that there was no plan to accommodate this critical pedestrian link during the project, the flippant response from the City, or the viscerally dangerous conditions people are currently dealing with right now.

How do I get there?

It's worth noting that the city is finally addressing the problems with accessibility on Charter Street in part because there is a class action suit against the city stemming from a case in which the plaintiff's alleged the city "has failed and is failing to install, remediate, repair, and maintain curb ramps as required by law". The city is also far behind the goals set forth in the settlement.

Meanwhile, there have been 42 vehicle collisions with pedestrians that were severe enough to call an ambulance in the North End since the city started reporting in 2015 through 2024.