Andrew Square

[mass88]

I have noticed some work is being done in Andrew Square. New street lights have been put up. Does anyone know the extent of this work?

[pelhamhall]

Many years back the city released a report on rebuilding Dorchester Avenue. The expensive, pretty useless project (I live just off Dot Ave) actually states that since there are six different types of lighting used on the many miles of the street, all should be ripped out and replaced. Even the newer acorn lighting installed within the past ten years in some areas.

Our government is rich, brimming with extra money to throw at anything, so this is a pretty good use of all that spare cash they have laying around.

Additionally, just due to the fact that the regularly-scheduled timing of this wasteful project happens to fall within the hazy window of the failed, so-called "Stimulus Bill" this project has been branded as part of that failure. Even though it would have happened anyway.

Does that answer your question? You just can't have light poles in Andrew Square that look different than light poles in Lower Mills. Duh.

[AmericanFolkLegend]

$15M in intersection improvements all along Dorchester Ave. See this link for more info. We started it last fall. Should be finished in a 18-24 months.

And Pelhamhall is partly right. A lot of the work is silly aesthetic improvements, but alot of it is legit pedestrian and handicapped improvements. Some of the handicapped stuff comes from threats of a lawsuit - which the City has been especially sensitive to since the State (AAB) handed the City it's ass in a lawsuit over handicapped accessibility along Huntington Ave.

[ablarc]

Parking lots at street corners, huh?

Not one of the four corners at this intersection engages the pedestrian. Parking lots or parks.

Where will the parks' users come from? Strollin' down the Avenue?

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Despite the rendering, Ashmont St is one intersection that gets a major improvement (at least from an organizational point of view). Right now there are at least 11 zig zagging crosswalks that I can think of. After the work there will be 6 (mostly at right angles).

The park and parking lot are already there. The park will get used more because it's being reconnected to the sidewalk (right now it's 2 parts traffic island, 1 part park). From a pedestrian (particularly handicapped) POV, this is a big improvement. And this intersection does get a good deal of foot traffic thanks to the T Station 100 feet away.