Northern Avenue serves as a major truck route through South Boston’s Raymond Flynn Marine Park, linking the Seaport, Black Falcon Cruise Terminal and local tech industries. As part of a larger program to improve safety and accommodate a diverse mix of road users, including pedestrian and cyclists, STV reimagined Northern Avenue as a complete street – creating a model that balances traditional industry with emerging sectors within an urban space.
STV was initially contracted by the Boston Public Development Agency to serve as the design consultant for Northern Avenue and Tide Street. The project scope was then expanded under a separate contract to include conceptual design for Fid Kennedy Avenue, which has replaced Northern Avenue as the primary truck route through the park.
Key features of the Northern Avenue redesign include narrowing travel lanes from 20 to 12 feet, adding sidewalk-level separated bike lanes, reconstructing sidewalks, four floating bus stops and two layover bays for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s (MBTA) Silver Line and installing new street lighting and trees. The team also implemented raised pedestrian crossings at intersections for enhanced pedestrian and cyclist safety.
To demonstrate that the new design would still accommodate the heavy trucking that’s vital to many businesses in the park, the STV team utilized Autoturn analyses of truck movements and developed 3D models.
