Removing the red brick sidewalks along Commercial Street and Atlantic Avenue to make way for the new cycle track has spurred much conversation in the North End / Waterfront neighborhood. The community discussed the project at the May Residents’ Association meeting and the Public Works Construction Management and Connect Historic Boston Project Manager provided more information here.
Share your opinion on the sidewalk construction by taking our poll and adding your comments below.
Note: Web polls are not scientific representing only those readers who choose to vote.
There is a North End Construction Update meeting scheduled for June 15, 2017, 6:00 p.m. at the Nazzaro Center, 30 N. Bennet Street. See the flyer.
I am more than upset about the bricks being removed. The bricks are part of the charm of the North End. We all were excited about the bike lane – but now was it worth losing some of the beautiful historic aspects of this little neighborhood? I don’t think so. They didn’t throw out the bricks – so I would like to know where they are. Are they restoring the sidewalks in Beacon Hill or the other historic neighborhoods the city seems to take better care of? Excuse my rant – but this is not okay. They baited and switched us.
This is what happens when there is no check on goverment activity. It eminds me of the West End stupidity, the Olympics in Boston, and waterfront races.
The bicycle track took parking spaces (Mayor Walsh has a limo at his disposal, no parking worries), 2 lanes of traffic flow and cost millions better spent on school buildings. Democrats are dumb bullies always forcing their views on others.
They have no respect for our hard earned money……………eb
Love it. The bricks were always a walking hazard, especially for women in heels, and nobody would take responsibility for repairing them.
As for the mess on Atlantic and Commercial Streets. Shame on the clueless planners.
Just one residents opinion.
The new Battery Wharf Hotel was good to comply and fit into the neighborhood by putting in brick. It just is not right to remove and not replace. All of the aggravation that we have put up with over these past years I would think warrants the replacing of the brick. It seems it was a cheap and easy fix to use cement and it looks ugly. I am all for replacing the bricks!
Bricks back! Bricks back! There is no charm in plain old poured concrete. Period!
Suggestion?: Why not paint the concrete to look like bricks? That will most likely last longer than the real thing. Then the hazards of holes where the bricks have been removed and nobody taking responsibility for safe and proper replacement, would be avoided.
Maybe now, even before that idea of painted bricks, scattered throughout the blocks of the concrete, a square could have an historic scene or quote on it. LOVE that one!
A sort of WPA for Boston sidewalk artists. (Nate Swain?)
This was done on fleet street, there is a private way that is stamped asphalt and then painted. I would think that it would need to be painted frequently and would end up costing more in the long run.
How long ago was this, Greg?
I was born on Beacon Hill many years ago. I remember when Mayor Curley tried to remove the brick sidewalks and replace them with concrete. The “dowagers” including my grandmother who lived on Mount Vernon Street held a sit-in. He gave in and they kept their bricks.
In recent years they tried it again on the Hill. Protests erupted and again it was stopped except for handicapped inclines at the corners.
I they can do it we can do it also. One, or both, of the neighborhood organizations should organize a similar protest and alert the media of our opposition to the plans . We are more historic than Beacon Hill and deserve better.