Forest Street plan to improve safety, calm traffic receives mixed response from residents

An almost decade-old effort to improve traffic safety along Forest Street is moving closer to construction, with city officials presenting plans at a public meeting on Thursday. However, residents remain divided on whether these changes address their concerns. 

Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, who led the meeting, said the city first held a neighborhood meeting at Northeast Elementary School about 10 years ago to discuss possible changes to Forest Street. At that time, residents expressed a range of views about necessary improvements.

“We decided to go back, do some surveys and come up with something that I can simplify,” McCarthy said. 

Some residents initially proposed adding traffic islands to Forest Street. The city ruled out the idea after engineers determined the street was not wide enough to accommodate them. Instead, engineers recommended new sidewalks, two bike lanes and other traffic-calming measures. 

“The major concerns are pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, car commuter safety and how we can effectively enhance Forest Street to achieve all three of those objectives,” Ward 1 Councilor Anthony LaFauci said. 

One Forest Street resident said deteriorating sidewalks make portions of the street difficult to walk on, especially during periods of heavy foot traffic such as Halloween. Residents highlighted tree roots pushing through asphalt and uneven sidewalk sections as hazards. Several residents suggested using pavers or making other changes to create flatter, more accessible walking surfaces. 

McCarthy said the more residential westerly side of Forest Street will receive new sidewalks, granite curbing and additional trees where possible. 

Diamond said he is encouraged by the city’s plan to improve pedestrian access along the street. 

“As of today, you are literally taking your life in your hands if you walk at all as you’re having to jump up onto a grass side of somebody’s yard or into a forested area,” Resident Sean Diamond said. “It is very dangerous on that westerly side of the street right now.”

On the easterly side of Forest Street, alongside part of Bentley University’s campus, the proposal calls for a sidewalk and two bike lanes, one in each direction. Little or no additional tree planting is planned because much of that side is already wooded. 

One resident questioned whether bike lanes should be a priority, saying most traffic consists of cars and pedestrians rather than cyclists. Others  supported bicycle infrastructure while questioning the proposed configuration. One resident suggested placing a one-way bike lane on each side of Forest Street instead of two lanes together on one side, citing concerns about cyclists and electric bikes traveling quickly downhill. 

Diamond suggested placing the bike lanes behind the curb, separated from vehicle traffic, potentially as part of a wider shared-use path. 

“The main thing right off the bat is make it safer than it is today and make it accessible for pedestrians on both sides,” Diamond said after the meeting. “And then if you can have enough room for both a sidewalk and bike lanes that are separate from the street, separate from the travel of vehicles, then I think at that point, you’re in a good spot.”

Forest Street would also be repaved during the project.

Ward 4 Councilor John McLaughlin emphasized the importance of Bentley University contributing to the project cost because Forest Street runs alongside its campus. 

The project would also improve connections between Forest Street and the rail trail. McCarthy hopes to put the project out for bid by January, allowing construction to begin in the spring. 

“It’s been a long-talked-about subject, going on decades, and so it was great to see a very large turnout for this,” LaFauci said.