Casey Arborway Planning and Design

The Casey Overpass, located above a transit hub in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, involved planning and design alternatives to replace an aging viaduct with an at-grade solution. Kleinfelder evaluated opportunities to: redesign the surface street network by relocating regional traffic at-grade; expand transit capacity at the Forest Hills Station; improve pedestrian and bicycle circulation; and restore the historic Arborway-Olmsted Emerald Necklace connection.

Innovative Urban Design

The design replaced a dysfunctional street network by addressing traffic and circulation for all users, accommodating increasing demand for transit, and creating an environment supportive of development.

User-Driven Design Solution

The team analyzed bridge and at-grade alternatives, evaluating them against community-generated criteria for mobility and livability. Establishing good working relationships with partner agencies allowed the design to flow across jurisdictions, enabling Kleinfelder to develop a solution that addressed all user needs, as well as a more comprehensive solution for curbside uses, bus transfers, and pedestrian and bicycle circulation.

Project Results

The solution was a result of the design team’s use of traffic modeling, visualization, and dynamic community engagement techniques. A collaborative process created a design solution that reconnects the neighborhoods, links open space, and enhances developers’ interest in the neighborhood.