Department of Conservation and Recreation Boston, MA

Neponset River Esplanade Greenway Trail

Linking urban neighborhoods with the Boston Harborwalk and public transit stations, the Neponset Greenway is a visionary public trail that incorporates dedicated paths with on-street bike lanes along an eight-mile corridor. BSC Group has been involved in numerous phases of the planning and design of the trail, which begins at Mattapan Square on the Boston/Milton line and proceeds southwesterly along the edge of Truman Parkway, terminating at Moynihan Playground and the Martini Shell. BSC provided ecological science support, permitting strategy, and environmental permitting and planning services during Phase I Planning, as well as civil/site engineering, traffic engineering, and environmental permitting for the project’s design phase. The trail is an eight-foot-wide, paved pathway along the Neponset River. Due to its location in an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, careful design was required to protect and preserve adjacent natural resources, including many mature street trees.

An important element of the trail is its social mission, involving the connection of urban neighborhoods with the riverfront, Harborwalk, MBTA transit, and other sections of the city. Spanning social justice communities and underserved neighborhoods, the trail provides important linkages to public transit, the waterfront, and other city neighborhoods.

Most recently, the Department of Conservation and Recreation has tasked BSC with designing the newest trail segment, which connects Tenean Beach in Dorchester with Morrissey Boulevard. A key challenge for the design of this segment will be climate resiliency planning for the coastal area that is prone to flooding.

The Neponset River Greenway was honored by the American Planning Association, which named the trail one of the 13 Great Places in America for 2019.