Today, WalkUP Roslindale submitted a formal letter to the Boston City Council urging adoption of the proposed zoning amendment to eliminate minimum off‑street parking requirements for residential development. Our letter explains why parking mandates are an outdated planning tool that force new housing to dedicate scarce land and resources to car storage, regardless of whether future residents need those spaces. Removing these requirements will allow housing to be designed based on actual resident needs and neighborhood context.

The City of Boston is adding new Bluebikes stations to every neighborhood in Boston. During this phase, the focus is on Roslindale, Hyde Park, and West Roxbury. There are four open houses, including one in Roslindale TOMORROW Tuesday, June 2. Here are all the ways to give your feedback: 1. Attend an upcoming open house. The content will be the same at all four meetings:

The Mayor’s Office of Housing is hosting a Backyard ADU Showcase on City Hall Plaza, where you can step inside a full-scale model Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and learn how these small homes can expand housing options across the city. Whether you’re hoping to make space for a loved one in your home, or create a rental opportunity in your own backyard, this is a chance to see what’s possible. 

Join Streets Cabinet planners for an important virtual public update on the Roslindale Square Transportation Action Plan on Wednesday, May 13 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Learn about what's been accomplished so far, the roadmap for the rest of the year, and provide your feedback. Expect to hear about the possibilities and benefits of returning Washington St to 2-way along Adams Park and a safer rework of the Belgrade Ave/ Roberts St / Corinth St intersection. This meeting will be held on Zoom. Click here register for the meeting.

WalkUP Roslindale is joining with LivableStreets and other safe streets advocacy organizations to call on our community to speak up on Monday, May 4 at 10:00 AM, when the Boston City Council will hold a hearing on the upcoming fiscal year budget for the Streets Cabinet (which includes the Boston Transportation Department and Public Works Department). This budget covers July 2026 through June 2027.

Join TOMORROW Saturday April 25th with the Boston Better Streets Coalition and City Councilors Ben Weber and Enrique Pepen at Forest Hills Station to demand that the city fix the dangerous conditions on Hyde Park Ave. Boston Transportation Department planners will be there along with Cecily Graham, director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services. Please sign up here to let them know that you’re coming.

As the Globe has reported, safe streets projects across the city have been halted with no clear explanation, even losing existing funding. Please join WalkUP Roslindale along with other advocates, city councilors, and fellow residents for a rally and coordinated presence at the City Council hearing this Wednesday, April 22 at 2:00 pm. Boston’s street safety and transportation projects are stalled, and we need a strong public turnout.

Today, we submitted a comment letter supporting the proposed development at 4301 Washington Street in Roslindale. The Proposed Project strongly aligns with the objectives of the Squares + Streets rezoning initiative. Replacing a vacant building with 16 new dwelling units, three of which will be IDP units, on a transit-served parcel within walking distance of a broad variety of retail and service uses in the immediate vicinity, as well as Roslindale Square represents an appropriate and beneficial use of land.

The letter pretty much speaks for itself and puts several points out there demonstrating that we really can't anymore for progress on major projects in our neighborhood:

Monday really was quite the day in the regional paper of record when it comes to safety on this city's streets: To begin with, the Boston Globe's editorial board took formal notice of what has definitely been apparent for some time - the entire street safety agenda in the city of Boston was put on hold over a year ago and, despite some highly isolated movement (on Rutherford Avenue, for example and for very specific reasons), there is no indication on the ground that that hold is being lifted: …

We here at WalkUP Roslindale remain delighted at last fall's completion and opening of the initial phase of the Roslindale Gateway Path from the end of the Blackwell Path to the new Arboretum Road entrance. We would like to start a tradition of spring and fall cleanups and so are kicking off with a community cleanup next Saturday, 14 March 2026, from 10 am to 12 pm.

Tomorrow afternoon, 3rd March 2026, at 2:00 pm, the City Council's Committee on Public Services will hold a hearing in the Iannella Chamber, 5th Floor, Boston City Hall, Boston, Massachusetts 02201, on snow removal relief, the creation of a snow corps, and the purchasing of snow melters. Information on attending the hearing and testifying in person as well as submitting written testimony can be found…

We're looking at a snowfall total on the order of at least 18" (45.7 cm) from this significant northeaster, which is several multiples over our 4" (10 cm) benchmark. Once again, each of us knows our part of the neighborhood and where the worst pinch points are likely to be found after a snowfall, so let's take care of our neighbors by digging them out and providing safe paths of travel wherever and whenever we can.

Yesterday's snowfall was a mere echo of the storm we had at the end of last month, but it still yielded about 5.3 inches (13.5 cm), well over our 4 inch (10 cm) benchmark. Once again, each of us knows our part of the neighborhood and where the worst pinch points are likely to be found after a snowfall, so let's take care of our neighbors by digging them out and providing safe paths of travel wherever and whenever we can.

Looking ahead to when this storm moves on sometime tomorrow, we can see that it's already a legitimately major winter weather event with snowfall already more than double our benchmark of 4" (10 cm), with a solid week of forecasted cold temperatures to follow that will ensure that whatever we ultimately get does not melt quickly. The last several winters have been relatively warm and snow-free, so snow clearance efforts have understandably been at a much lower level of intensity and participation.

Yesterday, we submitted our comment letter in support of a proposed development at 3841 Washington Street. We believe that this building will be a positive addition to the Roslindale community and will contribute to the supply of both affordable and market rate housing in the area. We appreciate the thoughtful sustainable design and improvement of Washington Streets's streetscape through the addition of much needed shade trees and greenery, as well as the expansion of the sidewalk which includes desirable amenities for the public.

Here at WURSCC Headquarters in Roslindale, the measurement on the back deck rail is showing over 5" of the fluffy stuff, so we're calling out the forces once again to join our old friend the Boston Yeti in shoveling out curb cuts, bus stops, and critical sidewalk segments so our neighbors of all ages and abilities can get around safely and comfortably.

This evening there is a public meeting for a proposed seven-story mixed-use development near Forest Hills Station and the Roslindale/Jamaica Plain border 3841 Washington St. The proposed project contains approximately 165 dwelling units, including Inclusionary Zoning units. 📅Join the Public Zoom Meeting — Tonight, Tuesday January 13th at 6:00 PM ✍️ Send a Written Comment by the January 19th deadline

We submitted our comment letter in support of a proposed development at 4487 Washington Street in Roslindale that we believe strongly aligns with the objectives of the Squares + Streets rezoning initiative. Replacing a single-family use with 28 new dwelling units on a transit-served parcel within walking distance of a broad variety of retail and service uses in the immediate vicinity as well as Roslindale Square represents an appropriate and beneficial use of land.

Yes, you read that right. WalkUP Roslindale are now in our eleventh year of pro-housing and pro-walk, -bike, and -transit advocacy. We announced this venture, which started out as the brainchild of Adam Kessel and your correspondent, in the spring of 2015 with the following post: We were simply a group of neighbors who came together to try to make, as Adam indicated, Roslindale "the most walkable neighborhood in all of Boston." We've come quite a way over the last decade, including formally incorporating as a non-profit in the fall of 2021 and availing ourselves of the generous fiscal sponsorship of Roslindale Village Main Street in the process.

As adverse as the national level conditions have been generally for anyone concerned about the direction of this country and its respect for fundamental human rights as well as the causes we hold dear in particular, we here at WalkUP Roslindale can still look back at this year at the local level as one of significant accomplishment and enduring improvement for our pro-housing and pro-walk, -bike, -transit advocacy.

It's a close call on whether we have hit the standard 4" (10 cm) threshold, but we will err on the side of safety and assistance, so we are joining our old friend the Boston Yeti and calling our forces out onto the snowy streets this morning to clear bus stops and curb ramps for our neighbors. As has been the case, if you send us pix of the clearing you’ve done, we will send you back $10 as a reward (which we hope you will spend at one of our neighborhood's many and varied merchants) and heartfelt thank you. Send pix to matthew.j.lawlor@gmail.com. Thanks!!!

The Planning Department is hosting a Virtual Public Meeting tomorrow, Wednesday 12/17, 6:00-8:00pm for the proposed project at 4487 Washington Street, a new five-story 28-unit residential building with 12 off-street vehicle parking spaces. The site is on the southern tip of one of the new S2 zones established in Roslindale's Squares and Streets process.

Please join us for our community meeting to wrap up our walk audit series! We'll report back, discuss our findings and improvements that have already been made, and talk about next steps. BCYF Community Center 6 Cummins Hwy, Boston, MA 02131 📅 Wednesday, November 19 🕞 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM Our 2025 walk audit series is made possible by the 

We've submitted a comment letter in support of a proposed affordable housing project at 4259-4267 Washington Street, the old Bank of America location just off the square. As detailed below, it's great to see the Squares and Streets rezoning effort pay off so quickly with a higher density, pedestrian-oriented development, and look forward to welcoming new residents to our neighborhood.

Tonight at 6 PM, there’s a public meeting about B’nai B’rith’s proposal for a 6-story, PassiveHouse-certifiable building with 41 affordable senior homes and new retail — including a new home for the Thrift Shop — on the former Bank of America parking lot on Washington St (between Chilacates and the recycling center). This is exactly the kind of thoughtful, sustainable development that many Roslindale residents hoped would come out of the Squares + Streets rezoning.

Join us on our third and final walk audit in this year’s series this coming Wednesday! We'll meet in Adams Park and depart by 3:35 to observe and document how safe, accessible, and welcoming the streets and sidewalks are for people of all ages and abilities.  We will not be entering the Sarah Roberts school grounds as not to interfere with school dismissal and buses, but we will observe and document the issues and challenges on this busy corridor at rush hour / school dismissal time from the opposite site of Cummins Highway.

Early Monday morning, yet another serious crash on Hyde Park Avenue left a pedestrian critically injured near American Legion Highway. Streetsblog MASS reports that Boston EMS transported the victim to the hospital after being struck by a driver — the latest in a long line of preventable tragedies on this corridor. For years, residents have pushed for long‑promised safety improvements along Hyde Park Avenue.

Just a quick note for interested and supportive folks in our neighborhood that the Small Project Review public meeting on the BBH proposal has been announced by the Boston Planning Department for Monday, 20 October 2025, at 6 pm. It will be over zoom and you can get information on the meeting and register HERE. Hope to see you there to support this ground-floor commercial and certificated, fast-track all-affordable residential proposal that represents the first phase of B'nai B'rith Housing's redevelopment of the former Bank of America site and requires no zoning relief.

The second draft of the city's Climate Action Plan 2025 - which will guide the City through the next 5 years of efforts to reduce our collective carbon emissions and keep on track to hit a 50% drop from 2005 levels for community-wide emissions by 2030 (60% for municipal government emissions) and full carbon neutrality at a 100% drop from those levels by 2050 - has been available since the summer and the feedback period closes on this coming Tuesday, 30 September 2025.

We are happy to report that our walk audit of Washington St on August 23rd has already yielded meaningful results - the Public Works Department was out on the sidewalks yesterday repairing the biggest sidewalk issues we identified! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Enrique José Pepén (@enriquepepen) Thank you to Councilor Pepen's staff for elevating these concerns, and to the Disabilities Commission, the Parks Department, and the Public Works Department for their work, and finally all of you who participated in our walk audits and helped bring these changes about!

The first project to file for approval under the new zoning is the mixed-use ground-floor commercial/all-affordable residential phase 1 of B'nai B'rith Housing's 2-phase redevelopment of the former Bank of America property (which now houses only the thrift shop) and parking area wrapping around from Corinth along Cohasset to Washington. If you take a look at the small project review filing at the link, you'll note that WalkUP Roslindale have already indicated our support, but we will definitely also comment now that the filing has been made, we can see the design and program in more detail, and there's a comment period extending to October 17, 2025.

The 2nd walk audit of our 2025 walk audit series is coming up next week! In this, audit we'll be examining the heart of our Roslindale community. We'll begin in Adams Park and walk around the Roslindale Square area, observing and documenting how safe, accessible, and welcoming the streets and sidewalks are for people of all ages and abilities. Together, we can identify opportunities for improvement.

📅 Saturday, August 23rd 🕥 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Our first in a series of three walk audits is this Saturday - please join us! We'll be meeting at the corner of South St and Taft Hill Terrace and departing shortly after 10:30am. We'll walk north to Washington Street and begin in earnest at Basile St, cross to the other side of Washington St at Healy Field and continue to Archdale Rd.

We’re excited to host three walk audits in the coming weeks and months, supported by an AARP Community Challenge microgrant. These events are open to all, and we’d love your input. A walk audit is a community-led stroll through a neighborhood to observe and document how safe, accessible, and welcoming our streets and sidewalks are for people of all ages and abilities.

We sent in our letter (PDF, DOC) to express our strong support for the Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL) project at 1200 Centre Street that will create a 78-unit affordable senior housing community.

Join the Arnold Arboretum for a Block Party on Arboretum Road this Saturday, July 19 from 11am-2pm to celebrate the new entrance to the Arboretum (Phase 1 of the Roslindale Gateway Path)! Free pizza, face painting, and more! View the flyer in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Please stop by our community table to chat with us about the Roslindale Gateway Path, pedestrian improvements we're advocating for in and around the Arboretum, and more. Hope to see you there!

In line with the way the Wu Administration has been seeking to emphasize systemic planning instead of project-based development review, they're now out with a new initiative on public spaces they're calling "Spaces for You" and which they describe at a very high level as follows: Spaces For You is a collaborative and proactive initiative by the City of Boston to co-create, enhance, and celebrate public outdoor spaces that foster joy, belonging, and well-being for all residents.

With the Project Notification Form (PNF) for Article 80/Large Project Review of Hebrew Senior Life's proposed all-affordable senior residential development at Centre/Walter with the Boston Planning Department having been filed on 25 June, we are now within a public comment period for the project that will end on 28 July. As noted in the headline, a community meeting for the project has been scheduled for 6 pm on 23 July via Zoom.

This week, the Boston City Council held a hearing on Docket No. 0266 – Pedestrian Safety, Traffic Calming, and Expanding the Safety Surge Program. We emphatically support greater investment in pedestrian safety, which also benefits cyclists and motor vehicle drivers. Our comments for the hearing are below and also available as a PDF as submitted.