Arboretum Park Conservancy

1. IN THE PAST YEAR, THE ARBORETUM PARK CONSERVANCY (APC) HAS CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR EXPANDING THE PATH SYSTEM IN THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF WELCOMING ENTRANCES THERE FOR THE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES IN THE UNDERSERVED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE NEIGHBORHOODS ADJACENT TO THE ARBORETUM PARKLAND IN JAMAICA PLAIN, A BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON THREE OF THESE PROJECTS IN THE PAST YEAR. 2. THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FOR BOTH THE BLACKWELL PATH EXTENSION AND STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS FOR ARBORETUM ROAD WILL BE PUT OUT TO BID THIS YEAR. THESE TWO PROJECTS WILL CONNECT TO EACH OTHER. AT PRESENT, ARBORETUM ROAD HAS NO SIDEWALKS, NO SHADE TREES AND DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION, IT WOULD NOT PROVIDE AN ACCESSIBLE CONNECTION TO THE PROPOSED ENTRANCE TO THE BUSSEY BROOK MEADOW IN THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM.ARBORETUM STAFF MET THIS YEAR WITH THE BOSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S CHIEF ENGINEER, PARA JAYASINGHE. HE COMMITTED TO REDESIGNING AND RECONSTRUCTING ARBORETUM ROAD TO PROVIDE A SAFER, WELCOMING, AND ATTRACTIVE ACCESS TO THE ENTRANCE TO THE BLACKWELL PATH EXTENSION AT THE END OF ARBORETUM ROAD. BPWD WILL REMOVE PARKING FROM THE STREET, ADD ADA-COMPLIANT CONCRETE SIDEWALKS TO BOTH SIDES OF ARBORETUM ROAD, INSTALL SIX BIKE RACKS, PROVIDE SIGNAGE TO THE ENTRANCE, AND PLANT STREET TREES ALONG THE REPAVED ROAD. THERE WILL BE A RAISED CROSSWALK AT THE WASHINGTON STREET INTERSECTION. 12 SHADE TREES WILL BE PLANTED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET IN GENEROUSLY SCALED 2.5' BY 10' TREE PITS. THIS AREA IS SUBJECT TO FLOODING. BPWD WILL BE INSTALLING A DRAINAGE SYSTEM AND CATCH BASIN TO CATCH RUN OFF FROM THE BLACKWELL PATH EXTENSION. NATIVE TREES WILL BE PLANTED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE.THE ARBORETUM ROAD RENOVATION CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS ARE NOW COMPLETE AND WERE PUT TO BID JULY 18, 2022. THE BLACKWELL PATH WILL BE OUT TO BID BEFORE THE END OF 2022.3. DESIGN IS UNDERWAY FOR A NEW CANOPY WALK THAT WILL CONNECT TO THE BLACKWELL PATH EXTENSION AND ARBORETUM ROAD AND WILL ALSO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS TO OTHER PARTS OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM. THIS UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE CANOPY WALK WILL PASS OVER A LARGE STORMWATER BASIN IN THE NARROW PART OF THE BUSSEY BROOK MEADOW AND WILL CONNECT THE BUSSEY BROOK MEADOW TO PETERS HILL. THE CONINE FOUNDATION HAS CONTRIBUTED $300,000 TO PAY FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL, STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, CIVIL ENGINEERING, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL AND PERMITTING SERVICES FOR THIS AMBITIOUS PROJECT. AN ADDITIONAL $150,000. IS COMING FROM THE COMMONWEALTH 2022 BUDGET AND ARPA. WE CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE ARBORETUM AND OUR MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS ON RAISING FUNDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CANOPY WALK. THE EXPANDED PATH SYSTEM WILL COMPLY WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.4. THE APC HAS COORDINATED WITH THE ARBORETUM, THE BOSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, THE BOSTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION AND THE BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT (BTD), THE BOSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT (BPWD), THE MBTA, WALKUP ROSLINDALE, ROZZIE BIKES, AND THE LIVABLE STREET ALLIANCE/EMERALD NETWORK.