Brookline's $3 million plan to turn the Beacon Street median into a protected path for cyclists and pedestrians has stalled after a surveying contractor change delayed the design timeline.
The town is working with Toole Design Group to restore the historic bridle path, originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted's firm in the 19th century, as a two-way multi-use route stretching 2.25 miles along Beacon Street. The project has $2 million in federal funding from a congressional earmark by U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss and $1 million in town funding, according to Brookline's capital improvement plan.
The base survey is not yet complete.
The town's project page states that "recent changes with the project team's subcontracted survey firm have affected the timeline." The town said it does not plan to reconvene the Beacon Street Bridle Path Design Review Committee or hold broader public engagement until the survey work is finalized, to avoid advancing design on incomplete data and prevent potential rework.
The town's project page indicated the next committee meeting was anticipated for fall, though no specific date has been announced. The committee, which includes representatives from business groups, town committees and neighborhoods, held its first meeting on Oct. 9, 2025.
The delay comes roughly a year after the project showed momentum. The town held three Neighborhood Talk & Walk events in October 2025 at locations near St. Mary's, Coolidge Corner and Washington Square.
Streetsblog Massachusetts reported in October 2025 that the design team was also coordinating with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), which has its own plans to upgrade and consolidate Green Line platforms between Cleveland Circle and Kenmore Square in the Beacon Street median. That coordination adds complexity to the path's design.
A parking utilization study completed in September 2025 covered all 22 blocks of Beacon Street in Brookline, documenting roughly 1,250 on-street parking spaces, including about 650 curbside parallel spaces and 600 median spaces, according to the town's project page.
The project has drawn both enthusiasm and skepticism. Sean Lynn-Jones, president of the Brookline Greenspace Alliance, told Streetsblog Massachusetts in October 2025 that the path would serve "green transportation" and "green infrastructure that can absorb stormwater."
John VanScoyoc, who served on the Brookline Select Board from 2020 to 2026, raised safety concerns. He wrote on X on Oct. 18 that recent fatal accidents in New York's Central Park "should give pause to those planning Brookline's imagined Beacon Street Bridle Path," attributing the deaths to shared-use pathway design.
The federal earmark is administered through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) as a reimbursable grant. Construction funding is expected to come through the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which requires the project to follow MassDOT's development process. The town's $1 million share, combined with the federal money, is expected to bring the design to 75% completion.
The town said it is also coordinating with MassDOT and the Brookline Police Department to review crash history along Beacon Street and conduct a Road Safety Audit.
