Melnea Cass Boulevard

Melnea Cass Boulevard at Washington Street

Melnea Cass Boulevard is a street in Boston, Massachusetts, running perpendicular to the line between Dudley Square in Roxbury and the South End. It is named after local community and civil rights activist Melnea Cass. The road's right-of-way was originally planned to be part of Interstate 695, until its cancellation.^[1] There is also an MBTA Silver Line station named Melnea Cass Boulevard on this street.

The boulevard's eastern terminus is at the Mass Ave Connector, intersects with the various major thoroughfares of Roxbury, and a few minor streets and ways, finally ending at the western terminus at Columbus Avenue behind Ruggles station and Northeastern University. Melnea Cass Boulevard is primarily four lanes wide, with some exceptions for turning lanes at major cross streets. Due to the history of Melnea Cass Boulevard being a planned right of way for the rejected Inner Belt,^[1] it is generally devoid of structures and buildings, except city-owned properties built in formerly unused lots. The majority of adjacent buildings are at the corners of the major cross streets.

Cancelled planned renovation[]

The City of Boston began planning a complete rebuild of the street in 2011, publishing a plan in 2018 that would add separated bike lanes and raised crossings to improve safety on one of the city's most dangerous streets. It canceled the awarded $25.6 million contract for this rebuilding in January 2021 due to neighbor objections over the removal of mature trees.^[2]

Drug and homelessness issues[]

Due to its concentration of service providers, the area around the "Mass and Cass" intersection has attracted a large number of people dealing with homelessness and drug addiction, especially after the closure of the treatment facility on Long Island. The effects on local residents and the city's attempts to deal with the problem have generated considerable controversy, with the reconstruction of the bridge to Long Island delayed by opposition from the city of Quincy.^[3]

As of September 2021, there is a homeless community in the Melnea Cass Boulevard area, which has an area nicknamed "Methadone Mile" (after the opiate based drug used or treating opiate and opioid/heroin addiction). This was estimated to be over 100 residents in one concentration, mainly living in tents and structures.^[4]

References[]

^ ^a ^b Inner Belt Expressway (I-695 and I-95, unbuilt)
^ City of Boston Cancels Melnea Cass Boulevard Reconstruction
^ Andrea Campbell grew up a few blocks away from ‘Mass. and Cass.’ Here's her plan to address the troubled area.
^ Karedes, Drew (September 3, 2021). "'It's never ever been this bad': 100+ tents set up along Methadone Mile concern community leaders". Boston 25 News.

Route map:

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[br-1] Inner Belt Expressway (I-695 and I-95, unbuilt)

[2] City of Boston Cancels Melnea Cass Boulevard Reconstruction

[3] Andrea Campbell grew up a few blocks away from ‘Mass. and Cass.’ Here's her plan to address the troubled area.

[4] Karedes, Drew (September 3, 2021). "'It's never ever been this bad': 100+ tents set up along Methadone Mile concern community leaders". Boston 25 News.

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v t Streets and squares in Boston
East-west streets	Beacon Street Boylston Street Commonwealth Avenue Congress Street Court Street Day Boulevard Dedham Parkway Fenway Gallivan Boulevard Huntington Avenue Melnea Cass Boulevard Milk Street Neptune Road New Chardon Street Newbury Street Park Street Soldiers Field Road State Street Storrow Drive Summer Street Tremont Street Winter Street
North-south streets	Arborway Atlantic Avenue Bennington Street Blue Hills Parkway Bowdoin Street Brattle Street Brookline Avenue Charles Street Columbus Avenue Dorchester Avenue Enneking Parkway Federal Street Franklin Street Hanover Street Jamaicaway Jersey Street (Yawkey Way) Massachusetts Avenue Morrissey Boulevard Morton Street North Street Park Drive Riverway School Street Truman Parkway Turtle Pond Parkway Union Street Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway Washington Street West Boundary Road West Roxbury Parkway
Intersections	Adams Square Andrew Square Blackstone Square Brigham Circle Central Square Chester Square City Square Cleveland Circle Codman Square Copley Square Day Square Dewey Square Dock Square Downtown Crossing Egleston Square Fields Corner Franklin Square Haymarket Square Hyde Square Jackson Square Kenmore Square Louisburg Square Mass and Cass Maverick Square Nubian Square (Dudley Square) Packard's Corner Park Square Peabody Square Post Office Square Roxbury Crossing Scollay Square Sullivan Square Thompson Square Union Square Uphams Corner Winthrop Square
Italics denote streets and squares that no longer exist. See also Neighborhoods in Boston Transportation in Boston

Melnea Cass Boulevard

Contents

Cancelled planned renovation[]

Drug and homelessness issues[]

See also[]

References[]