Politics & Government

When Will New Arlington/Marlborough Lights Start Working?

New traffic lights added after constituent concerns for pedestrians.

If you've walked or driven by the Boston Public Garden on Arlington Street in the last several weeks, you may have noticed something new at the intersection with Marlborough Street.

That would be the addition of new traffic stoplights, which a city official said this week were created as a result of mounting constituent concerns.

Boston Transportation Department Deputy Commissioner Jim Gillooly said the lights went up in the last couple of weeks and should become fully operational by the middle of July.

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When it does, the Marlborough intersection will become the last intersection along that stretch of Arlington at the boundaries of Beacon Hill and Back Bay to get a stoplight.

Before the lights become fully operational, Gillooly said there will first be a test period.

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"We'll put the lights on flash for a while to make sure the system is working properly," Gillooly said, meaning the lights will flash yellow for several weeks at first.

Gillooly said the addition of the stoplights was largely a safety measure.

"We got a few requests from concerned constituents who found it difficult to cross at that location," he said.

There's no question it's a busy area for both vehicle and foot traffic, with motorists regularly using that stretch as an outlet from Storrow Drive to the rest of the city and pedestrians walking to access the Public Garden and Beacon Hill from Back Bay and vice versa.

"We heard the concern from citizens loud and clear," Gillooly said.

Gillooly said there is still some work to be done in the area, including the installation of the traffic controller at the intersection.


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