Commission Approves $11 Million Broadway Rebuild

Traffic and Parking Commission · Meeting of September 3, 2026

CHELSEA — The Traffic and Parking Commission approved a roughly $11 million redesign of downtown Broadway and denied most handicap parking requests under a newly applied density cap. Commissioner of Public Works Kate Fox-Lenton presented the finalized "Reimagining Broadway" plan, funded through MassDOT, which restores two-way traffic near City Hall, adds back-in parking on Washington Avenue and fully signalizes Bellingham Square; the commission approved it unanimously on a motion from member Ben Karras. Bidding is expected in December with construction starting in spring and lasting up to two years.

Separately, members cited a rule limiting handicap signs to "no more than 2 percent" of spaces within 2,000 square feet, denying requests from residents on Grove Street, Reynolds Avenue and Cottage Street while approving three others. A resident in public comment said "three additional pedestrians have been hit" near Marlborough, Shurtleff and Broadway since the commission's last meeting, with promised flexible safety barriers still not installed.

In the full story:

• Public Comment: Pedestrian Safety and Parking Complaints
• Pine Street Speed Hump Request
• Congress Avenue and Highland Street Stop Sign Request
• Lafayette Avenue Speed Mitigation Request
• MBTA Bus Berth Plan Under Tobin Bridge
• Handicap Parking Applications
• Parking Sticker Revocation Review
• Walnut Street Synagogue Holiday Parking Relief
• Downtown Broadway Reconstruction Plans
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 3,103 words

Source: the Traffic and Parking Commission meeting of September 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.