On Tuesday, June 28 the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) will host a visioning meeting to kick-off the North Station Area Mobility Action Plan (NSAMAP). The action plan, announced in November 2015, will develop a range of near-, mid-, and long-term, implementable solutions  to improve the way people get around the North Station area, including the Bulfinch Triangle, the TD Bank Garden, Charles River Park, the Brook Courthouse, Nashua Street, and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The team will design several near-term solutions so that they can be implemented as soon as possible.

In the same vein as recent City of Boston planning studies, the NSAMAP process will have a robust community engagement component. Community members and neighborhood stakeholders, such as large property owners and institutions, will help define current challenges in the study area and assist the city in creating solutions. City officials and community members will kick off the process with a public meeting on Tuesday, June 28 to discuss visioning and existing conditions.

The meeting will take place at the West End Museum from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., starting with an open house to be followed by a presentation and break-out information-gathering sessions. Additional opportunities for public involvement will take place throughout the remainder of 2016 with exact dates, times, and locations to be confirmed. The rough timeline is as follows:

• Late July/early August: Definition of problems and development of ideas
• Mid-September: Prioritization of ideas
• Mid-October: Turning ideas into concepts
• Early December: Release of draft action plan for review

To supplement the community workshops, an interactive NSAMAP website has been created to solicit online feedback from the community and stakeholders about the study area. The website, bit.ly/nsamap2016, allows users to share problems that they have experienced with the transportation network as well as their visions for improving mobility in the action plan area. Constituents are also encouraged to join the conversation and share their ideas on Twitter using the hashtag #NSAMAP2016.

This effort is the result of a partnership between the BRA and BTD. Together, these agencies will work to arrive at an actionable plan, with community and stakeholder support, through a transparent and engaging process.

Eight private partners, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Delaware North (owners of the TD Garden), Equity Residential, AvalonBay Communities, Related Beal, Boston Properties, HYM Investment Group, and Trinity Financial have contributed $50,000 each, for a total of $400,000, to support the city’s efforts.

About the Boston Redevelopment Authority

As the City of Boston’s urban planning and economic development agency, the BRA works in partnership with the community to plan Boston’s future while respecting its past. The agency’s passionate and knowledgeable staff guides physical, social, and economic change in Boston’s neighborhoods and its downtown to shape a more prosperous, resilient, and vibrant city for all. The BRA also prepares residents for new opportunities through employment training, human services and job creation. Learn more at www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org, and follow us on Twitter @BostonRedevelop.