Tens of millions of federal transportation dollars are now lined up for an ambitious public works project to modernize Blue Hill Avenue. But in a wide-ranging interview on the DotLife podcast that just dropped, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu makes it clear that the federal funds aren’t her only consideration in moving the project forward into construction.
Wu emphasized that no final decisions have been made about the design of the corridor, including a controversial proposal for center-running bus lanes.
“Nothing is set in stone. Nothing is final in terms of the design,” Wu said. “We want to hold on to every dollar that can improve communities’ lives, but we also wouldn’t take federal money just because it’s there if it’s not a design that works for our community.”
The project—focused on one of the city’s busiest transit corridors—has drawn renewed attention following news reports that an additional $80.3 million in federal dollars have been committed to the project through the MBTA. That funding builds on an earlier $15 million award, bringing the federal contribution to roughly $93 million, alongside state, MBTA, and city dollars…