Boston Announces Permanent Bus Lanes on Three Corridors, Outdoor Dining Extended to December

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6470 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston announced permanent bus lanes on three corridors and extended the city's outdoor dining program past October in a September 2020 COVID-19 briefing. The mayor said new permanent center-running bus lanes with boarding platforms will be installed on Columbus Avenue in Roxbury, on North Washington Street serving up to 12,000 daily commuters, and on Washington Street in Roslindale serving roughly 19,000 daily riders. Pop-up bike lanes around Boston Common and the Public Garden on Tremont, Boylston, Charles, Beacon, and Arlington streets will be converted to permanent separated lanes this fall as part of a Connect Downtown network.

The city's outdoor dining program, originally set to expire October 31, was extended to December 1 for restaurants on public streets and indefinitely for those using private outdoor space; propane heater permit fees will be waived. The mayor reported Boston's seven-day COVID positive test rate had fallen to 1.6 percent, while East Boston's stood at 6.4 percent — down from 11.4 percent three weeks prior — and called the city's small business relief fund total of $6.7 million awarded to 1,700 businesses "all city money, nothing to do with the state or the federal government."

In the full story:

• Substantive content: Three new permanent bus lanes were announced
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,360 words

Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6470 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.