According to an October 31st report in Brookline.News (reprinted from StreetsblogMASS), Brookline is planning for the restoration of the Beacon Street Bridal Path, a 2.25 parkway originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. “Olmsted’s 19th-century design for the boulevard included a 20 foot “bridle way” for leisurely horseback riding next to the Green Line tracks in the shade of the street’s abundant trees,” writes reporter Christian MilNeil.
Community activism has sparked interest in this historic restoration project—and will continue to monitor the design plans. “The design team gave participants an overview of the project’s history and the 2021 feasibility study, but they stressed that they were still collecting feedback from neighbors and details about the street’s existing conditions before they begin drawing up specific design proposals in early 2026.”
“It’s green for climate resiliency, it’s creating green infrastructure that can absorb stormwater, and it’s green transportation,” enthused Sean Lynn-Jones, President of the Brookline Greenspace Alliance
Read the article.
Image from the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site: “An 1886 Olmsted sketch for the bridle path on Beacon Street.”
