
10/05/2025
Wood Ave getting some TLC, Neponset Trail shaping up in HP
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By Jeff Sullivan
The Belnel Neighborhood Association (Belnel) met last week with residents in a virtual setting and discussed upcoming improvements to Wood Avenue with District 5 City Councilor Enrique Pepén.
The improvements come after 4-year-old Ivan Pierre was struck and killed on Wood Avenue in 2023. Since that time, debates have gone back and forth about road improvements on the street, including several flex posts that were designed to help slow down traffic (though many times, they were struck and taken out by drivers).
Pepén said the design process has now started on a new round of safety improvements on Wood Avenue.
“As many of you may know, last year I was able to get $2 million for safety improvements to Wood Avenue, because there has just been endless accidents,” he said. “Folks are speeding and not thinking about pedestrians.”
The city has a web page for the improvements and recordings of past meetings. Go to https://tinyurl.com/vuafnv8y for more information. Pepén said they are continuing to meet with residents during the design process.
“My team had a walk-through with a few residents about two weeks ago now and we’re already starting to see some of the progress happening,” he said.
Pepén added that the city has implemented several other street improvements, including new crosswalks at all intersections at the Chittick School, repaving of the side streets in the neighborhood and playground was also recently renovated at the Chittick.
Boston Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services Hyde Park Liaison Zoe Petty added that she has been meeting with school parents and faculty about road safety issues at the Renaissance School, the New Mission High School, Another Course to College and more.
“We’re also making sure our schools are good,” she said.
Belnel Chair Helena Tonge also discussed upcoming improvements to the Neponset Greenway Trail and park system. The full trail is slated to stretch from Fowl Meadow in Hyde Park along the Neponset River up to Dorchester and Quincy.
Tonge said construction will start soon on a section of the trail from about Kennedy Playground in Mattapan down to Osceola Street in Hyde Park, where it will cross the Neponset to Milton and the Neponset Esplanade Park. Tonge said crucially, this is to give the neighborhood access to the trail along the river, as well as give access to the Esplanade Park from across the river, whenever the bridge gets built.