Melnea Cass Boulevard is a street in Boston, Massachusetts, running perpendicular to the line between

Dudley Square Nubian Square (formerly Dudley Square) is the primary commercial center of the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located at the intersection of Dudley Street and Washington Street. It has long been the center of African American cul ...

in Roxbury and the South End. It is named after local community and civil rights activist Melnea Cass. The road's right-of-way was originally planned to be part of Interstate 695, until its cancellation.Inner Belt Expressway (I-695 and I-95, unbuilt)
/ref> There is also an

MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

Silver Line station named Melnea Cass Boulevard on this street. The boulevard's eastern terminus is at the Mass Ave Connector, intersects with the various major thoroughfares of Roxbury, and a few minor streets and ways, finally ending at the western terminus at Columbus Avenue behind

Ruggles station Ruggles station is an intermodal transfer station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) rapid transit, bus, and commuter rail services and is located at the intersection of Ruggles and Tremont str ...

and

Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...

. Melnea Cass Boulevard is primarily four lanes wide, with some exceptions for turning lanes at major cross streets. Due to the history of Melnea Cass Boulevard being a planned right of way for the rejected Inner Belt, it is generally devoid of structures and buildings, except city-owned properties built in formerly unused lots. The majority of adjacent buildings are at the corners of the major cross streets.

Cancelled planned renovation

The City of Boston began planning a complete rebuild of the street in 2011, publishing a plan in 2018 that would add separated bike lanes and raised crossings to improve safety on one of the city's most dangerous streets. It canceled the awarded $25.6 million contract for this rebuilding in January 2021 due to neighbor objections over the removal of mature trees.

Drug and homelessness issues

Due to its concentration of service providers, the area around the "Mass and Cass" intersection has attracted a large number of people dealing with

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

and drug addiction, especially after the closure of the treatment facility on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

. The effects on local residents and the city's attempts to deal with the problem have generated considerable controversy, with the reconstruction of the bridge to Long Island delayed by opposition from the city of Quincy. As of September 2021, there is a homeless community in the Melnea Cass Boulevard area, which has an area nicknamed "

Methadone Methadone, sold under the brand names Dolophine and Methadose among others, is a synthetic opioid agonist used for chronic pain and also for opioid dependence. It is used to treat chronic pain, and it is also used to treat addiction to heroin ...

Mile" (after the

opiate An opiate, in classical pharmacology, is a substance derived from opium. In more modern usage, the term ''opioid'' is used to designate all substances, both natural and synthetic, that bind to opioid receptors in the brain (including antagonis ...

based drug used or treating opiate and

opioid Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid us ...

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

addiction). This was estimated to be over 100 residents in one concentration, mainly living in tents and structures. It was referenced by Fergie the Florist in

The Town (2010 film) ''The Town'' is a 2010 American crime drama film co-written, directed by, and starring Ben Affleck, adapted from Chuck Hogan's 2004 novel ''Prince of Thieves''. It also stars Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Titus Welliver, ...

as being the location where Doug MacRay's mother took her own life while under the influence of drugs.

References

Homelessness in the United States Streets in Boston {{Massachusetts-road-stub

Cancelled planned renovation

Drug and homelessness issues

See also

References