Four new artistic bike racks have been installed in Hyde Square as part of the square's ongoing reconstruction.
Hyde Jackson Square Main Street
One of the artistic bike racks installed in the Hyde Square area in December 2017.
Four bike racks were installed along Centre Street in mid-December. One was installed in front of JP Laundry Centre near Paul Gore Street, one was installed near Sorella's in Hyde Square, one in front of Centre Liquor in Hyde Square and a fourth installed in front of Rizzo's Pizza at the corner of Westerly Street.
Hyde Jackson Square Main Street (HJSMS) led the project to install the bike racks with funding provided by the city through funds HJSMS receives to do work. The city's Public Works Department installed the bike racks.
"We commissioned Artists for Humanity to design and fabricate them. Their student designers worked with their design staff to make these wonderful additions to Centre Street," said Gerald Robbins, executive director of HJSMS, to Jamaica Plain News. "We have one larger bike rack to install in front of the Fellowship Church of God at the corner of Walden Street to replace another one that was damaged by a plow a couple of years ago. Hopefully this will get done in the next four months. We hope these racks add vibrancy, color, and more bikes to the business district."
The bike racks are part of a larger city effort to reconstruct and enhance the intersection of Centre Street, Perkins Street and Day Street. Part of the plan includes increased sidewalk widths, traffic and pedestrian safety improvements, new lighting and landscaping.