BOS Nation FC Transportation Update

Spectator parking will not be permitted in or around Franklin Park on game days

Photo By J. Alexander Dolan

Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSP) and the city of Boston hosted a transportation meeting over Zoom on Thursday to provide updates on game-day plans.

Spectator parking will not be permitted in or around Franklin Park on game days. BUSP will provide free shuttle service from satellite parking lots and the Ruggles, Forest Hills, and JFK/UMass MBTA stations. The team would like to provide shuttles at the Four Corners/Geneva commuter rail station, but that would be contingent on the MBTA increasing service frequency, said BUSP transportation consultant Brian Beisel. 

The Jackson Square, Stony Brook, Green Street, and Fields Corner stations were presented as options in preliminary meetings but were deemed unviable after receiving feedback from neighborhood residents and the MBTA.

No updates were given on satellite parking lot locations, though BUSP has said in previous meetings that the sites will be chosen closer to 2026. Roxbury Community College is a possible location, as stated in a supplemental filing submitted to the City of Boston’s Planning Department in May. Parking prices have not been determined but will be a “competitive price” to discourage spectators from driving to the stadium.

An existing lot at the Humboldt Avenue and Seaver Street intersection will serve as a designated pickup and drop-off spot for private vehicles and ride-hailing services. 

Game-day walkshed area, courtesy of Boston Unity Soccer Partners

The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) identified a walkshed area that will have restricted parking on game days. Residents will be able to apply for a parking permit sticker for each vehicle registered to an address in the walkshed area, and each residential unit can receive one visitor parking placard, which will allow visitors to park in the area on game days. The following eligibility criteria must be met:

• Proof of residency within walkshed area

• Vehicle must be registered at the applicant's address

• No outstanding parking tickets or other violations

A part of Walnut Avenue will also be restricted to local residents, shuttles, and emergency vehicles.

BUSP and the city intend to keep parking within Franklin Park for park users only. BTD proposed the use of the ParkBoston website and mobile application, which is currently used for parking meter payment around the city. Park users would have to reserve a spot, at no cost, on the application to use Franklin Park lots. The city does not have a clear grasp on how this will be implemented yet.

“We will continue to… think about ways to verify who’s coming to a game [and] who’s coming for park activities,” said Senior Policy Advisor Anshi Moreno, when asked how officers would be able to identify spectators who try to reserve a spot on the app.

BTD plans to have ten to 20 officers in the area, whose shifts will be paid for by BUSP, according to BTD Commissioner Nick Gove. Parking restriction enforcement will begin six hours before the start of the game and end one hour after the end of the game. Violators will be issued $100 fines and potentially towed. 

BUSP will install more bike racks near the stadium, and will have personal bike valet parking on game days in addition to a Bluebikes valet. The team will also fund a new Bluebikes station. 

In lieu of paving new paths at the park, golf carts will be used at drop off sites near the stadium for those with accessibility needs.

In addition to traffic details, BTD will install video monitoring systems at two intersections on Forest Hills Street in an effort to mitigate congestion.

After lease and construction documents are formalized, the ownership group and BTD will execute a Transportation Access Plan Agreement, a legally binding agreement to ensure transportation impacts are managed, said Gove. Specific dates were not provided.