Appleton Street Traffic Study

Project Overview

The Department of Transportation completed its review of the impact of a full-time left-turn restriction from Brattle Street (eastbound) onto Appleton Street (northbound) and published its findings in April 2025. The goal of the turn restriction, which was implemented in mid-August 2024, was to:

• Reduce cut-through traffic from Mt. Auburn Street to Appleton Street
• Distribute vehicle volumes more evenly across the ladder streets (connecting Brattle Street and Huron Avenue)

Key Findings

• Vehicle volumes on Appleton Street dropped by 50% (~1,600 fewer trips per day)
• Vehicle volumes on parallel streets increased by 20–30% and remained within normal ranges for side streets
• Total vehicle volumes across the study area streets dropped by more than 320 trips per day since before the change
• Appleton Street, while still one of the busier northbound ladder streets, now has volumes more in line with neighboring streets

Traffic Report

The Department of Transportation's 2025 Traffic Study Report concluded that the left-turn restriction successfully balanced traffic distribution.

2025 Traffic Study Report