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Click on images for larger photos. This sequence of photos show the 1935 reconstruction of Brookline Boulevard from the Pioneer Avenue intersection to West Liberty Avenue. This was one of the civic infrastructure improvements launched by the Brookline Joint Civic Committee during the 1930s that were designed to improve living conditions in Brookline.
The project entailed re-routing Brookline Boulevard onto the Pittsburgh Railways right-of-way, which was previously used for rail traffic only. The narrow, looping trolley path would be widened to four lanes, paved and converted to a thoroughfare for both rail and vehicular traffic. The old section of Brookline Boulevard that formerly connected Pioneer Avenue and West Liberty Avenue was now cut off from the main thoroughfare by a retaining wall. Originally slated to be named as an extension of Wenzell Avenue, the city settled for a redesignation as Bodkin Street. Note that long ago, this section of roadway was a part of Wenzell Avenue. Later it was renamed Hunter Avenue, and then Brookline Boulevard.
Along with the construction of this new section of the boulevard, the project also included paving the middle section of the roadway, through the commercial district to Edgebrook Avenue. This made the entire boulevard into a four lane thoroughfare. This traffic improvement made access to the commercial district much quicker and safer. The project was one of the lasting achievements of the Civic Committee and a major advancement for the Brookline community. Reconstruction Photos - November 1935
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