Boulevard

From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.

Boulevard has two generally accepted meanings.

As a type of road, a boulevard is usually a wide, multi-lane arterial divided thoroughfare, often with an above-average appearance in terms of landscaping and scenery.

However, in many places in the United States, particularly California, the term has been severely distorted by developers who applied it to arterial roads that are not boulevards in the conventional sense. There are many so-called "boulevards" in California which extend into the mountains, and those road segments are narrow, winding, and only two lanes in width.

The term boulevard is also used by some to refer to the division or central reservation in such a road, whether that road is specifically a "boulevard" in the above sense or not. It can consist of anything from a simple thick curb of concrete, to a wide strip of grass, to a thoroughly landscaped space of trees, shrubs, and other foliage; in urban areas, boulevards can also contain public art or memorials. Wide boulevards are also sometimes used as rights-of-way for trams or light rail systems.

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