The Future Of Boston Is In Your Hands

From Livable Streets:

After two years of outreach, dozens of workshops, and thousands of comments from people like you, the City of Boston has released its GoBoston 2030 Vision & Action Plan, an unprecedented roadmap for the region’s mobility future.

We are proud that this ambitious plan is a reflection of our vision for a Boston where streets are safe, equitable, and vibrant places for people to live, work, and play.

Now the future of Boston is in your hands. Will you help us make this plan a reality? 

Other ways you can support us include joining our Advocacy Committee, becoming a LivableStreets member, or making a donation.

You can review the Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan here. Here are some key proposals LivableStreets is especially excited to see included:

Better Buses

• Overall bus service reliability improvements on 30 busiest routes

• Rapid bus service along Washington St in Roslindale, Mass Ave, between North Station and the South Boston Waterfront, between Mattapan and the LMA, and more!

• Transit signal priority along key bus and Green Line routes

• Implementing a network of neighborhood mobility hubs

Emerald Network

• All three of our Boston Greenway Partners’ projects are part of the Action Plan, including Roxbury to Fenway, Arboretum to Roslindale, and the American Legion Parkway

• Improving Columbia Road so that it better serves the surrounding community and completes Olmsted’s vision of the Emerald Necklace

• Southwest Corridor extension to Back Bay and MGH via Charles St

Vision Zero

• Expansion of Neighborhood Slow Streets program

• Complete streets overhauls for Dorchester Ave in South Boston, Washington St/Columbus Ave in JP & Roxbury

• Implementing better bike corridors by rebuilding streets with protected, low-stress bicycling facilities

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Hal9000 Teaches You About Unsafe Intersections

I love/am creeped out by, this guy doing his best Hal9000 impersonation. These intersections are horrible, and he does an amazing job of illustrating exactly why. Come on city of Boston, throw a little love (and money!) to the pedestrians and cyclists at these intersections! Hopefully their answer will not be “I am sorry Bikers, I can’t do that Bikers.”

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What Intersections Do You Want Improved?

Livable streets is collecting data on which intersections need to be made better, see below for details.

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Do you walk out of your way to avoid unsafe intersections? Help increase safety in Boston by telling us which intersections you think need improvement. Do you poke at walk-signal buttons and wonder if they’re connected to anything? The LivableStreets Safer Streets Campaign is deepening the city’s commitment to safety and advocating for better infrastructure – like cycle tracks and improved traffic signalization – to allow people to confidently explore the city on bike, foot and public transit.   Safety is particularly important at intersections, where people in cars, on foot, on bike, and in transit interact together.    That’s why LivableStreets is working to survey and recommend changes for specific crossings in the City of Boston. And, we need your help to identify intersections with pedestrian signals that need improvement.   Click here to let us know which intersection in Boston you would like to see improved. We are surveying dozens of crossings and working with engineers in the City to implement fast fixes that improve signal timing, phasing and sequencing. Together, we can make sure those everlasting Don’t Walk signals are a thing of the past. Best,   Mike   Mike Sanders LivableStreets Alliance Lead Volunteer

E: P: 617.621.1746    W: www.livablestreets.info F: LivableStreets T: @StreetsBoston/#SaferStreetsBoston

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Tonight: Public Hearing For Game-Changing Cycle Track Loop In Downtown Boston

Greg Hum plays drums on his bike, gets people together for really big midnight and monthly bike rides, and smiles too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. 
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Imagine being able to bike around the heart of downtown Boston on completely safe and separated from car-traffic bike paths, or cycle-tracks. This is the goal of the Tiger Grant-funded Connect History Boston Trail

Tonight is the public hearing to present plans for a protected bike path loop around downtown Boston to the public. Here’s the info about the hearing from the Boston Bikes event calendar, so definitely show up to voice support, comments, or concerns:

A Public Hearing will be held by the City of Boston Public Works Department to discuss the proposed Connect Historic Boston project that is being funded through a Federal Highway Administration Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant.

WHERE: City Hall, Boston
One City Hall Square, Room 801
Boston, MA 02201

WHEN: Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Open House 6:00 PM
Meeting 6:30PM

The City of Boston Public Works Department will be holding a public hearing to present the City’s Connect Historic Boston Project at the location and time shown above. The public notice which provides additional information relative to the hearing and project can be found here.

The plans for this path sound almost too good to be true:

The Connect History Boston Trail will be a family-friendly bicycle loop around downtown Boston, providing access to major transit hubs, regional trails, and National Park Service visitor centers and National Park service Partner sites.

A loop that provites two-way travel will simplify navigating Boston’s complex one-way street system. The trail will make it easier to connect from North Station to offices in the Downtown or Seaport District, or between the two stations themslves. For people just getting to know Boston, the out and back nature of the trail will make it easy to go from site to site and return along the same route.

The trail will be separated from traffic, such as a cycle track or path, in order to appeal to the broadest range of people and abilities. Trail users will be able to ride comfortably in small groups.

The trail will be buffered from sidewalk path by street furniture, special paving, or a curb where appropriate.

Wayfinding will direct bicyclists from the Connect History Boston trail to NPS sites and the regional shared-use path system.

Bikeshare, bike rental, and bike parking will be conveniently located to the trail.

If these plans go forward, we can expect to see a very different landscape for bicycling in Boston once completed.

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BTD Installing “Share The Road” Signs Around Boston

Greg Hum has been riding a bike everywhere since 2008, plays drums on his bike, organizes the annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride, and shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. 

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This morning on my commute into Boston, I spotted BTD prepping some “Share The Road” signs to be hung up on Comm. Ave. by Kenmore Sq.

When I walked by the same spot this afternoon, I couldn’t find them anywhere. Has anyone seen where they’ve been put up?

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