The Latest From BostonBiker.org

News, Events, Updates


Livable Streets Update

Written by Boston Biker on Mar 13

What’s happening

Become_a_Street_Ambassador.jpgBecome a Street Ambassador

We are launching our Street Ambassador program for 2017 to directly engage the public in our Better Buses and Longwood Areacampaigns. We need volunteers who are passionate about improving transportation and are willing to help us collect feedback from the public. This is a great experience for anyone interested in grassroots organizing. RSVP with us for one of the following trainings:
Screen_Shot_2017-03-10_at_1.59.24_PM.png
Event Details:
Street Ambassador Info Session I
Wednesday, March 29, 6-7pm
@LivableStreets Alliance

Event Details:
Street Ambassador Info Session II
Wednesday, April 5th, 12-1pm
@Dana-Farber Cancer Institute


Take our Longwood Area survey

Take_our_Longwood_Area_multimodal_survey.JPGWe recently launched a new initiative in the Longwood Area in partnership with the Longwood Area Cyclists. Throughout 2017, we’ll be collecting feedback from the public while working with area institutions and partners to identify key problems and implement solutions. Please help us by taking the survey and spreading the word!


Wins

Celebrate the release of the Go Boston 2030 Action Plan

Go_Boston_2030_release.jpgAfter two years of outreach and dozens of workshops, the City of Boston has released its Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan, an unprecedented roadmap for the region’s mobility future. LivableStreets has been involved in this process since the beginning, and this ambitious plan encapsulates our vision for a Boston where streets are safe, equitable, and vibrant places for people. From Better Buses to the Emerald Network and Vision Zero, the proposed projects and policies directly impact our programs. Check out our overview of the plan here.

Now the hard work begins. Sign up as a Street Ambassador or join our Advocacy Committee to help us make this plan a reality. 


LivableStreets in the news

images.jpgOver the past month, our Better Buses and Go Boston 2030 advocacy has been featured in national and local media. Read CityLab’s pieceabout Everett’s pop-up bus lane and Boston’s efforts to roll-out similar bus priority measures. Also, be sure to check out what our executive director had to say about the Go Boston 2030 Action Plan in this WGBH News piece. Review all of our recent press coverage here.


Opportunities

Join us at Focus40’s “Ideas of March” event 

Ideas_of_March.PNGMassDOT’s Focus40 Team has received more than 3,000 ideas from the public about where they want to see our transit system go by 2040. Join us for the “Ideas of March” to explore these crowd-sourced concepts and learn how they’ll influence the T’s planning and future.

Event Details:
Focus40 “Ideas of March” Open House
Wednesday, March 15th, 5:30-7pm
@MIT Media Lab


Apply for a Neighborhood Slow Streets Zone

slowstreets.pngWant to see safer streets in your neighborhood? The City of Boston is now accepting applications for Neighborhood Slow Streets Zones, a program related to Vision Zero that aims to calm traffic in residential areas by redesigning them. Interested? Feel free to reach out to us if you’d like help applying. The deadline is March 24, 2017.


Join us at WalkBoston’s Annual Celebration

WalkBoston.jpgWe hope to see you at WalkBoston’s Annual Celebration to thank the organization’s for its over 27 years of incredible advocacy! Golden Shoe Awards will be given to City Council President Michelle Wu, Mission Hill/Roxbury activist Alison Pultinas, and Sarah Bankert, Caitlin Marquis & Dillon Sussman for their rural walking advocacy in Western Massachusetts. You won’t want to miss it! Register for the celebration here.

Event Details:
WalkBoston’s Annual Celebration
Wednesday, March 29th, 5-8pm
@Microsoft NERD Center


Submit your BRT station design proposals

brt_station_competition1.jpgHave you always wanted to redesign your local bus stop? Now’s your chance. BostonBRT is teaming up with The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) to find creative visions for what bus rapid transit stations could look like in Boston. Winners will receive cash prizes and a travel package to ITDP’s global Mobilize Conference in Santiago, Chile. Registration for the competition is April 5th, and the submission deadline is due April 12th. Check out the Boston BRT competition webpage for more important dates and guidelines.


Participate in Green Streets Walk/Ride Day Corporate Challenge

GreenStreetsFlyer_top-no_year-lt.jpgThe annual Walk/Ride Day Corporate Challenge is a competition among employers to determine which organizations are the green commuting champions. Encourage your employer to register for the 2017 Walk/Ride Day Challenge to participate (and win prizes!) by checking in online on the last Friday of each month from April through October when you walk, bike, take mass transit, or carpool to work!


submit Livable Streets Update to reddit.com Add to Reddit.

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Livable Streets Update

Help Re-Design City Infrastructure

Written by Boston Biker on Mar 03

From livable streets:

————-

Have you ever found yourself at a Boston area bus stop and thought, “this could be better”? If you could do it over, what would you change? Would you add more seating? Some public art and shelter from the elements?

Now’s your chance to put your ideas to the test! Submit a proposal to the BRT Station Design Competition.

BostonBRT is teaming up with The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) to find creative visions for what bus rapid transit stations could look like in Boston. Winners will receive cash prizes and a travel package to ITDP’s global Mobilize Conference in Santiago, Chile.

Registration for the competition is April 5th, and the submission deadline is due April 12th. Check out the BostonBRT competition webpage for more important dates and guidelines. We can’t wait to see what you think up!


submit Help Re-Design City Infrastructure to reddit.com Add to Reddit.

Tags: , ,
Posted in advocacy, infrastructure | Comments Off on Help Re-Design City Infrastructure

Imagining A More Connected Franklin Park

Written by Boston Biker on Feb 15

From Livable Streets:
Do you live, work or play near Franklin Park? Do you have ideas about improving access to the park?

If the answer is YES, please join Imagine Boston 2030, Boston Parks & Recreation and the Franklin Park Coalition to (re)imagine Franklin Park and answer key questions about connectivity, access, and park facilities.

Event Details:
Imagining Franklin Park
Thursday, February 16, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Franklin Park Golf Course Function Room
@ 1 Circuit Drive, Dorchester
The Emerald Network, a LivableStreets Alliance initiative, envisions a seamless network of greenways that will connect every neighborhood to open space, transit, and jobs. Connectivity to and through Franklin Park is very important to the success of our work, and the larger Network. We hope you will attend the event and voice your support!

This session is a part of the City of Boston’s Imagine Boston 2030initiative. This initiative will define a vision for Boston leading up to its 400th birthday and beyond, and create a road map to realize that vision. To learn more about the initiative and track its progress, read the city’s strategic plan ‘Expanding Opportunityand share your opinions in the survey here. 

We hope to see you there!


submit Imagining A More Connected Franklin Park to reddit.com Add to Reddit.

Tags: , ,
Posted in advocacy, infrastructure | Comments Off on Imagining A More Connected Franklin Park

Livable Streets Update

Written by Boston Biker on Feb 02

From the email:

What’s happening

Ask your legislators to support safe streets

Omnibus_bill_.jpgWe need your help to make sweeping, effective improvements to street safety throughout Massachusetts. LivableStreets and our Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition partners have been working closely with Senator Brownsberger and Representatives Hecht and Rogers to file a bill that will prevent crashes and make the Commonwealth safer for all. To ensure its success, we need as many co-sponsors for the bill as we can get by Friday, February 3. Will you do your part and contact your legislators? It’s easy with this simple form that allows you to reach out to your state representative and senator directly. If you’ve already done your part – thanks! Please help us spread the word.


Stand with community members at Allston I-90 meeting

Allston_I90.jpgIn response to MassDOT’s latest proposalfor the Allston I-90 Interchange project, the Task Force is convening a meeting to communicate shared community goals to state and local officials in advance of the draft environmental impact report. We need as many advocates in attendance as possible to send a clear message to MassDOT. Join the community in advocating for a project that reconnects Allston while providing necessary biking, walking, and transit infrastructure.

Event Details:
Allston I-90 Interchange Community Meeting
Tuesday, February 7th, 6:30-8pm
@Jackson-Mann Community Center


Join us at the Longwood Area Cyclists Summit

Longwood_Area_Cyclists_Logo.pngLivableStreets has been working closely with the Longwood Area Cyclists to address transportation and safety issues in the Longwood area. This event is a great opportunity to learn more about biking improvements coming soon. Also, we’ll be kicking off our public engagement that we’ll be leading in Longwood throughout 2017. Attend the Summit to learn more about this exciting project. Speakers include Rick Corsi of DCR, Sarah Hamilton of MASCO, and Professor Peter Furth of Northeastern University.

If you’re planning on attending, please RSVP soon as space is limited!

Event Details:
Longwood Area Cyclists Summit
Wednesday, February 15th, 12-1pm
@Jimmy Fund Auditorium


Wins

LivableStreets in the news

bostonglobe.pngThis year we’ll be ramping up our Better Buses work, which was recently featured on the front page of The Boston Globe. Unfortunately, a few days later, the City of Boston witnessed 9 pedestrian crashes in a single day. See our response to this uptick in this WCVB Channel 5 report. Redesigning dangerous streets and intersections is crucial to Vision Zero‘s success. Streetsblog USA covered our call for more Vision Zero funding in Boston in order to improve safety along Beacon St and other corridors seeing high crash rates.


Above & beyond: $33,000 in 33 Days challenge

LivableStreetsvolunteerphoto.jpgWe were blown away by the outpouring of support we received during our $33,000 in 33 Days challenge at the end of 2016. With your help, we surpassed our goal, providing us with funding to expand our programming as we continue to advocate for safer streets throughout the Boston area. If you’re interested in helping us mobilize these efforts, sign up as a volunteer. We’ll be rebooting our Street Ambassador program this spring! 


Opportunities

Apply for a Neighborhood Slow Streets Zone

slowstreets.pngWant to see safer streets in your neighborhood? The City of Boston is now accepting applications for Neighborhood Slow Streets Zones, a program related to Vision Zero that aims to calm traffic in residential areas by redesigning them. Interested? Feel free to reach out to us if you’d like help applying. The deadline is March 24, 2017.


Save the date for the release of Go Boston 2030

goboston.pngAfter considerable input and support from LivableStreets advocates, the City of Boston will release its Go Boston 2030 Action Plan on March 7th. Be the first to learn what bold steps Boston will be taking to improve and expand its transportation system in the next 5, 10, and 15 years. The release will comprise of an announcement, a day-long interactive exhibit, and an evening discussion panel. Learn more on the Go Boston 2030 website.

Event Details: 
Go Boston 2030 Action Plan Release Panel
Tuesday, March 7th, 6-8pm
@Boston Public Library


MA Smart Growth Alliance is hiring

MA_SMART_GROWTH.jpgThe Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance is looking to hire a Director of Local Leadership, a senior-level position charged with leading outreach with local & regional decision-makers. Sounds like you or someone you know? Check out the job posting and apply here.


Boston City Council Talks Transportation Policy

furthflyer.jpgThe Boston City Council’s Committee on Parks, Recreation & Transportation, in partnership with Northeastern University Professor Peter Furth, is leading a monthly discussion series on transportation policy. Please be sure to attend the final two panels in the series. The February one will be addressing transit signal priority, and the following will be focused on parking management.

Event Details:
Boston City Council Transportation Policy Talk
Thursday, February 2nd, 4-5:30pm
@Boston City Hall

Event Details:
Boston City Council Transportation Policy Talk
Thursday, March 2nd, 4-5:30pm
@Boston City Hall


submit Livable Streets Update to reddit.com Add to Reddit.

Tags: , ,
Posted in advocacy | Comments Off on Livable Streets Update

Share Your #VisionZero Vision With State Senators! (Online And In Person This Tuesday 1/31, )

Written by Boston Biker on Jan 30

From DotBike:

Hi Dot Bikers,

If you’re free this Tuesday night, I encourage you to go to this event at 6pm at Suffolk to share your #VisionZero vision with State Senators.  Commonwealth Conversations provide as chance for state senators to hear directly from residents, and what they hear helps shape the Senate’s policy agenda for this term, which runs through the end of 2018.

Details:

Not sure what to say? Here are some ideas:
-Tell them where you live and that you want the legislature to prioritize steps to achieve Vision Zero (zero street related deaths)
-Low-stress bicycling options are sorely lacking in your area
-If we want to help more people get out of cars (ie mode shift), have healthier communities (ie cleaner air, less obesity, heart disease, diabetes), and provide flexible, cost effective, climate-friendly ways for people to get around, then passing “An Act to reduce traffic fatalities” is the way to go!
Don’t forget to use #MAConvos and #BosConvos if you’re on social media.
SPREAD THE WORD! There are other Commonwealth Conversations taking place over the next several weeks in other parts of the state. Let’s make sure Vision Zero is a theme across the state, because safer streets aren’t just needed in Greater Boston, but all across the state.
also from Livable Streets:

We need your help to make sweeping, effective improvements to street safety throughout Massachusetts. LivableStreets and our Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition partners have been working closely with Senator Brownsberger and Representatives Hecht and Rogers to file a bill that will prevent crashes and make the Commonwealth safer for all.

To ensure its success, we need as many co-sponsors for the bill as we can get by Friday, February 3Will you do your part and contact your legislators? It’s easy with this simple form that allows you to reach out to your state representative and senator directly.

This omnibus bill would ensure basic, but necessary traffic regulations to guarantee that everyone on our streets can expect to get from point A to point B safely. The bill includes, among other provisions:

  • Lowering default speed limit on state highways and parkways in thickly settled areas from 30mph to 25mph
  • Allowing municipalities to install limited traffic safety cameras exclusively for speeding and red light & right turn violations
  • A statewide biking & pedestrian safety curriculum for elementary school students
  • Equipping state contracted trucks with safety side-guards to reduce pedestrian & bicyclist fatalities
  • Common sense safety regulations for biking with on-street traffic
  • And much more!

Please fill out the form and help us spread the word! Together we can make Massachusetts streets safer.

LivableStreets Alliance
http://www.livablestreets.info/


submit Share Your #VisionZero Vision With State Senators! (Online And In Person This Tuesday 1/31, ) to reddit.com Add to Reddit.

Tags: , ,
Posted in advocacy | Comments Off on Share Your #VisionZero Vision With State Senators! (Online And In Person This Tuesday 1/31, )

The Word On The Street

  • RSS Here is what people are saying

    • Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023
      TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →
      jsallen
    • Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023
      TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →
      jsallen
    • It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022
      ... Continue reading →
      commonwheels
    • It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022
      ... Continue reading →
      commonwheels
    • Hello world! June 9, 2021
      Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! Continue reading →
      thecommunityspoke
    • Run The Jewels Lead Free Pewter Hand Carved And Cast Pin Set January 3, 2021
      Made these lovely RTJ fist and gun pin set. Hand carved in wax, and then cast in lead free pewter.  Because these are made by hand you can do fun things like add an extra small pin so that they sit just so (also means they have “customized” brass back plates to accommodate the extra […]
      Boston Biker
    • My Work In The Wild: Feather Head Badge With Chris King Headset January 3, 2021
      One of my customers sent me this amazing picture of my feather badge installed on their (awesome!) bike.   Check out Manofmultnomah (here and here), apparently Chris King took some interest in it as well.  Want one of your own?  Buy it here, or here... Continue reading →
      Boston Biker
    • Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020
      TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →
      greg
    • Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020
      TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →
      greg
    • Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020
      TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →
      greg