The Latest From BostonBiker.org
News, Events, Updates
LivableStreets Warns Against Ballot Question 3
Written by Boston Biker on Nov 01Got this in the email, I trust Livable Streets For good info, so I would urge you all to take a good look at this. If the public transportation system falls apart that will mean more people in cars…which is bad for bikers. Good public transportation goes together with cycling like peanut butter and chocolate…that is we need both to have a good working system.
———————–
What is Ballot Question 3?
This proposed law would reduce the state sales and use tax rates from 6.25% to 3%.
What does it mean for you?
Passing of Question 3 will mean a dramatic loss of revenue to the MBTA and result in less public transportation service and fare increases. Potential changes include:
Fare hikes ranging from $.25 to more than $1 per trip and up to $31 per month for passes - Shutting down ferry service completely
- Closing commuter rail stops
- Elimination of commuter rail service completely after 7 pm and on weekends
- Elimination of several B, C and E Green Line stops
- Elimination of the Mattapan Trolley after 8 pm on weekdays and completely on weekends
- Reduction of midday weekday subway service by 50%
- Reduction of weekday evening service by 50% between 8 pm and 12:30 am
- Dramatically cut The RIDE paratransit service
- Elimination of 1/3 of current bus routes
Why is this important?
Public transportation is a key ingredient to healthy, vibrant cities. Public transportation moves you quickly and efficiently through the city. Public transportation is vital to those who cannot afford a car or who choose not to drive, and a critical component to our transportation network and an active lifestyle.
LivableStreets is working to improve public transportation in the Boston region to make it safe, affordable, and convenient. The possibilities are great, but not if the funding is cut!
A NO vote would make no change in the state sales and use tax rates.
Read more about what Question 3 means for you…
> MA Election Division, Ballot Question information >>>
> MassPIRG alert >>>
> OnTheMove coalition media advisory >>> (pdf)
> MBTA Advisory Board report >>> (pdf)
> Metro newspaper article >>>
_____________________________________________________________________
Sincerely,
LivableStreets Alliance
E: [email protected]
P: 617.621.1746
W: www.livablestreets.info
Add to Reddit. Posted in advocacy | 1 Comment »
LivableStreets Turns Five! Street Party!
Written by Boston Biker on Jul 16Got this in the email, looks like a good time!
—————–
Celebrate LivableStreets 5th anniversary!
Thursday, July 22, 5-8 pm (rain-date July 29)
Enter @ 100 Sidney St, Cambridge, MA 02139 (map)
Join us for good company, street games, music, yummy food and drinks, advocacy awards, and great raffle prizes.
It’s a community celebration of our efforts to create safe, convenient and affordable transportation for all in the Boston metro area, and a time to recognize amazing members, volunteers and supporters.
Entry includes food, unlimited street games, and raffle ticket
Members: $15. Additional donations greatly appreciated.
Non-members: Join at the door ($50) and enjoy the party for free.
Volunteer your way to free admission – we have a dozen volunteer shifts. Sign up in advance at [email protected] and enjoy the rest of the party on us.
Add to Reddit. Posted in fun | Comments Off on LivableStreets Turns Five! Street Party!
LivableStreets Presents: APBP Webinar
Written by Boston Biker on Apr 13APBP webinar on Bicycle Parking Best Practices
hosted by LivableStreets Alliance, sponsored by Alta Planning & Design
Wed. April 21, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
@ LivableStreets office, 100 Sidney St, Cambridge [map…]
Please RSVP to [email protected] / 617-621-1746. Limited space.
If you cannot come to the LivableStreets office, register at http://www.apbp.org/event/apr-10_webinar to participate from your home/office.
Jeff Rosenblum, Transportation Planner at the City of Cambridge, will be on hand after the webinar to answer questions and facilitate discussion.
————
APBP Professional Development Webinars
Bicycle Parking Best Practices
Wednesday, April 21 • 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. EDT
Bicycle parking programs are essential for communities striving to encourage bicycling for transportation as well as recreation. Convenient, easily used, and secure bicycle parking encourages people to ride and helps legitimize cycling as a transportation mode by providing parking opportunities equal to motorized modes. Attend this webinar to learn about APBP’s recommended practices for bicycle parking.
In this one-hour session, lead author APBP Board Member Eric Anderson will present APBP’s newly updated Bicycle Parking Guidelines, 2nd Edition, with special emphasis on two hot topics: in-street bicycle parking and implementing bicycle parking programs. The session will begin with an overview of changes in the new guide and a review of bicycle parking basics. In the second part of the session, Mr. Anderson will discuss the advantages and challenges of in-street bicycle parking (replacing car parking spaces with bicycle parking spaces), including design guidelines and program elements. Examples from several communities will be presented, with details about concept, site selection, community support, design, installation and maintenance. The presentation will conclude with a description of the nuts and bolts of municipal bike parking programs. Drawing on the experiences of cities nationwide, attendees will learn useful strategies for identifying locations, managing construction, and maintaining bicycle parking racks.
This webinar will launch the official publication of the Bicycle Parking Guidelines, 2nd Edition. Each webinar registration will include one complimentary download of the new guide (priced at $20 for APBP members, $45 for non-APBP members). Please read the restrictions on this offer below.
Eric Anderson is a member of the APBP Board of Directors and the lead author of Bicycle Parking Guidelines, 2nd Edition. He has nine years of experience in the bicycle and pedestrian transportation field, spanning agency, consulting, and advocacy roles. Before assuming his role as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Berkeley, Calif., he worked for Alta Planning + Design. He previously served as the Director of Planning for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition where he was involved with the planning and implementation of bicycle and pedestrian projects at the regional, county, and local level as well helping to develop the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program.
The AICP has approved one Certification Maintenance credit for this webinar. A certificate of attendance for those wanting to claim Professional Development Hours will be available.
Add to Reddit. Posted in education, fun | Comments Off on LivableStreets Presents: APBP Webinar
Street Talk: Transit 2.0
Written by Boston Biker on Mar 18Transit 2.0: The Developers Initiative
By Chris Dempsey, Director of Innovation, Mass Dept. of Transportation
Tues, April 6, 7-9 pm
@ LivableStreets office, 100 Sidney St, Cambridge [map…]
Open to the public. Suggested donation. Complimentary beer provided by Harpoon while supplies last.
Pull out your phone, check if your bus or train is on time, and come to the LivableStreets Alliance StreetTalk to learn how technology is improving public transit. The Mass. Dept of Transportation Developers Initiative is a ground-breaking program that hosts transportation data that can be used by third-party software developers to build websites, mobile applications, and other applications that deliver information more efficiently and effectively to users of the Commonwealth’s transportation system. Since the first developers meeting in the LivableStreets office, the initiative has led to the development of numerous innovative web and mobile applications. Chris Dempsey will describe how open source data and innovative collaborations are helping Massachusetts travelers better plan their trips or find the location of their bus.
Chris Dempsey is the Director of Innovation for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Before his current role, Chris was Deputy Chief of Staff and Special Assistant to the Secretary of Transportation. Prior to joining state government, Chris was a staffer on the Patrick-Murray campaign, responsible for the campaign’s volunteer, student outreach and internship programs. He is a native of Brookline and currently resides in Boston.
Hosted by LivableStreets Alliance. For more information: [email protected], facebook, 617-621-1746
http://livablestreets.info/event/streettalk/transit-20-developers-initiative
Add to Reddit. Posted in advocacy, fun | Comments Off on Street Talk: Transit 2.0
Street Talk: No Zoning Why Houston May Be Our Future
Written by Boston Biker on Mar 03No Zoning: Why Houston May Be Our Future…
by Zakcq Lockrem, Harvard Graduate School of Design Masters Candidate
TONIGHT, Wed, March 3, 7-9 PM
@ LivableStreets office, 100 Sidney St, Cambridge
Open to the public. Suggested $5 donation. Complimentary beer provided by Harpoon.
No Zoning: Why Houston May Be Our Future…
… and why that may not be such a bad thing. Deep in “Red Territory,” America’s fourth largest city is seldom used as an example of good planning ideas. Instead, it is thought of as an example of what not to do. Yet, as the only major American city without zoning, Houston is a prime example of how transportation planning shapes our cities, for both good and bad. Although 100 years of auto-centric planning have left Houston a sprawling metropolis, the addition of a single light rail line 6 years ago (and an aggressive plan for 4 more lines by 2012) has revealed an ally that advocates seldom trust in the fight for a denser, more walkable future: the market. By exploring Houston’s experience, we can learn a lot about the connections between transportation and land use, the role that zoning has played in creating our current auto-centered predicament (and what our alternatives are), and how to answer when someone tells us that Americans just don’t want denser living.
Zakcq Lockrem is a LivableStreets Alliance board member, a Master of Urban Planning Candidate at the Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, and a leader of the Boston Chapter of the Planners Network. Zakcq has work experience in transportation, infrastructure and housing, and has contributed to projects in West Africa, Mexico, California, Louisiana and around New England.
Hosted by LivableStreets Alliance.
For more information on the StreetTalk: web, [email protected], 617-621-1746
Add to Reddit. Posted in advocacy, fun | Comments Off on Street Talk: No Zoning Why Houston May Be Our Future
The Word On The Street
Here is what people are saying
- Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023TweetThe 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, 2023TweetThe 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, 2021Welcome 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, 2021Made 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, 2021One 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, 2020TweetSometimes, 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, 2020TweetSometimes, 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, 2020TweetSometimes, 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
