Issue #40 / December 2009
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Nicole Freedman, Director of the Boston Bikes Program, will present her second annual report on the past achievements and future goals of the Mayor's efforts to create a "world class bicycling city." Ms. Freedman will discuss plans for the city's bike sharing program, bike lanes and off-road networks, bike parking facilities, youth programs, bike festivals, and more. 
The first bridge across the Charles River, constructed in 1662, was called the Great Bridge. The structure that now connects Harvard Square (via JFK St) with the Harvard Business School (via North Harvard St. in Allston-Brighton) is called the Anderson Bridge and was constructed by 1915 (photo right). As it nears its 100th birthday, the bridge needs serious repair. The new Department of Transportation's Highway Division will present preliminary plans at this public meeting. 
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Blog Suggests Ways To Transform Transportation Musings on transportation, health, and livable communities
by Steve Miller, LivableStreets board member
10. Set goals and measure progress
In the context of Legislation setting up a "Healthy Transportation Compact" that brings together the new Department of Transportation, Health and Human Services, Energy and the Environment, the blog's most recent post examines: Steve Miller's blog can be accessed from LivableStreets Alliance's home page or directly at http://blog.livablestreets.info |
A recent series of postings include a 3-part series on Ten Ways To Transform Transportation.|
Creating a shared vision: What is a livable street to you? Share your thoughts with us today.
At public events, LivableStreets Alliance asks people to give us their thoughts on these topics. Add to the conversation! Send your thoughts via email to vision@livablestreets.info. Here is what some of you have to say: a livable street is... 'diverse with office, retail, residential, art and great bike facilities'
a livable street is... 'a street where my son can play'
a livable street is... 'fun'
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How would you describe a livable street? How would the creation of a transportation system that better balances walking, mass transit, bicycling, rail, and cars help move us towards more livable communities? How can we use transportation to help make our communities healthier, friendlier, more sustainable, and affordable places to live, work, play, shop, go to school, raise families, and grow old?|
Announcements _____________________________________________________________
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More than 400 pedestrians are killed while crossing or walking along a street each month
New Analysis of What Makes for Safety: Complete Streets and Traffic Calming
 More than 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing or walking along a street in their community in the last 15 years, more than 9,000 during 2007 and 2008 alone. Each month, on average, more than 400 pedestrians are killed. While about 9 percent of all trips were made by foot, pedestrians comprise 11.8 percent of all traffic-related deaths. Despite this, pedestrian and bicycle projects have received less than 1.5 percent of federal transportation dollars over the last few years. Massachusetts spends less than 1.2 percent.
Although there are no specific statistics on the number of accidents involving wheelchairs in streets, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, disability was a factor in 617 pedestrian traffic fatalities last year. Boston's colonial heritage of short blocks and narrow streets makes it more walkable than most, and the Boston metropolitan area is the second-safest for pedestrians out of 52 cities of a million or more residents, according to the report. But pedestrians still totaled nearly 18 percent of Massachusetts' traffic deaths in 2007-2008, and we have the eighth-highest rate of pedestrian fatalities for seniors in the nation. While the city has begun a "complete streets" task force, the Department of Public Works has not embraced complementary "traffic calming" measures such as curb extensions and raised intersections. The full "Dangerous By Design" report is available online. |
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New Report Says MBTA Safety Compromised by Lack of Funding
 The Big Dig was not only so expensive that it absorbed almost every available dollar of transportation funding for the past decade, it left the state - and its main public transportation agency, the MBTA, to which some of the costs were transferred - in such deep debt that important safety upgrades haven't been completed.The easy-to-read 36-page report by former John Hancock Life Insurance chief David D'Alessandro said that the unfunded projects include fixing bridges, repairing platform stairways, replacing backup power generator turbines, repairing tunnel lighting, and replacing 60-year-old cables. Because the state system of funding, the T creates revenues that do not nearly cover its operating costs, the T has had to reschedule over $500 million in old debt into the future simply in order to pay current bills. Of course, this raises the eventual total cost. As a result, the T has a maintenance backlog of over $3 billion. It would require an annual investment of at least $694 million simply to keep the backlog from getting longer. A state bailout is unlikely without new revenue sources such as the rejected gas tax increase - Massachusetts will pay over $1.8 billion in service fees this year simply to keep debt at its current level. While T fares have already been increased three times in recent years, and service has been reduced, most commentators agree that the state is unlikely to provide any significant relief during this election year. |
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Lower Charles River Basin Bridges to be Built -- Finally!
 One of the reasons the Big Dig got initially approved for federal funding was the large number of "traffic mitigation" features it contained - infrastructure improvements that would encourage bicycling, walking, and the use of mass transit in order to offset the negative environmental impact of adding additional (albeit underground) traffic lanes in downtown Boston. Of course, we all know that the Dig ran so grossly over budget that there was no money left for a rail connection between North and South Stations, or for finishing the bike/ped paths and bridges along and across the Charles, or for connecting the Rose Kennedy Greenway (inexcusably built without formal bicycle accommodations) to the river.
After years of advocate pressure, the federal stimulus program has finally provided the money to at least construct the missing bike/ped bridges and paths. Most significantly, there will finally be a way for people coming towards Boston from the north - via the future Community Path Extension in Somerville, Cambridge Multi-Use Trail, and North Point Park - to safely get across the Charles. Within the next two years, the first bike/ped bridge will be constructed; the North Bank Footbridge, connecting North Point Park with Paul Revere Park, and a path along Beverly Street Extension will connect the Greenway to the Charles River Parklands.
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City of Cambridge seeks members for Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Climate Advisory Committees Three City of Cambridge committees are looking for residents who care about the community and would like to have a say in what happens. They are appointed by the City Manager to advise city staff on important environmental and transportation issues. People of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
If you are interested in getting more information about any of these committees, or if you are interested in applying, please contact Rosalie Anders at 617-349-4604 or go to the City website. |
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Sincerely,
Jacqueline Douglas
LivableStreets Alliance
E: jackie@livablestreets.info P: 617.621.1746
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