Issue #80 / October 3, 2013

In this issue:

October StreetTalk: Behind the scenes with a Globe reporter
Video: Mayoral Candidate Fo rum
From Park(ing) Day to permanent parklets
Breaking News: Connect Historic Boston wins $15 million grant
Breaking News: MassDOT Healthy Transportation Directive
Moving off the road: The nation is driving less
Volunteer spotlight: Beverly Strain
Workshop, summit, conferences & meetings

What's happening

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October StreetTalk: Behind the scenes with a Globe reporter

Thursday, October 17, 7-9pm

@ LivableStreets office, 100 Sidney Street, Cambridge

Free and open to the public. Suggested $10 donation. RSVP here.

Want to know what goes through the mind of a Boston Globe transportation reporter while she is writing a story? Want to hear more about the challenges she faces, the things she finds most exciting, and the process she uses to write the next article?

RSVP for the next StreetTalk to learn from Boston Globe reporter Martine Powers about the challenges and opportunities of bringing transportation issues to Boston readers.

Martine will speak about her recent trip to Europe and identify lessons for increasing walking, biking, and transit in Boston.

Video: Mayoral Candidate Forum

Check out the forum video

Two candidates remain in Boston's mayoral election: John Connolly and Marty Walsh.

Who does LivableStreets support?

LivableStreets cannot endorse a candidate, but we can share information about where each candidate stands on livable street issues.

Click here to see candidate answers to our questionnaire and a video of the forum.

Want to see more events that get people and politicians thinking about transportation? Donate $10 to LivableStreets today.

From Park(ing) Day to permanent parklets

Parklet spotted in Lexington

Change is happening.

In 2008, LivableStreets helped create the first Park(ing) Day in Boston. Park(ing) Day celebrates and rethinks urban design by temporarily transforming parking spaces for one day.

Last week, we happened upon dozens of Park(ing) Day spots all across the region organized by local individuals and groups as part of a one-day international Park(ing) Day.

And, Boston and surrounding cities are now making these transformations permanent with parklets - transforming parking spaces for parked cars to open spaces for people.

Join us in celebrating these changes that make our streets safer and communities more vibrant. Post and share your photos of these change on Twitter and Facebook.

Breaking news

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Connect Historic Boston wins $15 million grant

Check out video about Connect Historic Boston

Connect Historic Boston won a $15 million TIGER Grant. Connect Historic Boston is a project to make traveling to National Park Service sites and other destinations easy, fun, accessible, and convenient. The project includes improvements to Causeway Street, Commercial Street, Blackstone Block, Constitution Road and Joy Street.

LivableStreets is a partner of Connect Historic Boston - a member of the project's Working Advisory Group and host of a training that helped plan the initiative.

Congratulations to the City of Boston and all Connect Historic Boston partners! We will continue to keep you updated on progress and help ensure projects are implemented.

MassDOT Healthy Transportation Directive

MassDOT Secretary Rich Davey announced a forward-thinking shift in the department's approach to project development. The Healthy Transportation Policy Directive will require all state transportation projects to increase bicycling, transit and walking options to promote multi-modal access for all transportation customers.

"This policy directive is the next step in putting into daily practice our commitment to build a healthy, sustainable transportation system that meets all our customers' needs," said Secretary Davey.

Thank you MassDOT for implementing a directive that will help triple biking, transit, and walking trips in Massachusetts.

In other news

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Moving off the road: The nation is driving less

The nation as a whole is driving less and Massachusetts is leading the trend.

The new MassPIRG report "Moving Off the Road: A State-by-State

Analysis of the National Decline in Driving" based on the most current available

government data, has found:

In Massachusetts, people have reduced their driving miles by 4.03 percent per person since 2004.
45 other states have reduced per-person driving since the middle of the last decade.

"It's time for policy makers to wake up and realize the driving boom is over. We need to reconsider expensive highway expansions and focus on alternatives such as public transit and biking-which people increasingly are using to get around," said Kristin Jackson, MassPIRG Organizer. Read the full MassPirg report here.

Forbes also recently covered the topic: "It's not anti-car," said Jackie Douglas of LivableStreets, "it's not about going car-free. It's a trend of families going down to one car, instead of having a car for everyone in the household. The one person in the household who needs the car uses it, and everyone else takes the bus, or walks, or uses a bike." Read the Forbes article by Micki Maynard here.

Volunteer Spotlight: Beverly Strain

Where are you from?

Burlington, NC, but I went to college in New Mexico and I have been in Boston for 12 years.

What is your favorite street in greater Boston?

Not a street per se, but I love walking along the Rose Kennedy Greenway. It is so relaxing and beautiful; a wonderful bit of heaven in the middle of the city.

How did you get involved with LivableStreets?

I attended the yearly Bike Update event at the Boston Public Library, and I was excited by LivableStreets' vision. I was fortunate to have the time to volunteer in their office for Volunteer Fridays.

What do you like about volunteering?

I love being able to contribute what I can for LivableStreets. Volunteer Fridays came around at just the right time! I have met some great people who are passionate about making our community a better place.

What is your favorite LivableStreets advocacy project?

Better Bridges, definitely; traversing a bridge can be chaotic, especially during rush hour. They need to be fixed so traveling is safe for ALL users.

What would your bumper sticker say?

No Spandex? No problem!

> Read Beverly's full spotlight here.

> Interested in volunteering with LivableStreets?

Join Volunteer Fridays from 12-2pm at our office, 100 Sidney Street, Cambridge. The next one will be Friday, October 18.