In this issue:
- STREET TALK : Mon. Dec. 10, 7 - 9 pm [ more ... ] [1]
Design for a Livable City: Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning in Cambridge
Cara Seiderman, Transportation Program Manager, City of Cambridge
@ LivableStreets office space, 100 Sidney Street, Central Square, Cambridge [ map... ] [2]
free and open to the public
- Boston Globe: BigDig fails to deliver bike/ped connections [ more... ] [3]
- Open letter to the BigDig : Time to rethink bicycle
access on surface streets [ more... [4] ]
by Jeff Rosenblum, LivableStreets Alliance, in honor of Ted Hamann
- 1970: listen to the moment Boston highways were stopped, transit built [ more... ] [5]
- Gov. Patrick to announce Green Line Extension funding [ more... ] [6]
- UPCOMING EVENTS:
Wed. Nov. 28, 6:00pm : "Cities Respond to the Climate Crisis" @ Harvard Institute of Politics (Harvard Square) [ more... [7] ]
Mon. Dec. 3, 7:30pm “Rethinking Centre Street II: Our Neighborhood Stores-- Film and Panel Discussion” (JP) [ more... [8] ]
Thu. Dec. 6, 8:15am "Municipal Meltdown: The Fiscal Crisis Facing Massachusetts Cities & Towns" (Boston) [ more... [9] ]
Mon. Dec. 10, 7:00pm "Design for a Livable City: Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning in Cambridge" (Cambridge) [ more... [10] ]
STREET TALK! Design for a Livable City: Pedestrian
and Bicycle Planning in Cambridge [ more ... ] [11]
Mon. Dec. 10, 7 - 9 pm
LivableStreets Alliance presents:
Cara Seiderman, Transportation Program Manager,
City of Cambridge
@ LivableStreets office space, 100 Sidney Street, Central Square,
Cambridge [ map... ] [12]
free and open to the public
Cara Seiderman oversees street redesign projects and managing the Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Program. Cara frequently gives presentations and workshops on pedestrian and bicycle facility planning, traffic calming, and livable city design. She previously worked in Denmark, focusing on the design of pedestrian streets. She holds masters degrees in City and Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, a bachelors degree in environmental policy from Harvard University, and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen.
Click here for more information [13]
BOSTON GLOBE : BIGDIG FAILS TO DELIVER BIKE/PED CONNECTIONS
ED: This was an incredibly well researched and written balanced article about bike/ped commitments of the Big Dig. Transportation issues such as this are very complicated and intricate with a lot of history. The graphic produced by the Globe has been the best we've seen. LivableStreets would like to thank the author for his efforts to get this information into the public realm with such clarity. -- Jeff Rosenblum
"Missing links: Born of the Big Dig, three stunning
parks along the Charles have a big flaw: They're not tied
together. Where'd the $80 million go?
By Peter DeMarco, November 25, 2007
[ Click
here for the entire article... [14] ]
[ Click
here for a great graphic illustrating the situation... [15] ]
It all looked so promising 15 years ago, when $80 million seemed like more money than anyone could possibly spend on bike paths and parklands...But as with nearly all things Big Dig, the budget, it turned out, wasn't nearly enough to pay for what was envisioned.
In just five weeks, the Central Artery/Tunnel Project will come to an official end, as the administration that guided one of the world's biggest construction jobs will dissolve Dec. 31 into its overseeing body, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Turnpike officials have often pledged that the state will eventually make good on its outstanding Big Dig commitments, but no one can say who will build the remaining river basin parks and paths, when they’ll be built, or where they’ll find the money to pay for them.
It's a reality that’s left most community activists and local officials disgusted, with people wondering aloud how nearly $15 billion can be spent on the Big Dig, yet somehow the state can’t afford another $10 million to finish the river basin’s most basic remaining needs. (About $30-$40 million would be needed to build everything left on the to-do list.)
'When budgets run over to build the tunnel, they seem to find money for it," said Jeff Rosenblum of the nonprofit group Livable Streets. "Then when it comes to bikes and pedestrians and public transit, when all of a sudden more money is needed, for some reason nobody from the state can find it."
The missing pieces will become even more glaring, community activists and local officials say, once the Rose Kennedy Greenway is complete. The river basin’s paths and pedestrian bridges would also have linked the river’s edge to Portal Park off Causeway Street, the first greenway parcel, connecting downtown Boston to the Charles River like never before.
Without the missing links - among them, lengthy pedestrian bridges on the north and south banks of the river looping over North Station’s railroad tracks, and a pedestrian bridge across the river - some of the paths go nowhere, and the parks that have been built are dead ends.
[ Click
here for the entire article... [16] ]
[ Click
here for a great graphic illustrating the situation... [17] ]
Open letter to the BigDig : Time to rethink bicycle access
on surface streets
by Jeff Rosenblum, co-founder LivableStreets Alliance
[ Click here to view this in your browser, or to download a printable PDF... [18] ]
21 November 2007
Michael Lewis, Director Central Artery Tunnel Project
Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
10 Park Plaza, Suite 4160
Boston Massachusetts 02116
Re: In Honor of Ted Hamann – better bike/ped accommodation
on CA/T streets
Dear Mr. Lewis:
On May 10, 2000, 150 people attended the second of three “corridor-wide” public meetings on the future of the surface artery. Among them was Ted Hamann, a long-time urban bicycle and pedestrian advocate. According to Thomas Palmer in the Globe (“Planners Take A 3-Hour Virtual Trip Down the Surface Artery”, 05/15/2000), Hamann noted that while there are plenty of sidewalks, there is no bike path designed on the Surface Artery. “[Bicycles] are not allowed in the Ted Williams Tunnel. They won't be allowed in the underground Artery. So what is the Big Dig doing for bikers?”
Palmer reported the response by then-spokesman Terry Brown: "We do allow for bikes in the central corridor, the whole length," he said. In both directions, "The right travel lane is going to be wider than it normally would be by several feet in order to permit bikes to share it with other traffic." He noted that Big Dig architect Fred Yalouris is putting together a map for bicyclists of the whole Central Artery project area, including bike lanes and, in the Charles River Basin, bike trails. "There's quite a lot of it. Bikes are a major part of this project."
And a little bit of history (as reported by Palmer): In the 1991 state Environmental Affairs certificate permitting the Big Dig to be dug, Secretary Susan Tierney wrote, "I encourage participation with bicycle advocacy groups to determine the best means of accommodating bike travel along the Artery." And six months earlier, in a similar document, Tierney's predecessor wrote: "I also direct that more attention be paid to making the roadway accessible to bicyclists," and specifically that the state "provide for continuous pedestrian/bicycle paths along the entire length of the corridor." The 1995 Surface Transportation Action Forum (STAF) “Consensus Plan” says, “Provide a continuous shared bicycle lane through the corridor.”
Where are we today? While somewhat wide outside lanes exist on some stretches, conditions for cyclists on most of the streets designed as part of the Big Dig project is poor, with little attention to intersections and connectivity. (e.g., for the stretch that runs by Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, no wide lanes, no connection to the newly extended bicycle path.) Bicycle and pedestrian accommodation at Leverett Circle is poor, though this intersection cuts through the Charles River bike/ped path, and the Science Museum Bridge is an important gateway onto the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Bicycle parking is sparse or non-existent. The critical bicycle and pedestrian bridges promised as part of the Big Dig project are significantly delayed and at risk of being eliminated or reduced significantly in scope. The Cross-Roads Initiative has yet to incorporate best practices for bicycle accommodation into its streetscape designs.
On Tuesday November 13, 2007, Ted Hamann passed away. In Ted Hamann's honor, and because it is the right thing to do, we should all put our heads together to accomplish the things that have not yet been done along the Surface Artery streets, the Rose Kennedy Greenway and the extended Charles River Parkland. There is no time like the present to make up for past practices. There is new direction from above (both at EOT and the Mayor’s office). There is new energy among the ranks of cyclists and walkers, new awareness of the importance of our public spaces, and a new environmental imperative. Some of this will be easy—revised pavement markings, signage, bicycle parking. Other changes will be more difficult— changes to curbs and ramps means digging things up and adding or reconstructing barriers that provide safe and pleasurable use of our public spaces by all. For projects not yet implemented, designs should be reviewed immediately before opportunities are lost.
The imperative is there. Decisions need to be made and actions
taken. A good starting point would be a list from the CA/T
Project of the topics and actions with which you are ready
to move forward. We can then work collaboratively with you
to ensure that stakeholders are involved and details are worked
out. Even at this late hour, we believe that, together, we
can improve conditions on the CA/T project for bicyclists and
pedestrians. Please contact me to discuss: (617) 939-3824 or
jeff@livablestreets.info.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey L. Rosenblum, PE
Executive Director, LivableStreets Alliance
[ Click
here for Palmer's 2000 Globe article... [19] ]
[ Click
here to view Ted Hamann's Obituary... [20] ]
1970: listen to the moment Boston highways
were stopped, transit built
LivableStreets Board Members Ken Kruckemeyer and Steven
Miller speak first hand about this historic event.
[ Click
here to listen to a 6-minute overview of this important history... [21] ]
(NOTE: Click on "Listen to the entire show",
and fast forward to about minute 32 for a 6-minute segment
with interviews of LivableStreets Board Members Ken Kruckemeyer
and Steven Miller.)
[ Click here for more audio and great graphics! [22] ]
How Sargent Stopped the Highways
Posted by Meghna, Thursday, October 25th, 2007
“The Inner Belt would be a China Wall dislocating 7,000
people just to save someone in New Hampshire twenty minutes
on his way to the South Shore.”
- Former Speaker of the House, Thomas “Tip” O’Neill
It was the late sixties. The federal government was building mile after mile of interstate highway, and pouring billions of dollars into making it easier for Americans to drive at 55mph on the open road. But not here. Not Boston…
“Hey, Ho… Big New Highways Have Got to Go!” As far back as 1948, state and federal highway planners dreamed of running major interstates through the urban core of Boston and Cambridge. Eight-lane elevated expressways would funnel a rush of 40,000 to 200,000 commuters around an “inner belt” through Cambridge, Brookline and central Boston. Five radial highways would go into the city.
This was also the civil rights era, and the tail end of an era of rampant urban development. Among a small, but vocal, activist base, highways were urban enemy number one. And this was the climate into which Governor Francis W. Sargent (official bio) stepped in 1969. He had barely taken office when anti-highway protestors beseiged the steps of the Statehouse (click on picture to right).
That pushed Sargent to a stunning decision. In 1970, the governor placed a moratorium on all new highway construction inside Massachusetts’ Route 128. All of it: the express feeders that would bring traffic into Boston from the suburbs, the multi-lane extension to I-95, and the “inner belt” that was supposed to bring cars around the center of the city. Plans for the massive transportation projects were near completion. And the federal government had already promised the state of Massachusetts some $700 million toward construction. The governor said, no thanks.
“Shall we forge new chains shackling us to the mistakes of the past?”
Sargent was a fisherman with deep environmental sympathies. He was a moderate Republican, opposed to the Vietnam war, with a genuine sense of noblesse oblige that welled-up from his long line of Massachusetts Brahmins. Former State Transportation Secretary Alan Altshuler says, ultimately, it’s not a suprise Sargent killed the highways. But Sargent also launched a commission to lay out a longterm vision for Boston’s transportation needs. Altshuler led the taskforce. The effort took two years. The plan was called, “The Boston Transportation Planning Review“, a flinty and unadorned title for a revolutionary document that set the tone for transportation planning around the country for much of the next 25 years.
[ Click here for more audio and great graphics! [23] ]
Gov. Patrick to announce Green Line Extension funding
Governor Patrick will release the long-awaited transportation bond bill tomorrow, Thursday. It will include full funding ($560 million) for the Green Line Extension. Is it a done deal? No. The Commonwealth will not actually issue bonds to pay for this unless they do not get Federal Funding. Keep your eye on tomorrows news for more details.
EVENTS LISTING:
Wednesday Nov. 28, 6:00pm : "Cities Respond to the Climate
Crisis"
JFK Forum; 79 JFK Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge
A panel discussion with: MARTIN CHAVEZ (Mayor, Albuquerque, New Mexico), GREG NICKELS (Mayor, Seattle, Washington), DOUG PALMER (Mayor, Trenton, New Jersey; President, US Conference of Mayors), MULIUFI HANNEMANN (Mayor, Honolulu, Hawaii). A group consisting of more than 20 incoming mayors-elect from large cites across the country will gather at Harvard University's Institute of Politics this week for a three-day seminar on exercising leadership and promoting effective public policy. [ more... [24]]
Monday Dec. 3, 7:30pm : Rethinking Centre Street
II: Our Neighborhood Stores--Film and Panel Discussion
Connolly Branch
Library, Hyde Square, Jamaica Plain
Film showing and panel discussion on the role and importance of small businesses in communities like Jamaica Plain. The 35-minute film, “Twilight into Night,” will be followed by a panel-led discussion examines the critical role of neighborhood businesses in fostering a sense of community among residents and business owners. The film takes us inside locally owned businesses in a New York City neighborhood to reveal the high-stakes challenge to our urban retail landscape and its effect on the life of the community. The panel is composed of experienced individuals working to enhance small business survival and growth in Boston: Angel Coleman (Philadelphia’s Girard Coalition), Brian Goodman (Business Manager at Boston Main Streets), John Lewis (business owner, Newbury Street). This is the second film and panel discussion on “Rethinking Centre Street” co-sponsored by the Arborway Committee. The first was held last September and was reported in the October 5 issue of the Jamaica Plain Gazette [ more... [25] ].
Thursday Dec. 6, 8:15am : Municipal Meltdown-- The
Fiscal Crisis Facing Massachusetts Cities & Towns
Omni Parker House Hotel,
Boston
Library shut downs, fees for school sports, and rising tax bills. Municipal government in Massachusetts is straining under the weight of budget demands that are outstripping available revenue. Residents are rebelling against tax bills that keep rising even as services are cut. What is the fix for the municipal meltdown taking place in many communities? The fiscal challenges facing cities and towns are the focus of the cover story in the current issue of CommonWealth. Confirmed panelists include: Barbara Anderson, Citizens for Limited Taxation; Geoff Beckwith, Massachusetts Municipal Association; Paul Toner, Massachusetts Teachers Association; Mayor Thatcher Kezer, town of Amesbury. [ more... [26] ]
STREET TALK! Design for a Livable City: Pedestrian
and Bicycle Planning in Cambridge [ more ... ] [27]
Mon. Dec. 10, 7 - 9 pm
LivableStreets Alliance presents:
Cara Seiderman, Transportation Program Manager,
City of Cambridge
@ LivableStreets office space, 100 Sidney Street, Central Square,
Cambridge [ map... ] [28]
free and open to the public