December 19, 2012


City Hall to Go
(Photo courtesy of Boston Globe)
 

Highlights 

LivableStreets in the News! Profile: Jackie Douglas Architects.org

BSA Staff-- Right now at LivableStreets, we are working to challenge people, government and businesses to think differently about the role of transportation in our daily lives. We’re working to create a system that better balances transit, walking and biking with automobiles to make the Boston region more connected and livable.

 

With new truck, City Hall comes to you Boston Globe

By Peter Schworm-- Of all the dreary, disheartening errands, a trip to Boston City Hall has a special brand of bleakness, right up there with a visit to the Registry of Motor Vehicles or a car inspection.

But now residents will be able to conduct their municipal affairs without trekking to Government Center, due to a ­mobile outreach program that will bring City Hall to the neighborhoods.

Starting Wednesday, residents can pay parking tickets and tax bills, get a library card and dog license, even register to vote, at a van dubbed “City Hall To Go.” A newly refurbished bomb squad van, the vehicle was made to resemble a food truck, but is essentially a rolling office, outfitted with laptop computers, wireless access, and the necessary paperwork from a host of city departments.

 

A bright life, a need­less end Boston Globe

Brian McGrory-- It’s painful to even think about the scene that unfolded on Commonwealth Avenue during the rush hour commute Thursday morning: a tractor-trailer making a wide turn, a bicyclist pedaling along the designated lane, a collision so loud that a worker could hear it inside a nearby store. A young man is dead, the fifth bicycle fatality in Boston this year.

The crash, for every understandable reason, has fueled an increasingly urgent argument about the safety of our city streets: whether motorists are too aggressive, whether cyclists are too cavalier, whether pedestrians need to take greater care. It’s an important discussion, needed sooner rather than later. But amid the inevitable accusations, please think hard and deep about the young man who died. (For more: BostInno, Boston Biker, Boston.com, BU, Boston.com, WHDH)

 

Passenger rail service to run between Boston, Cape Cod starting in 2013 Boston.com

By Matt Rocheleau-- Passenger rail service from Boston to Cape Cod will run for the first time in more than two decades starting in the summer of 2013, a spokesman for the MBTA said Tuesday.

"Working closely together, MassDOT, the MBTA, and the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, with the support of Governor [Deval] Patrick, are excited about the opportunity to restore passenger rail service to the Cape next summer," T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an e-mail. "A convenient alternative to highway travel, passenger rail service delivers economic and environmental benefits to the area."

He said the service would be run on weekends by the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, which would set fares "at a rate consistent with the market value."

Pesaturo said that the three agencies plan to finalize and announce more details over the winter, including specific schedules and fares. (For more: Wicked Local )

 

Russian Traffic Jam Strands Drivers for 3 Days NY Times

By Andrew Roth-- The snow came down hard on Friday, more than two feet in places, the first big storm of the year here. But in Russia, where the winters are long and hard, it was nothing out of the ordinary, it seemed.

Then some localities apparently decided on their own to close the exits on the M10 highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg, a 400-mile stretch.

The ensuing traffic jam — 100 miles long by some estimates and involving 10,000 vehicles — trapped some motorists for three days and forced senior Russian officials to go on television on Monday to mollify the thousands of angry drivers.

The response came after state television broadcast images of weekend travelers huddled for warmth in idling cars, and after order seemed to break down among drivers left to fend for themselves in the subfreezing temperatures.

 

Michigan DOT gives bikes 12-feet of space on state highway BikePortland

By Jonathan Maus-- The Michigan Department of Transportation has done something pretty extraordinary for a state DOT. They've recently installed a 12-foot wide buffered bike lane on a one mile stretch of Northwestern Highway (Hwy 10). The new bikeway includes a five-foot bike travel lane and a seven-foot buffer from other traffic.

 

"Streets"

  • Jonas Eliasson: How to solve traffic jams TED
  • Board nixes ballot question on Mass. Ave. project Wicked Local
  • Boston Unveils App Boston.com
  • HEALTHY PEOPLE, SAFE TRAVEL, GOOD BUSINESS, PERSONAL CHOICE: Framing Mode Shift Steve Miller's Blog
  • Strange, Beautiful and Unexpected: Planned Cities Seen From Space Wired
  • Op-Ed: Massachusetts has the vision to fix transportation Boston Globe
  • ENOUGH KILLING: How to Make Bike-Car Collisions Less Deadly Steve Miller's Blog
  • City: Ban new billboards Boston Herald
  • Boston paving the way for smoother travel - by foot, and by car Metro
  • Menino: Ensuring safe roads for all Wicked Local
  • Profile: Jackie Douglas Architects.org
  • Traffic Jams, Solved Atlantic Cities
  • Mobile dining halls - Massachusetts colleges join food trucks trend Boston Globe
  • Streetfilms University: How We Make Effective Films Streetfilms
  • MassDOT Goal: Triple Bicycling, Transit, Walking MA Transport Blog
  • Boston Bike Safety: 1 Intersection, 4 Hours of Observations WGBH
  • Citing 'crumbling' roads, muni group seeks big hike in state aid Wicked Local

Walking

  • 10 Techniques for Making Cities More Walkable Atlantic Cities
  • A 'Movement For Movement' Puts Walking Front and Center DC StreetsBlog
  • Architects Issue Report Documenting the Connection Between Design and Public Health AIA
  • Walk Like a Fish NY Times
  • Why Walkability Is Key To A City's Vitality WBUR

Bicycling

  • Harvard Student Creates Stolen Bike Tracking Website: Bikenapped! Boston Biker
  • Hubway
    • Hubway Could Become a Year-Round Operation Boston Magazine
    • Hubway Hopes to Extend Services Through Winter, But Are Boston Bikers Snow-Savvy? BosInno
    • Hubway - Holiday Bike Tune/Video YouTube
  • Bicycle traffic signals get a green light USA Today
  • Cyclists and Pedestrians Can End Up Spending More Each Month Than Drivers Atlantic Cities
  • Bike Safety in Boston BostInno
  • Bike Hit By Truck on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston BostInno
    • Cyclist Killed On Comm. Ave By Semi-Truck Boston Biker
    • Bicyclist and vehicle collide on Commonwealth Avenue in Allston Boston.com
    • POLL: Are You in Favor of the Proposed Beacon Street Cycle Track? Somerville Scout
    • Student Cyclist Killed on Comm Ave BU
    • A bright life, a need­less end Boston Globe
    • Boston Bike Safety: City Officials Want Better Bike Infrastructure to Avoid Fatalities and Accidents BostInno
    • On Biking: the lessons from the death of Christopher Weigl Boston.com
    • BU student on bike killed in collision with truck WHDH
    • Ghost Bike Honors Victim Of Fatal BU Crash WBUR
  • Where Should Bicycling Bike and Barrier Lanes Go in Boston? Roslindale Patch
  • Bike lanes may benefit small businesses NBC
  • Bike safety hearing yields landmark crash study Boston Cyclists Union
  • Should Boston Overhaul Streets for Bikes? Boston Magazine
  • Union responds to crash with prevention message Boston Cyclists Union
  • On Biking: The best biking books for the holiday season Boston.com
  • Letters: Boston by bike Boston Herald
  • Bicycle Fatalities Rose 8.7 Percent From 2010 to 2011 Atlantic Cities
  • Boston pushing for more bike commuting -- safely Boston.com
  • Getting Loud: A Car Horn for Bikes Boston Magazine
  • MassBike Speaks Up In The Transportation Conversations Mass Bike
  • A Sober, Data-Based Approach to Bicycle Advocacy Atlantic Cities
  • Northampton physician offers house calls by bike Boston.com
  • Bicycle Safety: Observations in the Suburbs WGBH

Transit

  • South Station Expansion Open Houses Success MA Transport Blog
  • North Washington Street Bridge Brought Elevated Rail to Charlestown Charlestown Patch
  • Years of improvements but MBTA access barriers persist - Cambridge, Massachusetts Wicked Local
  • Green Line Collision 
    • MBTA: Cause of Green Line crash still unknown Metro
    • MBTA Driver Fired, Called 'Solely Responsible' for Crash Fenway Kenmore Patch
    • MBTA driver in crash held second full-time job with BHA Boston Globe
  • Banned on the T: Violent offenders on the MBTA often lose their right to ride Metro
  • Commonwealth Magazine: The case for funding public transportation
  • T reports $225,000 in mobile app ticket sales since November launch Metro
  • T plans to place 52 new cameras at JFK/UMass station DOT News
  • State seeks alternatives to pricey Green Line signal system overhaul Wicked Local
  • Boston to a T: Model Train set debuts at South Station Boston to a T
  • Where Do MBTA Cars Go When They Die? Boston Magazine
  • Boston to Cape Cod
    • Boston to Cape rail service will include Buzzards Bay stop Wicked Local
    • Passenger rail service to run between Boston, Cape Cod starting in 2013 Boston.com
    • Cape Cod train set to roll by summer Boston Globe
  • Green Line Extension 
  • Government Center closure: shuttle routes Walking Bostonian
  • MBTA Gets New Countdown Clocks, GM Brookline Patch

Cars/Parking

  • Parking ticketing shifts into low gear Boston Herald
  • Uber
    • Uber Prompts Regulators to Define New Rules BostInno
    • Uber's Plan to Dominate Cabs by Phone Is Starting to Work Again Atlantic Cities
  • State nets bigger payday putting parking out to bid -- LAZ is high bidder @ $5.2M for five years, MEEI is second @ $4.2M Commonwealth Magazine
  • Bypass Road Officially Opens Eastie Times
  • Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road opens to route commercial traffic off East Boston streets Boston.com
  • Desire Lines' and the Fundamental Failure of Traffic Engineering Atlantic Cities
  • Op-Ed: Cambridge needs to ditch parking lots to move ahead Boston Globe
  • Solo Drivers Say They Benefit From App Communities Atlantic Cities
  • The End of the 30-Minute Parking Space Hunt Atlantic Cities
  • Automated toll plan in the works for Mass., other tolls not ruled out Metro
  • Traffic and Parking to Offer 3 Day Visitor Permits & Online Resident Permitting Ward 5 Online
  • Crosswalks and parking on the minds of Uphams Corner residents as city discusses roadway improvements Boston.com
  • MassDOT Reveals Zakim Bridge New Lighting MA Transport Blog
  • Where Will Casey Arborway Parking Go? JP Patch

Transportation financing/Government

  • MassDOT Community Transit Grants Awarded Statewide MA Transport Blog 
  • City Hall launching mobile office Boston Herald
  • Funding questions remain on Green Line extension project Metro
  • Officials to celebrate first phase of Green Line Extension Tuesday Boston.com
  • Mayor and Traffic and Parking assemble transportation team Somerville News
  • Should Massachusetts Keep Jobs For Toll Collectors? Roslindale Patch
  • Somerville and Medford residents celebrate first steps toward GLX Wicked Local
  • DOT Secretary's update--Volpe Center Innovation Challenge generates transportation solutions Fast Lane
  • MBTA GM Jon Davis Reflects on time at T's helm BostInno
  • T's Urban Ring Plan Revives Mission Hill Gazette
  • New MBTA chief Scott a self-described 'high-impact player' Wicked Local
  • MBTA's fare recovery rate vs other cities Universal Hub

Parks

Development projects

  • South End project near former Boston Herald site snags new west coast partner Gerdling Edlen for Normandy Partners Boston Herald
  • Lighting the way forward on the Zakim Bridge Boston Globe
  • Suffolk University Plans Construction of $63M Classroom Facility Beacon Hill Times
  • Zipcar plans to relocate from Cambridge and discloses its new Innovation District address --- 35 Thomson Place Boston.com
  • Fenway Center in jeopardy due to impasse with MassDOT Boston Globe
  • Hole Rise Arch Paper
  • Assembly Row Developers to Build Supermarket on IKEA Site Somerville Patch
  • Federal Realty buys IKEA's 12 acres of Assembly Square in Somerville Boston Herald
  • Welcoming Walgreens to Downtown Crossing Boston Herald
  • BRA board approves Lovejoy Wharf project Boston Herald
  • Transformation of Innovation District and South End BRA
  • For the Green Line, a milestone; for Assembly Square, an upgrade Somerville News
  • Cambridge courthouse gets new developer - Legatt McCall Properties Boston.com

Land Use/Planning

  • MIT revamps development plan for Cambridge's Kendall Square Wicked Local
  • Debate continues around Rutherford Avenue redesign - Charlestown Boston.com
    • Poll: Was the Latest Rutherford Ave. Meeting Productive? Charlstown Patch
    • Surface or Underpass? Charlestown Residents Crowd Final Meeting To Discuss Rutherford Avenue Changes Charlestown Patch
  • Assembly Row developer buying former Ikea property Boston Globe
  • LETTER: The first step toward building A Better Cambridge Wicked Local
  • Residents weigh in on residential plans for vacant Morrissey Blvd. lot DOT News
  • Apartments, restaurants part of substation transformation plans in Roslindale Boston Globe
  • Designers to take Downtown Crossing on new path Boston Herald
  • Allston master plan submitted by Harvard in 2012 marks end of grandiose plans Harvard Magazine
  • Roslindale Substation Vision Includes Housing, Restaurant, Market, & Coffee Bar in Village Roslindale Patch
  • Community’s preference should win out in Parcel 9 fate Boston Globe
  • Developer Samuels files plan for Barry’s Corner in Allston Boston Herald
  • Cambridge neighborhood blasts DCAM decision on courthouse -- community favored mixed-use over office proposal Biz Journals
  • MassDOT Updates Casey Arborway Project JP Patch

Out-of-state

  • Two-Way Protected Bike Lane Coming to the Heart of Downtown Chicago StreetsBlog
  • Is a Highway Teardown in Store for New Orleans?Planetizen
  • L.A. Streetcar Gets Go-Ahead from Voters Planetizen
  • Projects to Transform Seattle, All Along the Waterfront NY Times
  • Salt Lake City Battles Metastasizing Parking Lots: This Week in Bans Atlantic Cities
  • New Thirst for Urban Living in Detroit Leaves Few Rentals NY Times
  • City Officially Unveils 'Continental Crosswalk,' Promises 50 More in Next Three Months LA StreetsBlog
  • Michigan DOT gives bikes 12-feet of space on state highway BikePortland
  • A successful model for urban cycling in Portland, Ore. Boston Globe
  • DDOT Releases New Capital Bikeshare Locations Capital Bikeshare

National trends

International news

  • Rethinking China's cities CNN
  • Russian Traffic Jam Strands Drivers for 3 Days NY Times
  • Steam train takes to London Underground in test run BBC
  • Train hopping: Why do hobos risk their lives to ride the rails? BBC