May 16, 2013

 

Students in Roslindale working on a bicycle as part of Bikes not Bombs' Earn a Bike program 

Photo courtesy of Wicked Local 

 

The Casey Arborway 500 Monkeys

Clayton Harper-- The Casey Overpass, an unsightly and dangerous fly-over that has spanned the Forest Hills section of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts since the early 1950s is soon to be torn down and replaced by The Casey Arborway, a tree-lined boulevard that represents a tremendous opportunity to rationalize traffic patterns in the area and re-knit substantially broken connections within Frederick Law Olmsted’s beautiful string of narrow but vital parks and parkways known as the Emerald Necklace here in Boston. For several months I've been researching the history and evolution of this location - what Olmsted's plans for it were, how it became like it is today, and what it might become in the future with careful and thoughtful planning. The following is a personal and opinionated view of what I've learned.
 

Taking Driver's Ed, with an Eye Toward Cyclists WGBH

Anne Mostue-- Think back to when you were a teenager. Before driving a car, there was driver's ed. Those classroom lectures and crash-filled movies probably challenged your attention span. But one thing that received very little attention in class were bicycles. As Greater Boston has seen a dramatic rise in cyclists pedaling next to cars and trucks, we wondered if today's driver's ed students were getting any better training as to how to share the road with cyclists.


Under the Hood of the MA Transportation System: How have bike and pedestrian infrastructure suffered from underfunding?
CLF

Christine Chilingerian-- Every time I ride along the Minuteman Trail through Arlington, the Shining Sea Trail to Woods Hole, along the Charles, or on the Cape Cod Rail Trail towards Provincetown, I am reminded of how utterly inundated these popular trails are with other bikers, runners and joggers, walkers, and the occasional roller-bladers. Every so often, I find myself so fatigued from maneuvering around the congestion that I vow to stay far away, at least on any given weekend in spring, summer or early fall. But I have to roll my eyes at myself for this attitude and realize the actual significance: there are so few scenic, well-maintained paths spanning substantial distances that exist for walkers and riders that everyone and their brother (and kids, and dogs) are flocking to a handful of recreational paths and trails. The demand for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure is there. The funding, however, has never been there.

 

Traffic Pollution May Be Harming Kids in Ways We Never Imagined​ Atlantic Cities

Emily Badger-- As a health concern endemic to urban environments, air pollution and its consequences rank right up there with the rise of obesity and its related uptick in diabetes. Now, it turns out the two problems may also be intertwined. New research [PDF] published in the journal Diabetologia found that children growing up in areas exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollutants had higher levels of insulin resistance, one precursor to diabetes.

 

The Inequitable Toll of Pedestrian Deaths DC StreetsBlog

Angie Schmitt-- A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control found that while 10.5 percent of all trips in the United States are made on foot, pedestrians made up 13 percent of all traffic fatalities between 2001 and 2010. During those years, a staggering 47,392 pedestrians were killed on American roadways. In 2010, the per capita pedestrian fatality rate in America was more than double the rate in the UK and Germany — 13.9 deaths per million people compared to 6.7 and 5.8, respectively, according to figures compiled by the British government.

 

"Streets"

  • What Arlington Roads Will Soon be Repaved? Arlington Patch
  • Complete Streets Series holds final meeting Somerville News
  • WGBH "Right of Way" Series
    • WGBH News Poll Reveals Division Over Who Has Right of Way WGBH
    • Right of Way Problem Areas WGBH
    • Bikers, Drivers Need to Share Right of Way WGBH
    • Take the Right of Way Safety Quiz WGBH
    • Can a Louder Bike Horn Stop a Collision? WGBH
    • Video 1 WGBH
    • Video 2 WGBH
    • Video 3 WGBH
    • Video 4 WGBH
    • Video 5 WGBH
    • Video 6 WGBH
  • 'Vulnerable road user' bill aims for safer streets Wicked Local 
  • Can Public Artwork Save the ‘City of Sin?’ Boston Magazine
  • Why close down a street for SomerStreets? Somerville Resistat
  • T Rider Wins Rush Hour Race From Davis Square to South Station Somerville Patch
  • Rush Hour Race: Taking the MBTA Is The Quickest Way to Work Boston Magazine
  • Rush hour race PRAC Blog
  • Brookline TAB cartoon: To bike or to drive? Wicked Local 
  • Greater Boston Video: Searching for Solutions WGBH
  • Complete streets for a healthier Plymouth Wicked Local 
  • Under the Hood of the MA Transportation System: How have bike and pedestrian infrastructure suffered from underfunding? CLF

Walking

Bicycling

Transit

  • MA DOT hopes rail grants will spur economic growth South Coast Today
  • South Station Gets Free WiFi, Courtesy Of Google WBUR
  • The future of public transportation in Massachusetts Fathom
  • By rail Boston.com
  • MBTA Launces 'Don't Touch the Driver' Campaign Brookline Patch
  • Guest View: Now is the time for South Coast Rail South Coast Today
  • Committee eyes 2014 Town Meeting as next step for Bay Colony Rail Trail Wicked Local 
  • MBTA Going To Let Some Trains Have Bikes On Them During Rush Hour Boston Biker
  • As Millennials Shun Cars, Boston Rethinks Its Transportation System WBUR

Cars/Parking

  • Zipcar expands car sharing to eight airports Boston Globe
  • Boston traffic ranked 10th worst in U.S. Boston Herald
  • Arlington police launch Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign Wicked Local 
  • Taking Driver's Ed, with an Eye Toward Cyclists WGBH
  • Residents: Parking Top Priority in Navy Yard Charlestown Patch
  • Car lot project revived after 2-year delay JP Gazette
  • Former Arlington resident recalls hitting cyclist Wicked Local 
  • Driving school in Arlington promotes safety around bikes Wicked Local 
  • Mother's Day traffic madness, and how to best attack rush hour Boston.com
  • Suffolk County Jail Employees Scam Free Downtown Street Parking CBS Local 

Transportation financing/Government

  • Boston transportation needs stuck in park Boston Globe
  • Blue Line riders want quicker ways to get around T's planned 2-year closure of Government Center Station​ Boston.com
  • Draft Recommendations for the Route 28 Corridor MA Transport Blog
  • Norton explores extending Mansfield rail trail Wicked Local 
  • Letters: Another way to see destination of Downtown Crossing Boston Globe
  • Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Josh Robin Receives AASHTO Vanguard Award AASHTO Journal
  • Column: Transportation bill is a chance to get things right Salem News
  • Tool to Crack Massachusetts Transportation Budget Nut CLF

Parks

  • Adams Park Renovations Coming - What Do You Want? Roslindale Patch
  • LaMattina Seeks Private Development Dollars to Improve City’s Parks Back Bay Sun
  • Border to Boston Trail will connect 9 North Shore cities and towns Wicked Local 
  • A progress report on the Border-to-Boston Trail plans Wicked Local 
  • Hyde Sq. parklet design chosen JP Gazette
  • City Parks Blog: A P3 Throwdown​ City Parks Blog
  • Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, other organizations, honored for environmentally sustainable practices Boston.com

Development projects

  • Just how open will MIT’s planned ‘gateway’ be? Boston Globe
  • Boston Welcomes Walgreens Flagship BRA News
  • North Bank Bridge Honored for Engineering Excellence BRA News
  • First Phase of Assembly Row Hits Home Stretch Somerville Patch
  • After Davis Square hotel complaints, Somerville officials promise more meetings Wicked Local 
  • The Casey Arborway 500 Monkeys
  • 40-Year-Old Images Show East Boston Grappling With an Expanding Logan Airport Atlantic Cities
  • University Place proposal is well-received by Boston Civic Design Commission Boston.com
  • Letters: So-called ‘ugly’ buildings are part of city’s heritage, and deserve care, respect​ Boston Globe
  • Fight over shadows, Boston development returns Boston Globe
  • State puts 4 small parcels up for bids JP Gazette
  • BRA approves Barry's Corner project, with the help of valet parking Biz Journals
  • FIXING THE FUTURE McGRATH/O’BRIEN CORRIDOR: A Six-Lane Boulevard Is Still A Highway LivableStreets Blog

Land Use/Planning

  • Third meeting on Dudley Square redesign set for Thursday Boston.com
  • Seaport Square project taking shape Boston Globe
  • South Station Expansion Environmental Review Advances MA Transport Blog
  • Kendall Square rezoning is wise, but MIT must supply more housing, too Boston Globe
  • 100% plans mean Mass. Ave. Project nearly bid-ready Word on the Street
  • Residents' plan calls for mixed-use development next to South Bay Boston.com
  • Column: Let citizens take lead on Davis Square hotel development Wicked Local 
  • Developer Proposes Apartments, Mural for Ropewalk Charlestown Patch
  • Deal clears the way for Fenway Center project Boston Globe
  • Op-Ed: North Enders overstepping in Parcel 9 drama​ Boston Globe
  • Developer seeks approval to build apartments on hotel site in Seaport​ Biz Journals

Out-of-state

  • CA
    • Thinking Big ArchPaper
    • In 1897, a Bicycle Superhighway Was the Future of California Transit Vice.com
    • Red Transit Lanes on Church Have Made Muni Faster and More Reliable SF StreetsBlog
    • Should Bikes Ride on BART Trains? Agency Officials Says Yes to Full Access WNYC
    • SFMTA Installs Bike Lanes on Point Lobos and Northern Great Highway SF StreetsBlog
  • DC
  • NY
    • The Food-Truck Business Stinks NY Times
    • Special Safety Officers Deployed in NYC to Correct Scofflaw Cyclists Good.is
    • How We’ve Ignored the Complex Simplicity of the Manhattan Street Grid Sustainable Cities Collective
    • Hynes: No Charges for Curb-Jumper Who Blew Red and Killed Pedestrian StreetsBlog
    • "Report from NYC: With bike lanes, retail sales grew up to 49%" Biz Journals
    • Complaints Rise as Bike Share Program Nears NY Times
  • IL
    • Rahm Emanuel's Quid Pro Quo Solution to the Cyclist-Driver Battle in Chicago Atlantic Cities
    • Four Reasons Free Parking on Sundays Is Bad for Chicago Chi StreetsBlog
  • CT
    • Unprecedented Bicycle Infrastructure Project Planned for New Haven Suggests a Changing Mindset at ConnDOT TSTC Blog
  • NH
    • Keene accuses Robin Hood group of harassment WCVB

National Trends

  • All-in-One Bicycle Helmet: Sleek Integrated Lights & Signals Web Urbanist
  • This Is What a 'Complete Streets' Campaign Should Look Like Atlantic Cities
  • Does Having Lots of Local Governments Help or Hurt Economic Development? Atlantic Cities
  • How to Make Your Town Into a Bike-to-School Mecca Atlantic Cities
  • How You Cross the Street Largely Depends on Where You're From Atlantic Cities
  • The Kind of Genius It Takes to Create Unique, Memorable Spaces Atlantic Cities
  • Traffic Pollution May Be Harming Kids in Ways We Never Imagined​ Atlantic Cities
  • The Inequitable Toll of Pedestrian Deaths DC StreetsBlog
  • Study: Walkable Infill Development a Goldmine for City Governments DC StreetsBlog
  • Streetfacts #4: Children Have Lost the Freedom to Roam StreetFilms
  • NHTSA: Traffic Deaths Shot Up 5.3 Percent to 34,080 in 2012 DC Streetsblog
  • Meet Your Next Transportation Secretary DC StreetsBlog
  • Cyclists Aren't 'Special,' and They Shouldn't Play by Their Own Rules Atlantic Cities
  • Report Finds Americans Are Driving Less, Led by Youth NY Times
    • Millennials Lead the Trend to Less Driving, But What Happens As They Get Older?​ Atlantic Cities
  • Mileage fee now: Opposing view USA Today

International news

  • Subaru's Metro Ad Sucks! - Fine print trashes public transit users Media Coop
  • The World's Top 20 Cycling Cities Atlantic Cities
  • Wildly Futuristic Stop Sign of the Day: A Laser-Powered Water Curtain in Sydney Atlantic Cities
  • China Transportation Briefing: Bus Rapid Transit in China – On the Way City Fix
  • Exploring Saigon and Beyond - How Saigon Plans to Avoid the 'Car Age' Saigoneer