November 19, 2013

Boston City Hall
Boston City Hall, Brutal or Beautiful?
(Photo courtesy of ArchPaper)
 

What does the election of Marty Walsh mean for walking in Boston? Walking Bostonian

The new mayor will be Marty Walsh. So let's take a look at some of the things he said in forums and questionnaires gone by.

What Boston Can Teach Us About Linked City Parks Atlantic Cities

Kaid Benfield--Boston's "Emerald Necklace," described as a 1,100-acre chain of green spaces connecting the Boston Common—in the heart of the city and dating from the colonial period—and the adjacent 1837 Boston Public Garden to five additional parks and an arboretum designed by legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted: The Arnold Arboretum, Back Bay Fens, Franklin Park, The Riverway, Olmsted Park, and Jamaica Pond. All are linked by parkways and waterways; all the Olmsted projects were developed in the late 1880s.

Boston Below: Photographers Explore the Underbelly of the MBTA Boston Magazine

Steve Annear--Some riders might not know it—craning their necks to stare at the ground, or gazing into a smartphone as the service fluctuates, doing anything imaginable to avoid eye contact with other passengers—but there’s a lot more to the MBTA than just the few stops they use during their daily commutes.

“Most people get on at one station, and get off on another,” said photographer Joe Votano. “They should know what goes on behind the MBTA. Also, they should know something about the environment they spend so much time in.”

Blumenauer Introduces a Tax Break for Bike-Share Commuters StreetsBlog

Angie Schmitt--If you drive to work, the feds will subsidize that. But if a Citi Bike (New York), or a Divvy bike (Chicago), or CoGo (Columbus, Ohio) is your ride to work, no such luck. But that could change. Michael Andersen at Bike Portland reports that Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) has introduced legislation that would establish tax incentives for bike-share commuters.

Price of riding the Moscow subway? 30 squats CBS News

Michelle Castillo--In an effort to promote both the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and physical fitness, Moscow city officials and the Russian Olympic Committee are allowing subway riders to pay 30 squats instead of 30 rubles (about 92 cents) for a trip on the train.

Riders perform the squats in front of a special machine which can tell if the person is in the correct position. The machine is located right next to the electronic vending machines at Vystavochnaya station in western Moscow.

"Streets"

  • MIT Study: Benefits of Placemaking Go Deeper Than Better Places DC StreetsBlog
  • MassDOT’S HEALTHY TRANSPORTATION POLICY DIRECTIVE:  Framing Economic Needs as Public Health Measures Strengthens Both LivableStreets
  • JPNC seeks to fill vacant seats JP Gazette
  • Help make the Cambridge Street overpass safer and better Walking Bostonian
  • Broadway Revamp Gets $1.5M from State Revere Journal
  • Tufts Daily Editorial: Making Boston more accessible​ Tufts Daily
  • Beans Sprouting Arch Paper
  • Somerville named Top 10 City for walking and transit  The Somerville Times
  • Woman dies after being hit by car and dragged 3 miles in Wrentham Metro
  • Menino Lands at BU BU.edu

Bicycling

  • Plan calls for citywide bicycling network, other updates Boston Globe
  • Letter: Cyclists should warn pedestrians with bells Wicked Local
  • 'Bike Summit' at Cape Cod Community College Friday Wicked Local
  • Letter: Bike culture is on the rise for good reasons JP Gazette
  • Truck hits cyclist on Somerville Avenue Wicked Local
  • Cyclists say ‘bye -bye’ to Longfellow bollards​ Boston Globe
  • First Bike Lane Comes to Springfield WGGB
  • Mayor Menino Announces Installation of First HelmetHub Helmet Vending Machine The Hubway
  • Hubway Will Close Down For the Winter in Boston Boston Magazine
  • BU Released a Bike Safety App... BostInno

Transit

  • Lucky Star Officially Approved to Resume Service BostInno
  • Seat-e can recharge phones, connect to Web Boston Globe
  • Bus #66 Stop Controversy
  • Neighbors Turn Red Over Green Line Project in Newton - Arrested Development Curbed
  • To Get Around Town, Some Cities Take A Step Back In Time WGBH
  • To the Editor: DMUs on the Fairmount Line? Not so fast DOT News
  • A troubling transit trend line Commonwealth Magazine
  • Attleboro RTA Intermodal Center Celebrated Mass Transpo Blog
  • JP authors write Orange Line history book JP Gazette
  • Commuter Rail: MBTA to Talk with Public about Worcester Line BostInno
  • A public transit ring around downtown​ Boston Globe
  • A 21st-century bus system Boston Globe
  • Streetcar opponents file lawsuit Mass Transit Mag
  • Boston Below: Photographers Explore the Underbelly of the MBTA Boston Magazine
  • Letter: Better education needed re: bikes on sidewalks Wicked Local
  • Local driver wins MBTA bus roadeo Wicked Local
  • How A Free Bus Shuttle Helped Make A Small Town Take Off WGBH
  • The ignominious D Street light Amateur Planner
  • Once nearly extinct, streetcar gets new life in US Boston Globe

Cars/Parking

  • Op-Ed: The race for a parking space Boston Globe
  • Expressway’s a parking lot Boston Herald
  • Lovejoy Wharf Project Proposes to Eliminate Parking and Change From Rentals to Condos​ North End Waterfront
  • Teen drivers getting in less accidents in Massachusetts Metro
  • Town drops head-in parking on Swan Place, seeks other alternatives Word on the Street
  • Not the Most Expensive Parking Spot in Boston, But Still Expensive Boston Magazine
  • Ed Rendell is Mad About Traffic WGBH
  • New parking in Arlington center? Word on the Street
  • 2-millionth E-ZPass finds a home on Gatsby-era car Boston.com

Parks/Pedestrians

Transportation financing/Government

  • Mayoral Election
    • Op-Ed: Next mayor needs to overhaul Boston’s development bureaucracy​ Boston Globe
    • What does the election of Marty Walsh mean for walking in Boston? Walking Bostonian
    • Night owls eye Boston Mayor-elect Marty Walsh to make good on late night MBTA promise Metro
    • Holding Mayor-elect Marty Walsh to his promise to extend night service on the MBTA Boston Globe
  • T may revisit fares for The Ride service for elderly, disabled Boston Globe
  • Fall River, New Bedford Rail Line Improvements Mass Transpo Blog
  • I-93 overpass/underpass project moves forward; improvements expected by December Boston.com
  • Transportation bill includes earmarks for South Station, Green Line, South Coast rail Boston.com
  • BRA sued over no-bid deal with Sox on Yawkey Way Boston Herald

Development projects

  • Ames St. housing developer invites residents to comment online Wicked Local
  • Stay Informed: Callahan Tunnel Project Web Page  Mass Transpo Blog
  • Boston MBTA Heavy Lift Project: One Weekend, New Bridge Mass Transpo Blog
  • Washington St. development still in the works JP Gazette
  • Some Union Square Businesses In Limbo With Green Line Extension WBUR
  • Prime Boston sites deemed ‘blighted’ dodge taxes​ Boston Herald
  • MBTA: Government Center Station Project Work Mass Transpo Blog

Land Use/Planning

  • MBTA considers land taking in South Boston, imperils recycling proposal Biz Journals
  • How Many People Will Central Square Development Kill? CCTV Cambridge
  • JPNC votes to settle S. Huntington lawsuit JP Gazette
  • Further suggestions for Arlington Center John Allen Blog
  • Fore River Bridge Project Public Meeting Mass Transpo Blog
  • A fresh master plan Boston Globe
  • Town, residents girding for battle over 40B project in South Brookline Wicked Local
  • Developer tentatively designated for 'green' residential project in Mission Hill Boston.com
  • Allston fights for overpass change Boston Globe

Out-of-state

  • NY
    • Charles Hynes Brings Rare Felony Charge in Vehicular Killing of 9-Year-Old StreetsBlog
    • Eyes on the Street: Filling the Gap in the Second Avenue Protected Bike Lane StreetsBlog
    • Strong Safety Record for NYC Bike-Share Should Come as No Surprise StreetsBlog
    • A Bike-Lane Scam NY Times
    • Let My Bicycle Go NY Times
    • Citi Bike Carries More Riders on Fewer Bikes Than London Bike-Share StreetsBlog
    • Affordable Housing and Parking Reform: A Great Match for Mayor de Blasio StreetsBlog
    • After children's deaths, a call for traffic safety City Fix
    • No Charges From Cy Vance for Cab Driver Who Maimed Tourist Sian Green StreetsBlog
    • Caution - Danger in the Traffic Lanes NY Times
  • CA
    • Noticed More “Continental” Crosswalks? They’re Now Standard on SF Streets SF StreetsBlog
    • Could NYC's 'wacko nutso' Janette Sadik-Khan be right for L.A.? LA Times
    • How a Poll Showing SF’s Pro-Bike Attitudes Can Change the Conversation SF StreetsBlog
    • A Wonderfully Simplified Map of San Francisco's Bicycle Infrastructure Atlantic Cities
  • DE
  • VT
    • Spotlight on Sustainability: Burlington, VT gets creative with its comprehensive plan Smart Growth America
  • OH
    • Cincinnati Streetcar in Jeopardy as New Mayor Vows to Stop It Next City
  • OR
    • New bike-friendly 'micro-apartments': 200 square feet and no car parking Bike Portland
    • Do bikes get a free ride? Advocates' infographic shows why not Bike Portland
  • DC
    • Cycling Advocates Say Not Even Zebras Stopping U-Turns On Pennsylvania Avenue WAMU
    • Residential parking sacrificed to bicycle lanes: Bike "wars?" Washington Times
  • WI
    • Train Maker Sues Wisconsin for $66 Million for Canceling Rail Project DC StreetsBlog
  • IN
    • The Remarkable Success of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail StreetsBlog
  • TX
    • Dallas Is the Latest City to Propose Tearing Down Huge Urban Freeways Gizmodo
  • KS
    • More than a year from operation, Kansas City’s Streetcar is already driving investment downtown Smart Growth America

National trends

  • How to Fix America’s Bad Bike Infrastructure Chicago Mag
  • How the complete streets movement is improving our communities Better Cities
  • Do Your City’s Streets Make Room for People Too? A Handy Visual Test StreetsBlog
  • What the Departure of New York and Chicago's Transportation Leaders Means for Cities Governing.com
  • Is Your City One of America's Most Walkable? Planetizen
  • The 'Gateway Drug' for Better Bike Infrastructure Atlantic Cities
  • How much does a street cost? The Grid To
  • Obama Back on Road to Push for Infrastructure Spending NY Times
  • Is It O.K. to Kill Cyclists? NY Times
  • Blighted Cities Prefer Razing to Rebuilding NY Times
  • WSJ Invites More Ignorant Anti-Bike Zealots to Sully Its Pages DC StreetsBlog
  • Selling the Public on Biking, Political-Campaign Style Atlantic Cities
  • Less is more: BRT and metro avoid expansion of road infrastructure City Fix
  • Smart traffic lights use game theory to ease traffic congestion Yahoo
  • Completing Our Streets: Who gets priority? Smart Growth America
  • Why the Government Now Cares a Lot More About How Much You Spend on Gas Atlantic CIties
  • An Intriguingly Detailed Animation of How People Move Around a City Atlantic Cities
  • It’s Official: 33,561 People Killed in Traffic on American Streets Last Year DC StreetsBlog
  • Blumenauer Introduces a Tax Break for Bike-Share Commuters StreetsBlog
  • Inter City Transportation and Suburbs Sustainable Cities Collective
  • An Argument for Eliminating Traffic Lights Planetizen
  • FHWA embraces CNU/ITE street design guide Better Cities Collective
  • New Report: Where We Ride Bike League

International news

  • Paris by Wheelchair -- A Seemingly Impossible Challenge Atlantic Cities, Boston Globe
  • New Intelligent Cycle Track Lighting Cycling Embassy
  • Promoting Cycling Positively - Now with Proof Copenhagenize
  • Walk this way: pedestrian road safety must be stepped up worldwide The Guardian
  • British traffic engineers learn how to Go Dutch Bike Biz
  • On the move: Reducing car usage and ownership in China, Latin America, and other developing economies The City Fix
  • London expands protected cycle lane scheme The Guardian
  • Driving May Damage Your Ovaries NY TImes
  • Price of riding the Moscow subway? 30 squats CBS News
  • Beijing's parking woes: Is there any end in sight? The City Fix
  • Kolkata cycle ban puts squeeze on health and livelihoods at risk The Guardian 
  • Video: Bike parking in Japan YouTube
  • Drivers favour more cycle lanes, AA survey shows The Times