Issue #51 / October 2010

Greetings!

by LivableStreets board members Ken Kruckemeyer, Steve Miller & Charlie Denison

Tues, Nov 9, 7:00-9:00 pm
@ LivableStreets office, 100 Sidney St, Cambridge [map... ]

Open to the public. $5-$10 suggested donation. 

Bridges connect communities, are vital links in our transportation network, and carry all users. Currently many of our bridges discourage walking and bicycling due to lack of sidewalks and bicycling facilities, speeding cars, dangerous on/off intersections, and poor connections to parklands. Today we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to redesign them to encourage all modes of transportation to support a vibrant urban life, and mobility for all people to live, work, and play. What we do in the next couple of years will effect generations to come. 
 
Why now? The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is overseeing the reconstruction of the Craigie, Longfellow, BU, Anderson, River St, and Western Ave bridges over the next six years as part of the State's $3 billion Accelerated Bridge Program (ABP).
 
Come to the StreetTalk to learn about LivableStreets efforts to create better bridges in our region - from vision to implementation. See examples of bridges from around the world, discuss the impact of getting the bridges right today for future generations to come, and learn how to get involved! 

> For more information about LivableStreets Better Bridge Campaign, click here >>>

> Questions regarding the StreetTalk? event@livablestreets.info / 617-621-1746

Participate in a research study on the future of transit, discover your city in new ways, and win an iPad (1 in 10 chance)!

Are you interested in helping to create better urban transportation experiences and a more sustainable transit system? If so, fill out a short application to see if you're eligible to be one of 20 selected participants for Latitude's Tech for Transit study.  

Click here for more info and to participate >>> 

Today the US Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded nearly $100 million in new grants to support more livable and sustainable communities across the country. HUD awarded $4 million to the Metro Boston Consortium for Sustainable Communities led by Metropolitan Area Planning Council. The consortium includes 55 municipalities (representing 71% of the region's 3.1 million residents), state agencies, community based organizations, advocacy groups, academic institutions, business interests, foundations, public housing authorities, other partners, and LivableStreets Alliance! "This is an exciting opportunity to work together to create system wide change," says LivableStreets.

The HUD press release and full list of grant awardees can be found here >>>

For updates, check out MAPC here >>> 

Second Bicycling Safety Summit Recap 

1st Bike Safety Summit, April 2010

On September 29th, the City of Boston hosted a second Bicycling Safety Summit to gather area bicyclists and high-ranking officials to discuss ways of improving safety for everyone who uses Boston's roadways. Brief presentations were followed by questions and comments by attendees, including LivableStreets' representatives Steve Miller, Nina Garfinkle, and Scott Englander. All of the officials recognized the progress that has been made in making Boston safer for cyclists, as well as the significant amount of work remaining to be done.  

Highlights included:
- increased fines and stepped-up enforcement for parking in bike lanes
- cyclist awareness and simulation training for MBTA drivers
- improvements reporting and tracking of bicycle accidents and injuries
- 15 miles of bike lanes added in the past year
- coming bike safety awareness campaign modeled after NYCBSC (lookNYC.org) 

Also, Nicole Freedman, Director of Boston Bikes, conveyed Mayor Menino's interest in the City becoming a leader in the creation of separated bike lanes and cycle tracks, which will begin with one or more experimental facilities designed to test public reaction to the concept.

"We can't do it without you," Vineet Gupta, Director of Planning for the Boston Transportation Dept stated, stressing how important it is for citizens to attend community meetings.

TAKE ACTION: Voice your support for better biking, walking and public transit at public meetings. For a list of upcoming meetings and events, click here >>>

With your support, LivableStreets advocates for safer streets, hosts the annual Boston Bikes report, successfully advocated for making Commonwealth Avenue a complete street for all users, and more. Make Boston an even better city tomorrow by becoming a LivableStreets member today and get involved!

People parks for a day
 

(c) Corey Davis

Around the world on September 17, individuals and grassroots organizations transformed parking spaces from car parks to people parks. This year, there were 10+ spots across Boston, Cambridge and Brookline.

364 days a year the spots are filled with one motor vehicle. On Sept 17, they were available for hundreds of people to enjoy. Park(ing) Day is a time to rethink urban open space and imagine how we can transform our urban street-space to better uses, such as transit, biking and walking.

> See photos here >>>
> Read news coverage here >>>

> Watch film from first-ever people park in Boston here >>>

Pedestrians, cyclists, car drivers - we're all just people: smart and self-interested enough to make daily choices about the most desirable way to travel. So if one route or one method becomes less desirable, we use another; which is why infrastructure is the key to mode choice. If we make it easier to drive, people will. If we make it easier to bike or walk or take the bus, people will do that. The most recent blog postings discuss ways to make non-motorized travel safer, healthier, more convenient, and more inviting - at intersections, on heavily-trafficked (and therefore highly polluted) roads, over bridges, and on paths.

Beyond "Fix It First"; Why Traffic Doesn't Stop When Roads Get Worse; Safer Intersections for Bicyclists; Ear Phones and Sanity.

From Design Abstraction To Daily Facts: Bridges Aren't Highways; Who Are We Designing For; The Impact of Surfaces; Why "Bike Sharrows" Aren't Enough.

When It Is Not Healthy To Bicycle: And How To Minimize the Risk.

What To Do About the Longfellow Bridge. 

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