- Participate in Rush Hour Challenge
- Register for Tour de Streets
- StreetTalk: Cities on the Move recap
- Vision Zero: making progress
- Experience a "Better Bus" on the Silver Line
- Protected bike lanes planned for Cambridge Street
- Hands-free legislation advances
- Celebrate green transportation at the Roslindale Farmers Market Opening Day
- Give input on the Everett Northern Strand Community Trail Project
- Employment opportunities
What's happening
Participate in Rush Hour Challenge
Rush Hour Challenge is less than a week away! We’re shaking things up this year with two legs - one during the morning rush hour and a second in the evening. Participants will travel by car, foot, bike, and the T to scramble from Dudley Square to Faneuil Hall (AM) and then Faneuil Hall to Davis Square (PM), ending at Redbones for MassBike’s annual block party. We’re excited to be partnering again with the Somerville Bike Committee, Boston Cyclists Union and MassBike for the Challenge. There are three ways you can join the fun:
1. Kick off your morning by cheering on the contestants at the morning finish line at Faneuil Hall Marketplace
2. Try a new mode and bring a friend! Create your own personal challenge, end at Faneuil hall and tell us about it #RHC2017
3. Join us in the evening at the Redbones block party!
Event Details:
Rush Hour Challenge
Monday, June 5
Dudley Square to Faneuil Hall: 8:00 am - 9:00 am
Faneuil Hall to Davis Square: 5:30 - 6:30 pm
Redbones Finish Line Party: 5:00 - 9:00 pm
Register for Tour de Streets on 9/9
Registration is now open for our annual family-friendly event, Tour de Streets, on Saturday, September 9th. This year, LivableStreets is returning to DCR's North Point Park in Cambridge (check out our photos from last year’s event). We’ll be releasing details about the group walk and bike rides soon. Start organizing your team now!
Event Details:
Tour de Streets 2017
Saturday, September 9, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
@ North Point Park, Cambridge
StreetTalk: Cities on the Move recap
Thank you to everyone who joined us for StreetTalk: Cities on the Move! With our co-hosts, NACTO & TransitCenter, we heard how cities across the US are rethinking their streets to boost reliable and safe travel for people on foot, buses, and bikes. We also explored how we could implement some of these strategies in Metro Boston. If you didn't get a chance to join us, you can check out our event photos and our Twitter coverage of the panel discussion.
Wins
Vision Zero: making progress
On May 10th, hundreds gathered to remember the life of Rick Archer and attended Boston City Council's hearing on the Boston Transportation Budget for FY18. For more than four hours we heard questions from city councilors and testimony from countless residents that brought home the point: the existing budget recommendation for Vision Zero is business as usual.
The following week Mayor Walsh allocated an additional million dollars to the Neighborhood slow streets program. We appreciate and celebrate this important step forward, but also recognize this falls short of our full set of recommendations.
In addition to continuing to push for more Vision Zero resources, the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition also responded to comments made by the Mayor that put the focus on personal responsibility over policy and infrastructure improvements.
The Coalition is actively working to secure a meeting with the Mayor so that we can more beyond the current public discourse and work together to make our streets safer for everyone. More to come on this — so stay tuned!
You can learn more about the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition here.
Experience a "Better Bus" on the Silver Line
LivableStreets is teaming up with our partners BostonBRT, the MBTA, MassDOT, and the City of Boston to lead community outreach for the Silver Line Better Bus Experience. Between May 24 and June 6, Washington Street Silver Line (SL4 and SL5) riders will experience an all-door boarding demonstration between Dudley Square and downtown Boston, cutting down dwell times at stations and getting the bus on its way faster. This is a critical step forward for our Better Buses campaign and an opportunity to test a recommendation from the Go Boston 2030. Check out the demonstration and provide feedback to the Street Ambassadors conducting outreach along the route. Also, be sure to watch StreetFilms coverage of the demo!
Protected bike lanes planned for Cambridge Street
150 people showed up for the Cambridge Street protected bike lane meeting, and the tone was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees emphasized the need to make the street safe for the many Cambridge Rindge & Latin students that bike or walk to school, and the need to support local businesses and how this project can benefit them. The City of Cambridge plans to begin construction in June, and all three of the proposed plans provide safer bicycle facilities through the use of protected bike lanes.
Hands-free legislation advances
In April, members of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition testified in support of hands-free legislation. The Transportation Committee unanimously supported the bill (H 3660 / S 1962), which sends it on to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling.
Opportunities
Celebrate green transportation at the Roslindale Farmers Market
Walk, ride a bike, or take the bus to the opening day of the Roslindale Farmers Market! RozzieBikes is recognizing Mayor Walsh with an award, and is inviting people from all over Boston to attend and to revel and shop at the large, diverse Roslindale Farmers Market. Demonstrate your support for green mobility to the city officials in attendance -- organizers are hoping to attract over 4,000 people to the award presentation who arrive by bike or on foot.
Event details:
Green Mobility Day at the Roslindale Farmers Market
Saturday, June 3, 11:00am-11:30pm
@ Adams Park, Roslindale
Give input on the Everett Northern Strand Community Trail Project
Weigh in on the Northern Strand Community Trail in Everett by submitting comments to the Project WikiMap. The City of Everett is undertaking a project to extend the 10-mile walking and cycling path from its current ending place at West Street in Everett to the Mystic River.
Employment opportunities
Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE) launched search for new executive director
The ACE Board of Directors seeks an innovative and inspired executive director whose senior management background in the non-profit sector exemplifies a commitment to community organizing and advocacy around the issues of environmental justice. To learn more and apply, click here.
A Better City is hiring
A Better City is seeking a motivated, experienced leader passionate about sustainable transportation policy. To learn more and apply, click here.
Town of Watertown is seeking a Senior Planner for Transportation
The Watertown Community Development & Planning Department seeks a senior transportation planner. To learn more and apply, click here.