StreetLife
Issue #120 - November 2017
- MassDOT Secretary Pollack to speak at our seventh annual StreetTalk 10-in-1
- Call for Street Ambassadors for Beacon Street
- Results from BRT Silver Line all-door boarding demonstration
- The MBTA is moving forward with new payment system
- Winning bid for Green Line Extension project includes amenities that had been cut
- Call for volunteer with video-editing skills
- The City of Cambridge is hiring an Assistant Transportation Planner
- Share your #MyGivingStory and support LivableStreets on Nov. 28
What's happening
MassDOT Secretary Pollack to speak at our seventh annual StreetTalk 10-in-1
Join us for our StreetTalk 10-in-1! Hear 10 seven-minute talks from innovative transportation and community thinkers about projects near and far, from learning about socially engaged art to getting a behind-the-scenes look at MassDOT! LivableStreets members get in free; general admission is $15.
StreetTalk 10-in-1
Tuesday, December 5th, 6:00 - 8:30 pm (Doors open at 5:30 pm)
@ Old South Meeting House
310 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108
Learn more about our featured 10-in-1 speakers. This is one of our most popular events of the year -- don't miss it!
Call for Street Ambassadors for Beacon Street
Want to help support the great changes coming to Beacon Street in the Back Bay? We are currently recruiting Street Ambassadors to educate people about the parking protected bike lanes and other street improvements that are part of the Vision Zero redesign. Street Ambassadors will be active for short deployments along the street to answer FAQ's about how best to use the new infrastructure.
Contact [email protected] to learn more about available shifts.
Wins
Results from BRT Silver Line all-door boarding demonstration
The results are in from the BostonBRT all-door boarding demonstration! The pilot ran from May 24 - June 2 on the SL4 and SL5 Washington Street Silver Line between Dudley Square and downtown. Of 900 riders surveyed during the Silver Line Better Bus Experience, 65 percent said that their demonstration trip was faster and 70 percent said the all-door boarding demonstration made them more likely to ride the Silver Line again.
BostonBRT also reports that the all-door boarding demonstration:
- allowed for more buses to leave on time, with fewer delays at the busiest stops.
- had a significant effect on the SL4/5’s slowest trips, improving those trips to be more like a typical trip, and making the overall rider experience more reliable.
- has the potential to make buses run more frequently, which was the top priority identified by riders in surveys.
Check out a video of the all-door boarding demonstration.
The MBTA is moving forward with new payment system
Next week, the MBTA will approve a contract for a new fare collection system, dubbed Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) 2.0, which will replace the existing CharlieCards.
Passengers will be able to pay by tapping a credit card or smart phone to the fare reader, and will be able to board and pay via the back doors of buses and Green Line trolleys. These changes will significantly reduce the length of bus rides, allow the T to explore other improvements like building a unified payment system that can work with other entities (like Hubway), and give the T the ability to set fares based on distance or time of day.
Check out a recent Boston Globe article about AFC 2.0 to learn more.
Winning bid for Green Line Extension project includes amenities that had been cut
The winning bid for the Green Line Extension project includes provisions to build the full Community Path, in addition to elevators and a vehicle maintenance facility that had been cut from the plans to save costs -- a major win for people biking, for people with disabilities, and for everyone who will use the Green Line Extension! Construction is scheduled to begin in 2018, with service slated to begin in 2021.
A huge thanks to local advocates for all of their work to make this project happen -- we'll be sticking with it until construction is complete!
Opportunities
Call for volunteer with video-editing skills
LivableStreets is seeking a volunteer to help edit and compile short film clips for use in two different campaigns. The footage has already been captured, and we're looking for someone who can take the next steps with it.
Reach out to [email protected] if you're interested in hearing more.
The City of Cambridge is hiring an Assistant Transportation Planner
The City of Cambridge is seeking applicants for an Assistant Transportation Planner. The deadline to apply is December 4, 2017. To learn more, click here.
Share your #MyGivingStory and support LivableStreets on Nov. 28
Giving Tuesday is a global day of charitable giving taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 28, following Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Template examples:
I give to LivableStreets because they are all about bringing more joy and life into our streets. Join me in supporting their work! #MyGivingStory #GivingTuesday @StreetsBoston
I support LivableStreets because they are great at building public support for important projects and making sure many voices get heard. Join me in supporting their work! #MyGivingStory #GivingTuesday @StreetsBoston