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Faster bus commutes in Boston? That’s the goal with coming traffic signal upgrades.

Makayla Comas, co-executive director of the advocacy group LivableStreets Alliance, welcomed the plan for the new signals as a “great investment,” particularly for areas where dedicated bus lanes may not be the strongest option available, or even viable. The majority of folks who take the bus, which Comas called “the unsung hero of the system,” are low-income, people of color, disabled, and older adults. “If we are trying to think about, ‘How do we make Boston streets work?’ and ‘How do we make sure that folks who deeply rely on public transportation are able to take it and feel like they want to take it consistently?’ — I think we need to do a deep evaluation of our bus system," she said. Continue reading

Coalition drops report on dire state of mass transit in Massachusetts

"That’s one of the few positive notes in “Funding Our Future: A Roadmap for Equitable and Sustainable Transportation Action in Massachusetts,” a publication of the Transit Is Essential coalition. Thoroughly reported and backed by more than 40 organizations spanning Transit Matters, Walk Massachusetts and Livable Streets to the Conservation Law Foundation, Boston Center for Independent Living and MassBike, the overall assessment is clear: “The current state of transportation is unsustainable for our climate and public health, our economy and ultimately for the people of Massachusetts.”" Continue reading

Reversing Course Again, Sec. Tibbits-Nutt Says Allston Project Will Include Multi-Acre Train Yard After All

"In a March letter co-signed by advocates from TransitMatters, the LivableStreets Alliance, Boston Cyclists Union, and several neighborhood groups called the proposed Allston layover "unnecessary, inconsistent with the MBTA’s Regional Rail vision, (and) incompatible with economic development."" Continue reading

Groups Urge Rainy Day Fund Diversion To Balance Budget

"The MBTA is facing an operating budget deficit of over $600 million in the upcoming fiscal year. The Commonwealth has over 600 structurally deficient bridges. The Commonwealth also needs to expand our EV charging infrastructure to meet our climate goals and address rural infrastructure for communities that rely on mostly gravel roads to get around," the coalition of more than two dozen groups wrote in a letter Tuesday to House and Senate budget chiefs. "Diverting $225 million from the Education and Transportation Fund only hinders our ability to address these investments moving forward." Continue reading

Groups urge rejection of Healey budget maneuver using millionaire tax funds

“We believe that shifting funds from the Education and Transportation Fund [the account where surplus millionaire tax revenues are kept] to backfill accounts that were previously funded by the General Fund sets a bad precedent for future budgets,” the advocates said in their letter. “Using the Fair Share dollars to balance budgets rather than make new investments in transportation and education moving forward risks damaging public trust. We believe a much better approach would be to use funds from the Stabilization Fund, as historically has been done, to close out prior year’s budgets.” Continue reading

Slow down: Boston is installing more than 2,000 speed humps on city streets

"Lowering the speed limit alone, unfortunately, doesn't necessarily change driver behavior," Gleason said. "Having that physical addition to the road that really forces drivers to think about how fast they're driving and slow down their speed so that they don't experience any, you know, discomfort when they're driving over it or potential damage to their vehicle." Continue reading

THE MBTA’S ‘BILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION MARK

“How much are we actually spending at the end of the day, and what are we getting out of it? This is something the T is continually unable to make clear to the public,” Thompson said. “The finance side is unnecessarily complicated, it’s hard to get answers.” Continue reading

Fare Free Bus Segment

How can new fareboxes be this expensive?

It’s work has not been without hiccups. Stacy Thompson, the executive director of LivableStreets Alliance, a transit advocacy group, said in an interview that Cubic “has a terrible track record nationally and internationally for delivering projects on time and within budget, and we’re seeing that bear out in Massachusetts and for the MBTA.” Continue reading

Boston wants food delivery services to better police their drivers

Stacy Thompson with LivableStreets Alliance says the business model for these corporations is part of the problem. “They basically don’t care if these folks have appropriate vehicles, and they have to go fast as they can to earn a buck,” she said. Continue reading

Long-promised tap-to-pay system for T finally approaching rollout

Stacy Thompson of the advocacy group Livable Streets and Chris Dempsey of the urban design firm Speck Dempsey join Radio Boston to discuss the MBTA's announcement that it will launch a long-delayed tap-to-pay fare system this summer. Continue reading

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu divides West Roxbury over Centre Street redesign

“For people who felt really strongly that bike lanes were the end of the world, it doesn’t matter what the data shows,” Thompson said. “At the end of the day, what we have to focus on is if the street is safer, and the answer is yes.” Continue reading

Dorchester residents weigh in on Columbia Road redesign

“There will be spaces like this where people can come and tell us what they want and what they like to see” Continue reading

Ride Island to present a public program on Cambridge street design for biking, walking, and transit

Former City of Cambridge employee and LivableStreets co-founder, Jeff Rosenblum, will speak on Cambridge's 2019 Cycling Safety Ordinance. Continue reading

House budget plan spends big on the T, funds shelter system at half of expected cost

Stacy Thompson, Executive Director of LivableStreets, joins WBUR's Radio Boston to discuss a budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year released by the Massachusetts House Wednesday which calls for nearly $200 million more in direct assistance to the MBTA than in the proposal put forth by Gov. Maura Healey last year. Continue reading

Lowering Boston speed limit won’t slow cars down without street redesign, transit advocate says

“I think this is a really good conversation to be had,” Thompson said. “Having said that, we also know that when you don’t change the roadway design, people will still speed.” Continue reading

Uber and Lyft are say they're leaving Minneapolis. Could it happen here?

First, Uber and Lyft are threatening to leave Minneapolis in May, saying it's because of new local rules imposed on the companies. Evan Horowitz of the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University, Axios reporter Kyle Stokes and Stacy Thompson of the transportation advocacy group Livable Streets join the show to discuss. Continue reading

GBH Season 2024 Episode 45

LivableStreets Director of Policy Catherine Gleason weighs in on Boston's surging pedestrian deaths. Continue reading

MBTA to pay Chinese company another $148 million to get new Red and Orange Line cars by end of 2027

“This is not an isolated incident, it is indicative of a larger pattern of mismanagement of large procurement contracts,” Thompson said. “I hope this is a wakeup call that the governor and the T will be taking a closer look at similar contacts, especially the fare transformation project, which is also hundreds of millions of dollars over budget and years delayed.” Continue reading

4-Year-Old Dies After Being Hit By Vehicle In Seaport

"Every time this happens, I'm always struck by how preventable these fatalities are" Continue reading

Boston to spend $8 million to keep three bus routes fare-free

"Boston, Merrimack Valley, Worcester and many other communities across the country have demonstrated bold leadership in the face of strong skepticism," LivableStreets Alliance Executive Director Stacy Thompson said in a statement provided by Wu's office. "But the last few years, and thousands of happy bus riders, have proven that fare free buses are a straightforward way to increase transit ridership, ease financial burden for many, and bring a little joy back to the T. The success of Boston's fare free bus program is undeniable and we're thrilled that Boston is extending this program." Continue reading

Three T Bus Routes In Boston To Stay Fare-Free Until 2026

"Boston, Merrimack Valley, Worcester and many other communities across the country have demonstrated bold leadership in the face of strong skepticism," LivableStreets Alliance Executive Director Stacy Thompson said in a statement provided by Wu's office. "But the last few years, and thousands of happy bus riders, have proven that fare free buses are a straightforward way to increase transit ridership, ease financial burden for many, and bring a little joy back to the T. The success of Boston's fare free bus program is undeniable and we're thrilled that Boston is extending this program." Continue reading

Boston Mayor Wu extends fare-free bus pilot for two years at $8.4M

“Boston, Merrimack Valley, Worcester and many other communities across the country have demonstrated bold leadership in the face of strong skepticism,” Stacy Thompson, executive director of LivableStreets Alliance, said in a statement. “The success of Boston’s fare-free program is undeniable and we’re thrilled that Boston is extending this program.” Continue reading

Boston wants T buses to be free to ride. The T wants to charge. What happens next?

“Based on the governor’s public commitments, I thought that after municipalities used their own funds to prove this was viable, we would see this kind of leadership from the governor,” said Stacy Thompson, executive director of LivableStreets Alliance, a transportation advocacy organization. Continue reading

Senator Markey Legislation Tackles Skyrocketing Roadway Safety and Climate Crisis

“At the local level, cities and towns have been doing their part to reduce emissions and make our streets safer, greener, and more livable. However, without standard at the federal level, progress has been uneven. These bills fill that critical gap. We are so grateful for Senator Markey’s leadership and partnership and look forward to working with him to advance these important bills,” said Stacy Thompson, Executive Director at LivableStreets Alliance.  Continue reading

FARE GAME

“There are still a lot of open questions around fare validation,” said Stacey Thompson, executive director of LiveableStreets Alliance, which advocates for “just and inclusive policies, processes, and public spaces that ensure all people have safe and accessible mobility and housing options.” Thompson continued, “There’s a colossal difference between well-trained ambassadors at rail or commuter rail stops where there is likely to be a gate as opposed to potentially having evaluation on buses. “I don’t think there’s a practical way to put a T ambassador on the bus for fare validation.” Continue reading

Wu plans to extend fare free bus pilot

In a March 2021 report, the left-leaning Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center said transit advocates working with the Livable Streets Alliance concluded that eliminating fares on local buses would cost the MBTA $33.7 million in annual fare revenue. Another $6 million to $7 million would be lost if making buses free meant parallel-running paratransit had to be free, the report said. Continue reading

MBTA puts Band-Aids on an aging train fleet, seeing more delays by single-source supplier

“We need to fundamentally change the way the T procures services,” said Stacy Thompson, executive director of the LivableStreets Alliance. “We need competitive processes, and they need to be transparent.” Continue reading

Justice for All, and Roses Too: A Conversation with Reggie Ramos, the New Leader of Transportation For Massachusetts

two members of that new T4MA leadership team, Stacy Thompson and Alexis Walls, also serve as volunteer members of the StreetsblogMASS board of directors Continue reading

Can Bostonians learn to love the T?

Stacy Thompson of LivableStreets, a transit advocacy group, and Frank Lowenstein of the conservation group Rare join Radio Boston to discuss. Continue reading