Year of the Bus

LivableStreets 2017

Reports

#Teamwork

By the Numbers

Street Tweets

Robert Orthman @realroborthman #BetterBuses #KeepRozzieMoving #MyStory It is hard to overstate what a difference the [Washington Street] bus-only lane has made. What used to be a completely unpredictable morning ride of anywhere between 15-40 minutes is now a predictable 8 minutes. People seem happier just riding the bus now, knowing they won't get bogged down in endless vehicular congestion.

Why Better Buses?

Today in Boston, approximately seven miles of congested streets are holding back 92,000 bus riders. Without implementation of bus priority measures, many people will continue to turn to rideshare and personal cars, while those who depend on the bus fall further behind.

Better Buses in Action

These Better Buses wins are just a few examples of what is possible when city leaders, the MBTA, and advocacy groups work together on a shared goal:

• All-Door Boarding Pilot, Silver Line 4 and 5 @ Dudley Station, Roxbury
• Pilot to Permanent, Bus-Only Lane @ Washington Street, Roslindale
• Pilot to Permanent, Bus-Only Lane + Tactical Transit @ Broadway Street, City of Everett
• Funding for Boston's first-ever Transit Team Staff @ City of Boston

Vision Zero

In 2017, Cambridge and Somerville both committed to Vision Zero, and dozens of other cities and towns in Massachusetts opted to lower speed limits from 30 to 25 MPH on some of their busiest roads.

Emphasizing Accountability
In partnership with the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition, we published a candidate questionnaire, and the second annual Boston Progress Report.

Increasing Staff + Funding
We successfully advocated for a $5 million increase in funding and additional Vision Zero staff in the City of Boston.

Street Tweets
LivableStreets @streetsboston
Our #streetambassadors are on #BeaconStreet this week, talking with people about recent #VisionZero safety improvements.

Street Tweets

LivableStreets @streetsboston Our #streetambassadors are on #BeaconStreet this week, talking with people about recent #VisionZero safety improvements.

Maxime Devilliers @MaximeDevilliers #VisionZero #StreetAmbassador #MyStory Neighbors on Beacon Street were concerned about reduced parking, more intense bottlenecks, hitting cyclists when turning into a driveway + cyclists still riding on the sidewalk. I was able to help people better understand why Boston chose this particular design + how it's supposed to work.

Emerald Network

The Emerald Network continues to grow, with 114 miles of existing greenways, 37 miles in-progress, and 68 miles proposed.

Completing Key Links

This year we celebrated the completion of the Neponset River Greenway Extension in Mattapan and the Connect Historic Boston Bike Trail in downtown Boston, and great progress on the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway.

Connecting the Big Picture

Governor Charlie Baker's support for the creation of the Mass Trails program will be hugely beneficial in connecting gaps in the state's network of trails, as well as gaps in funding for design.

Street Tweets

LivableStreets @streetsboston @MattapanViv + @LeeToma telling the story of the Neponset River Greenway Extension. #EmeraldNetwork #StreetTalk10in1

Shavel'le Olivier @MattapanFoodFit #NeponsetTrail #Mattapan #MyStory Now that the [Neponset] trail is complete, my friends and I can walk to Lower Mills to enjoy ice cream + restaurants. I've even biked all the way to Castle Island [...] using the trail - I wouldn't have attempted these distances if it wasn't for the completion of the trail in Mattapan. I also walk much more often!

BY THE NUMBERS