July 16, 2012


Boston's Newest Bridge
(Photo Courtesy of MA Transportation Blog)


Highlights

 

Biking to the future in Boston Boston Globe

By Globe Magazine Staff-- Cities and towns across Greater Boston are peddling cycling construction projects this summer like never before: If it isn’t a Newton city committee proposing 30 new miles of bike lanes, it’s Malden and Everett converting downtown railroad beds into a multiuse path, or Charlestown and Jamaica Plain residents lobbying for bike improvements once antiquated highway overpasses are torn down.

 

New Bridge For Bikers and Pedestrians Connects Charlestown to Cambridge BostInno

By Steve Annear-- Starting Friday, pedestrians and cyclists (ok, fine, rollerbladers, too) will have a new way to get from Charlestown to Cambridge, without hopping in their car. State officials from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, as well as Governor Deval Patrick, will celebrate the opening of the North Bank Bridge, a strip of walkway connecting East Cambridge to the Charlestown City Square and the Boston Harbor Waterfront.

(For more WCVB, Boston Globe, MA Transportation Blog)

 

T says fare hike, they say fare strike Metro

By Morgan Rousseau-- A group known as Boston Fare Strike Coalition has put out a call for MBTA riders to meet at 6 p.m. Friday at the Park Street T station to hop, piggyback, or talk their way into the T without paying. The activist coalition has spoken out against the recent MBTA fare hikes and service cuts. Organizers say they hope the the civil disobedience gets their message across.

(For more BostInno, Jamaica Plain Patch)

 

Green Line Extension: Environmental Approval MA Transportation Blog

MassDOT and the MBTA this week received full federal environmental approval for the Green Line Extension project, a major milestone for the project. The Federal Transit Administration released a Finding of No Significant Impact for the project, reaffirming its myriad environmental, mobility, economic development, and community-building benefits.  Federal environmental clearance is the culmination of several years of technical work done by MassDOT and the MBTA with close cooperation from the Cities of Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford, as well as the participation of hundreds of individuals and local organizations. 

 

How the Transportation Bill Failed America Atlantic Cities

By Judith Rodin-- Whether you drive to work every morning, hop on a subway or bus, or just pull the bike out for a ride around town, you need to pay attention to the transportation bill that Congress finally passed this week. The bill is a significant step backward and falls woefully short of creating a balanced system that serves all Americans and invests adequately in options and our growing metros.

(For more The Transport Politic, Bike Portland, DOT News)

 

Crowdfunding Urban Infrastructure: Can It Be Done? Good Speed Update

By Rob Goodspeed-- With the political climate in many places remaining hostile to new taxes, and cities in need of infrastructure investment, many are considering whether the principles of crowdfunding can be applied to urban infrastructure investment. Two projects I have heard about are doing just that, and I suspect many more are waiting in the wings.

 

"Streets"

Walking

  • The Craziest Skateboard Ever Can Walk Down Stairs Atlantic Cities
  • Filling a City With Moving Walkways: Is This a Good Idea? Atlantic Cities
  • Fix needed for hazardous Morrissey crossing DOT News
  • Citizen complaint of the day: Summertime pedestrian hazard in the Back Bay Universal Hub

Bicycling

Transit

  • Wonderland Transit Center Opening MA Transportation Blog
  • Eyeing a Larger Role for Massport A Better City
  • MBTA reaffirms your right to take photos on the T Universal Hub
  • Commuter pass glitch causes delays Metro
  • T Ridership Continues Historic Growth, Says MBTA Beacon Hill
  • MBTA Shuts Down Quincy Parking Garage Due to Concrete Deterioration BostInno
    •  Quincy Center Station garage closes Metro
  • Yes, You Can Take Photos on the MBTA* Jamaica Plain Patch
  • Transportation: GreenDOT Open Houses Set MA Transportation Blog
  • Amtrak’s Downeaster sets another record Boston Globe
  • MBTA mechanics keep old subway cars rolling Boston.com
  • Globe runs cool story about T workers using ancient machines to keep antique Orange Line running; then the trains die Univeral Hub
  • Officials continue to investigate T bus crash Metro
  • MBTA's mobile ticketing team wants your input Metro
  • MBTA approves $150 million in commuter rail fleet upgrades Boston Globe
  • Green Line Extension: Environmental Approval MA Transportation Blog
  • Commuter rail fleet to get a facelift Metro

Cars/Parking

Transportation financing/Government

  • Disabled Mass. transit riders protest fare hike Business Week
    • Wheelchair bound T riders hold vigil for "death of their freedom"Metro
  • Today is the first work day with new T fares Metro
  • Investigate T funding Jamaica Plain Gazette
  • MBTA’s many troubles threaten to derail Greater Boston’s economic dreams Boston Globe
  • $2B in aid for Mass. transit projects - including Government Center T Station Improvements Boston Globe
  • Selling the names of T stations cheapens the public realm Boston Globe
    • Should the MBTA Sell Naming Rights of Stations to Advertisers? BostInno
  •  Update on Tufts/STEP transportation health study Somerville STEP
  • Broadside: Mass. Transportation secretary NECN
  • Noise Barriers, Retaining Walls Part of the Plan for Green Line Extension Medford Patch
  • MBTA suspends jail bird Blue Line driver Metro
  • Huge response to MBTA app survey Metro
  • Boston Fare Strike: 5 Ways to Skip Paying To Ride the MBTA BostInno
    • T says fare hike, they say fare strike Metro
    • 'They Say Fare Hike, We Say Fare Strike' Group Plans Mass MBTA Fare Evasion on Friday Jamaica Plain Patch
  • Transportation: Fall River Route 79/I-195 Public Hearing Transportation Nation
  • Regional Transit Authorities Promote Green Transportation MA Transportation Blog
  • Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s environment chief to leave City Hall Boston Globe

Parks

Development projects

Land Use/Planning

Out-of-state

  • New York City --
    • Changes Planned to Calm Flow of Traffic on Harlem’s ‘Boulevard of Death’ NY Times
    • New Tappan Zee Bridge will have rush-hour bus lane, state says Lohud
    • How New York Traffic Laws Let Hit-and-Run Killers Drive Away Scot-Free Streets Blog
    • NYC Will Expand 20 MPH Zones to 13 Neighborhoods, With More to Come Streets Blog
    • NY Gov Cuomo: We're Paying for the New Tappan Zee With Tolls ‹ And Mass Transit Would Increase Them Even More Transportation Nation
  • San Francisco
    • Muni's systemwide all-door boarding catches on SF Gate
    • Muni All-Door Boarding, $2 Monthly Pass Hike Begin Sunday SF Streetsblog
    • An Experiment Worth Watching: All-Door Bus Boarding in San Francisco - Commute Atlantic Cities
  • Washington, DC
    • TheWashCycle: Arlington's Capital Bikeshare Expansion Plan includes Arlington Cemetery, Pentagon, Shirlington and Columbia Pike The Wash Cycle
    • BRT might be cheap to build, but it's cheaper to destroy Greater Greater Washington
    • From A To B: Bike Shop Owners See Big Returns From Capital Bikeshare WAMU
  • Complete streets New policy encourages bike lanes sidewalks Anniston Star
  • Orange Line busway is Metro's quiet success story LA Times
  • Commuters Could Dodge Heavy Houston Traffic With HOT Lanes KUHF

National trends

  • The Transportation Bill --
    • How the Transportation Bill Failed America Atlantic Cities
    • Funding for Dot sidewalks falls short in roads bill DOT News
    • Silver lining for bicycling in new transpo bill: Less red tape for small projects Bike Portland
    • Congress Passes Major Transportation Bill, Preserving the Status Quo The Transport Politic
  • Biking
  • High Speed Rail
    • With High-Speed Rail Approved, A Different Future for California and the Country American City
    • A Different Future with California High-Speed Rail Transport Politic
    • How High Speed Rail Could Revitalize the Northeast Atlantic Cities
  • Why Generation Y Sees No Need To Get Behind The Wheel Forbes
  • The ripple effect: A regional approach to sustainable communities Planning 101
  • Bus ridership is up across the country Marketplace
  • Race, Class, and the Stigma of Riding the Bus in America Atlantic Cities
  • Most Urban Jobs Are Near Transit, but Most Workers Aren't WSJ

International news