March 5, 2012
Highlights
- State misses overpass decision deadline (Jamaica Plain Gazette)
By Rebeca Oliveira -- The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) missed its own deadline this week for making the decision about the Casey Overpass replacement project. There is no new timeline for an announcement and MassDOT offered no explanation for the further delay. “We’re still looking to make a decision soon,” MassDOT spokesperson Michael Verseckes told the Gazette this week. MassDOT has also posted an air quality study and answers to frequent questions online about the Casey replacement project posed by elected officials and the community since mid-November. - The 4th Annual Boston Bikes Update: Championing Safety, Innovation & the "New Cyclist" in 2012 (BostInno, Boston Globe, theHumble Cyclist, Boston Globe, Biking in Heels)
By Lisa DeCanio -- Last night at the Boston Public Library, Boston Bikes held its 4th Annual Boston Bike Update to discuss highlights, challenges and the future of biking in the hub. Hosted by LivableStreets Alliance, leaders in the cyclist community, including Boston’s Transportation Commissioner Thomas Tinlin and Nicole Freedman, Boston’s Director of Bicycle Programs, outlined their visions to make Boston a better, safer and more accessible city through biking. Steve Miller, a volunteer board member of the LivableStreets Alliance, discussed the nonprofit’s five “game changers” for 2012. - Who Rides the T? Justice in Transit According to the Demographics of the MBTA [Maps] (BostInno)
By Jesse Partridge -- Since the MBTA introduced their January 2012 proposal for service cuts and fare increases, thousands of transit riders have turned out to public hearings and rallies to voice their discontent. The proposed changes will affect transit riders throughout the Boston Metropolitan region, and some will feel those effects more deeply than others. Nobody wants to pay more for their commute to work, school or the grocery store, but riders who can least afford to pay more or have their transit route cut, such as youth, elderly and low income residents, stand to lose the most if these changes are enacted. Simply put, public transportation is a matter of social justice. - SomerVision: The future is now (Somerville Journal, Somerville News)
By Auditi Guha -- It’s all about aspirations – to make sure Somerville continues to be an exceptional place to live, work, play and raise a family 20 years from now. Three years worth of community input and city planning to help make that happen culminated last week with a unique long-term plan for the future that few cities boast. After the city’s success in launching unique ventures like SomerStat, Shape Up Somerville and the citywide “happiness survey,” comes SomerVision – the city’s first-ever 20-year comprehensive plan, aimed at long-range planning based on community-generated values and vision. The SomerVision plan was released on Feb. 23 with a reception at City Hall honoring those who contributed to it. - Yonkers, Greenburgh, Dobbs Ferry Unanimously For Tappan Zee Transit (Streetsblog)
By Noah Kazis -- Last night, hundreds of Rockland County residents gathered at the Palisades Mall to tell the Cuomo administration that a transit-free replacement Tappan Zee Bridge isn’t acceptable. In Westchester, too, support for transit across the bridge is running high. Three more local governments have passed unanimous resolutions supporting Tappan Zee transit: the city of Yonkers, the town of Greenburgh and the village of Dobbs Ferry. The Yonkers City Council, representing the fourth-largest city in New York, passed its resolution yesterday by a unanimous vote of 6-0. In its resolution [PDF], the council noted that every alternative developed over a decade of public input included public transportation and that if transit infrastructure isn’t built now, history suggests it won’t be added later. - It's time to love the bus (Salon)
America needs to accept the fact that its most despised form of transport is also its hope for the future
By Will Doig -- The Guardian hailed it as “a stately vehicle” that conveys “a sense of privilege.” British car mag Autocar road-tested it and praised its “brilliant economy and an interior to die for.” It isn’t a Jag or a Rolls — it’s a London bus with a new set of curves, relaunched this week with the aim of lending municipal bus service a touch of class. Whether more glamour will translate into more riders is yet to be seen. But one thing is certain: When it comes to improving mass transit, there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit on the humble city bus. The vital connective tissue of multi-modal transit systems, the bus could be an efficient — nay, elegant — solution to cities’ mobility woes if only we made it so.
"Streets"
- Casey Overpass --
- Editorial: Jamaica Plain Resident Issues "Frequently Avoided Questions" About the Casey Overpass (Jamaica Plain Patch)
- Casey Overpass Decision Coming "Soon," Says Department of Transportation (Jamaica Plain Patch, Jamaica Plain Gazette)
- State misses overpass decision deadline (Jamaica Plain Gazette)
- Editorial: Thanks to Casey activists (Jamaica Plain Gazette)
- Letter: Disappointed in Malia's Casey stance (Jamaica Plain Gazette)
- Chelsea Street Bridge Update (MassDOT Blog)
- Radar Feedback Pilot Back in Ward 5 [Somerville] (Ward 5 Online)
- IG questions legality of Red Sox deals involving Yawkey Way and Lansdowne Street (CommonWealth Magazine, Boston Globe)
- Editorial: Red Sox Nation should share more cash with Boston proper (Boston Globe)
- Citizen complaint of the day: Can't anybody here make a street sign right? (Universal Hub)
- Boston's Latest Public Art Display Can Be Spotted From a Half Mile Away (BostInno)
- City officials look to regulate food trucks in Somerville (Somerville News)
- The phantom Tollgate (Universal Hub)
- Traffic Crisis at Charles Circle (Boston Column)
- Newbury Water Main Project Update (Back Bay Patch)
- Cambridge To Rebuild Western Ave Include Many Cycling Improvements (Boston Biker)
- What the Hell Is That? DOT Solves Mystery of New Poles at Forest Hills (Jamaica Plain Patch)
- Wrong way in Wellesley: Car uses Rockland Street pedestrian bridge (The Swellsley Report)
- Another strike against the suburbs? (Boston Globe)
- Resident Question: Why Are There Trees Missing from Magoun Square? (Somerville ResiStat)
- Grounding McGrath Highway -- Route 28: Health Impact (MassDOT Blog)
- Background on the River Street and Western Avenue bridges; public hearings (Street Smarts)
- Failure to Yield and Crosswalk Design (Lovely Bicycle!)
Bicycling
- Bicycling in Boston --
- City updating residents on progress, goals of bikes program (Boston Globe, BostInno)
- The 4th Annual Boston Bikes Update: Championing Safety, Innovation & the "New Cyclist" in 2012 (BostInno, Boston Globe, theHumble Cyclist, Boston Globe, Biking in Heels)
- Mayor Menino Releases Annual Boston Bikes Report (BRA)
- Hubway --
- Hubway is BACK and ready to exceed expectations! (Boston to a T, Boston Globe, Curbed)
- On Biking: Hubway's top users like cost and convenience of the sharing service (Boston Globe)
- Hubway Bike Share Program To Roll in This Spring (Somerville Patch)
- Hubway bike sharing launch may not come until early summer for Brookline (Boston Globe)
- Who Rides Hubway? These Top 6 Hubway Users Made 1,400 Trips in 2011 (BostInno)
- Bike Helmets, Crash Safety, and Public Health: From Anecdote to Evidence (Steve Miller's Blog)
- MassDOT, Make The Fore River Bridge Better for Biking (MassBike)
- MBTA to install more bike racks with $4.8 million national stimulus funds (BU Daily Free Press)
Transit
- MBTA proposals for service cuts and fare hikes -- Background --
- Proposed MBTA Service Cuts/Fare Increase -- Passing the Buck for Mitigation (Blue Mass Group)
- What Exactly is the MBTA's 'Big Dig Debt'? (Boston Magazine)
- MBTA takes more time for recommendations on fares, cuts (Boston Globe)
- MBTA proposals for service cuts and fare hikes -- Public Hearings and Meetings --
- T Riders Union has come to the rescue (Boston Metro)
- Residents Express Anger, Offer Solutions to MBTA Officials (Somerville Patch, Boston Globe, Somerville Journal)
- Cambridge rejects both proposals in MBTA fare hearing (Cambridge Chronicle)
- Message to MBTA: No Service Cuts, No Fare Hikes (Watertown Patch)
- MBTA proposals for service cuts and fare hikes -- Political responses --
- Patrick aide opposes drawing from state reserve to help MBTA, riders (Boston Herald)
- Top official favors fare hike over service cut (Boston Globe)
- Davey Forecasts Deeper Budget Pain For MBTA (WBUR)
- Inspector General recommends money savers for costly MBTA Ride program (Cambridge Chronicle, Boston Metro)
- Deval Patrick MIA on MBTA (Boston Magazine)
- Patrick eyeing unspent snow and ice funds to lessen MBTA money woes (Dorchester Reporter, South End Patch, Universal Hub, Cambridge Day)
- Cambridge work toward saving T service draws praise of lawmakers (Cambridge Day)
- An MBTA baker's dozen +1 (Blue Mass Group)
- As lawmakers hearing about T fares and services, Senate president predicts action (Dorchester Reporter)
- MBTA proposals for service cuts and fare hikes -- Editorials --
- A sound MBTA crucial for business growth (Boston Business Journal)
- A comic look at a non-comic situation (STEP)
- MBTA proposals for service cuts and fare hikes -- Other reactions --
- Softening the Blow: Mitigation Strategies (A Better City)
- VIDEO: Rafael Mares Interview with BNN News (CLF)
- Charlestown Says: 'Don't Sink the Ferry' (Charlestown Bridge)
- MBTA cuts worry Cambridge riders (Cambridge Chronicle)
- Letter: Cantabrigians oppose MBTA cuts (Cambridge Chronicle)
- Endgame: Finding Outside Help for the T (A Better City)
- MBTA Cuts Will Go Deep Into Belmont (Belmont Patch)
- Cambridge Teens Sound Off on MBTA Fare Hikes (Cambridge Chronicle)
- MBTA cuts would wound worker commutes (Boston Business Journal)
- Some of us use the MBTA. All of us need it. (CLF)
- Who Rides the T? Justice in Transit According to the Demographics of the MBTA [Maps] (BostInno)
- T advocates should expect little sympathy from western Mass. legislators (Universal Hub)
- Biz leaders warn: MBTA cuts could jam up city (Boston Herald)
- Other MBTA --
- Probably just wishful thinking, but state officials are considering trolley service from Government Center to Dudley (Universal Hub)
- The Professional Wingman: How to pickup people on Boston's MBTA (Boston Metro)
- Just across the river, Patrick and Murray seem unreachable on mass transit (Cambridge Day)
- The MBTA's Winter Wonderland (Boston Magazine)
- MBTA: Weekend Red Line closure to end in March (Somerville Journal)
- New Balance Pushes For a New Commuter Rail Station in Brighton (BostInno, Universal Hub)
- Editorial: USPS should close Boston site, allow for expanded South Station (Boston Globe)
- Guest Post: Farewell From The Fifth Car (Boston to a T)
- Digital ad billboard coming to T stations (Boston Globe, BostInno)
- Green Line Extension/Community Path Extension --
- Keeping in step with the GLX (Somerville News)
- MAPC Publishes Final Green Line Extension report (Ward 5 Online)
- MBTA to talk plans for Gilman Square, Lowell St. Green Line stations (Somerville Journal)
Cars/Parking
- Air pollution tied to stroke risk (Boston Globe)
- Increase In Visitor Parking From 48 to 72 Hours? [Somerville] (Ward 5 Online)
- Parking management, traffic and website overhaul (Somerville News)
- Letter: What was wrong with multi-space meters? (Brookline TAB)
- Boston Ranks 5th in Zipcar's 'Future Metropolis Index' But Should Be Higher (BostInno)
- Council Calls for Public Hearing on Parking Garage (Medford Patch)
- POLL: Build a New Parking Garage on Governors Avenue? (Medford Patch)
- Tunnels Awareness Campaign (MassDOT Blog, Boston Globe)
- Hell Yeah, I Love My Car (Boston Magazine)
- Major Three-Car Wreck at Perkins Street and Parkman Drive (Brookline Patch)
Transportation financing/Government
- Ex-T boss poised to land Hawaii gig (Boston Herald)
- MassDOT Community Transit Grants (MassDOT Blog)
- MassDOT Hosts Complete Streets Workshops (MassDOT Blog)
Parks
- Esplanade 2020 --
- Letter: Esplanade's future depends on transit (Boston Globe)
- Editorial: To make a better Esplanade, harness citizens' passion (Boston Globe)
- Greenway --
- High-end taste on Greenway (Boston Herald)
- Letter: Greenway responds (Boston Herald)
- Greenway market gets one bidder (Boston Globe, Boston Herald)
- Dem sees green for Conservancy (Boston Herald)
- High-end taste on Greenway (Boston Herald)
- Dedham and Westwood bike advocates lay plans for paths (Daily News Transcript)
- DCR to close trails at Middlesex Fells Reservation (Boston Globe)
- Somerville aldermen hustled to sign lease for bike path extension (Somerville Journal)
- City withholds payment from contractor at Wainwright Park (Dorchester Reporter)
- DCR hopes Middlesex Fells users can find common ground (Boston Globe)
- Saving the speedway (Boston Herald)
- Concord selectmen sign agreement that moves rail trail project forward (Concord Journal, Concord Patch)
- New mural to grace skate park (Somerville News)
- Needham Moves Forward With Bay Colony Rail Trail (Needham Patch)
- Esplanade Playspace Could Curb Child Obesity (Back Bay Patch)
- Letter: In support of a skate park (Jamaica Plain Gazette)
- Rail connector project kicks off tomorrow (Salisbury Town Notebook)
- Boston parks project to get federal support (Boston Globe)
Development projects
- Bostonians dream big about a reborn Downtown Crossing (Boston Globe)
- Turning the page (Boston Globe)
- Editorial: Nothing against Walgreens, but downtown can do better (Boston Globe)
- BRA tentatively OKs redevelopment for Roslindale substation (West Roxbury Transcript)
- Boston: Put park aside to book hotel work (Boston Herald)
- The lessons of the failed Columbus Center project (CommonWealth Magazine)
- Zoning Board Approves 5-Story Assisted Living Facility in Watertown Square (Watertown Patch)
- Courthouse developers court residents, assuring 'We heard you' (Cambridge Day)
- A Guide to the 'Ink Block' Proposal at the Former Boston Herald Site (South End Patch)
- MBTA again tries to sell 2.8-acre property near Forest Hills Station in JP (Boston Globe, Jamaica Plain Gazette)
- Cambridge plan for Google tables (Boston Globe)
- Huntington Ave. YMCA Construction Plans Draw Fire (South End Patch)
- Search giant eyes 'bridge' for Cambridge growth (Boston Herald)
- Hotel tower may join skyline (Boston Globe)
- Hubs of transportation (Boston Herald)
- Jackson Square development receives funds (Jamaica Plain Gazette)
- Projects piling on for Dudley Square (Bay State Banner)
- Dudley done right (Boston Globe)
Land Use/Planning
- Ripe for building on Orange Line (Boston Globe)
- Mayor to Present Parkway Overlay and Linkage Fee Program Legislation (Everett Independent)
- Fairmount Indigo initiative kicks off at the Strand (Dorchester Reporter)
- Timing perfect for more in-depth Fairmount Line planning (Dorchester Reporter)
- Seeking Nominations for the Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative's Advisory Group (BRA)
- For now, bank won't seek to oust Beacon Hill store (Boston Globe)
- Excitement deserves a tax break (Boston Globe)
- SomerVision: The future is now (Somerville News, Somerville Journal)
- City's Planning Department submits draft 'SomerVision' comprehensive plan to Board of Alderman (Somerville News)
Out-of-state
- New York City --
- Cycling in a City like New York (Eltis)
- Tappen Zee Bridge --
- State to Look at Turning Tappen Zee Into Walkway (New York Times)
- Editorial: A Tappan Zee Greenway (New York Times)
- Yonkers, Greenburgh, Dobbs Ferry Unanimously For Tappan Zee Transit (Streetsblog)
- New York State Goes on Offensive Against Transit Over Tappen Zee Bridge (Transportation Nation)
- Parking Minimums Promote Driving, Even in Transit-Friendly New York (Atlantic Cities)
- Proposal Would Separate Drivers, Cyclists and Walkers on the Prospect Park Loop (New York Times)
- Everybody Inhale: How Many People Can Manhattan Hold? (New York Times)
- For Deliverymen, Speed, Tips and Fear on Wheels (New York Times)
- When The Car Is The Driver (NPR)
- Red-light anarchy reigns on Albany roads (Times Union)
- The Tale of a Taxi Driver Who Just Won't Stop Driving (Atlantic Cities)
- Ride The Tide of Light Rail, Virginia Beach (Next American City)
- Chicago Commits to Downtown Bus Priority (Transport Politic)
- Central Arkansas Pumps Up Cycling Efforts (In Arkansas)
- More Lanes Won't Clear Up the Highway (Next American City)
- People before cars: Legendary bike and pedestrian advocate urges Houston to change (Culture Map Houston)
- Looks like all systems go for Central subway (San Francisco Gate)
- Study: Local roads grow even safer, but not for cyclists, walkers (Orlando Sentinel)
- Cincinnati Neighborhood Group: Bring on the Market-Rate Pricing (Streetsblog)
- 832 Miles of New Bikeways Coming to L.A. County, Thanks to Updated Bicycle Master Plan (LAist)
- HOT lanes pick up momentum, critics (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
- House Passes Bridge Bill After an Earmark Debate (New York Times)
- Can a Highway Median Become an Alluring Public Space? (Atlantic Cities)
- How San Francisco's Cable Cars Climb Its Iconic Hills (Gizmodo)
National trends
- Federal Transportation Bill --
- Gas tax falling short in paying for transportation needs (USA TODAY)
- Transportation Bill Faces a Wall of Opposition From Both Parties (New York Times)
- Congress to America: "Get a Car!" (Streetsblog DC)
- Big Victory for Biking & Walking in the Senate! (ABW)
- Urban Highways --
- End of the Roads: When Highway Removal Works (Next American City)
- Benefiting From a Cover Up: How Concealing Urban Highways Can Create Parkland (City Parks Blog)
- Philadelphia forum weighs options for I-95 (Philadelphia Inquirer)
- The cost of urban freeways (Better Cities and Towns)
- VIDEO: Re-imagining Urban Highways Forum (Next American City)
- St. Louis to Study Removal of Elevated Highway (Next American City)
- Can Urban Highways Be Fixed? (Atlantic Cities)
- Assumptions, Part 2: The Freak Factor (Bicycling)
- The American Conservative Center for Public Transportation unites with APTA (Minneapolis Examiner)
- User Preference Key to Implementing Sustainable Transportation (The City Fix)
- DOT Issues Voluntary Guidelines for Driver-Distracting Electronics Systems (Streetsblog DC)
- How to get America to walk (BBC)
- Zipcar Leads $13.7 Million Series A Round in College Car Sharing Startup Wheelz (BostInno)
- Get Your Kitchen Out of My Parking Space! (Slate)
- WTF?! "The Lorax" Gives Mazda "The only Certified Truffula Tree Seal of Approval" (Streetfilms, Transportation Nation)
- The Lorax helps market Mazda SUVs to elementary school children nationwide (Washington Post)
- New National Plan to Transform Bicycling (LAB)
- For the Tech Sector, Bikes are the New Cars (Transportation Nation)
- Report: Pollution From U.S. Parking Spaces Costs Up to $20 Billion Per Year (Streetsblog DC)
- Do Bike Paths Promote Bike Riding? (Atlantic Cities)
- Needs of older drivers not yet met by our roadways and vehicles (Consumer Reports)
- AASHTO's Vision of Safe Streets for Seniors: Bigger Type on Highway Signs (Streetsblog DC)
- VIDEO: Cyclists hit the road as gas prices rise (CNN)
- Access to the Car Pool Lane Can Be Yours, for a Price (New York Times)
- Making Cities Safer for Cyclists and Pedestrians (New York Times)
- New technology to ease and worsen highway congestion (Marketplace)
- Does Light Rail Really Alleviate Highway Congestion? (Atlantic Cities)
- Is Urbanism Slowing the Rise of Car Travel? (Atlantic Cities)
- It's time to love the bus (Salon)
- Editorial: Take the Subway (New York Times)
- Why Driverless Cars Will Increase Tensions in Cities and Suburbs Alike (Atlantic Cities)
International news
- Cycling is unsafe in UK urban areas, says poll (Guardian)
- Mexico City's bike revolution (BBC)
- Cycle Score: using RFID tags to reward cyclists (Cycling Embassy of Denmark)
- In France, a Model Sustainable Suburb (Atlantic Cities)
- Danish Bicycle Infrastructure History (Copenhagenize.com)
- The five wise men: how to achieve lasting change (The Times)
- How to Promote Pedestrianism (The City Fix)
- The Right to Ride Freely (Copenhagenize.com)
StreetHeadlines