Issue #91 - April 2015

In this issue:

  • Spring Open House recap
  • Get a head start on Bike Month
  • Take action: Federal transportation bill
  • LivableStreets weighs in on parking, buses, Comm Ave
  • Massachusetts Transportation Summit
  • Go Boston 2030 Public Visioning Lab
What's happening
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Spring Open House recap
Despite the dreary weather, our April 9th Spring Open House was a resounding success! It was great to see more than 100 new and familiar faces! To view photos from the event click here.
 
 Highlights from the Open House include:
  • Toasting to our recent Comm Ave victory
  • Previewing our 10th Anniversary and new membership program being launched in June
  • Hearing from some of our newest board members
  • Enjoying food and drinks donated by Aeronaut Brewing, Downtown Wine & Spirits, Flatbread, Harpoon, and Whole Foods
If you didn't get a chance to come to the Open House, be sure to stay tuned for the exciting events and opportunities we'll be rolling out over the next few months!  
Get a head start on Bike Month

 

May is Bike Month! Join LivableStreets tomorrow morning at City Hall for the city's first Bike Friday. You can join a bike commuter convoy from one of dozens of locations throughout the Boston metro area. Safe guided convoys with experienced ride leaders will follow a fixed schedule and route and finish together at City Hall Plaza in Boston. Join a convoy, or just show up for the fun. Learn more and register here.

If you can't join us tomorrow, we hope to see you at a future Bike Friday this summer. Check out our calendarfor the dates and more Bike Month opportunities!

 

Take action: Federal transportation bill
Congress is preparing to take action on a new federal transportation bill. We need your help to make sure that Congress doesn't cut funding to help local communities build sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, trails and more.
 
Our friends at the League of American Bicyclists have made it easy for you to ask your Senator to Co-Sponsor S. 705, The Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act.
The Transportation Alternatives Program provides hundreds of millions of dollars each year to local communities to invest in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. For decades, our federal transportation system has prioritized building roads, leaving many of our communities with few transportation options and rising safety risks for people bicycling and walking. S. 705 would help make sure that Congress continues to invest a small share of federal transportation dollars in these types of projects.
Newsworthy  
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LivableStreets weighs in on parking, buses, Comm Ave
Did you know MBTA buses serving downtown Boston make about 1,200 trips and carry more than 60,000 passengers every day? Ari Ofsevit, LivableStreets Advocacy Committee member (and Boston Marathon runner!), rebuts a recent claim that buses are to blame for downtown Boston's congestion and digs into the enormous benefits buses provide in a piece he wrote for Commonwealth. To read the full article click here.
 
Demand-based parking rates could be the answer to scarce spaces, says LivableStreets Board member Charlie Denison in a letter to the Boston Globe. What do you think? Check out the full response here.

And Executive Director Jackie Douglas was invited to write a guest blog for the Barr Foundation breaking down our recent Comm Ave victory. It might not sound exciting on paper, but several of the new design elements have never been done before in Boston. 
Read more about what LivableStreets did to help win a Safer Comm Ave here.
Public meetings and other opportunities 
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Massachusetts Transportation Summit

Friday, May 1
@ DCU Center, 50 Foster St, Worcester, MA

Join Transportation for Massachusetts for the first-ever statewide summit for exploring and exchanging ideas and actions to improve transportation in every corner of the Commonwealth. Speakers include Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack, ZipCar founder Robin Chase and many other presenters and visionaries sharing ideas on the next generation of transportation solutions. LivableStreets is an active member of T4MA and helping plan this event-we hope to see you there!
 
For more information and to register visit: www.t4ma.org/summit
Go Boston 2030 Visioning Lab  
Click for event details
Friday, May 8 & Saturday, May 9
@ China Trade Center, 2 Boylston St., Boston, MA  
 
 
 
Stop by to participate in planning the future for Boston streets. Go Boston 2030 is a City of Boston initiative to envision a bold transportation future. The two year process will result in a plan that will be a road map for the city. The event will kick off with remarks from Mayor Walsh and include interactive activities, performances, a data visualization gallery, emerging technology demonstrations and more! 
 
To learn more about Go Boston 2030 visit goboston2030.org
Thank you to StreetLife sponsor:

 

   
Sincerely, LivableStreets