In this issue:
Get to Watertown on September 12
Greenway Links summer ride
Boston Olympics 2024 gone, but legacy not to be forgotten
MBTA Control Board takes the reigns
The Casey is coming down
Hub on Wheels
New England Bike-Walk Summit
What's happening
Get to Watertown on September 12
Registration is live for Tour de Streets (formerly Bike4Life), our annual family-friendly walk, ride and BBQ!
The start and end location will be at a beautiful green space on the Arsenal on the Charles in Watertown. To learn more about the routes (which include a walk this year!), our amazing fundraising teams and to register visit our website today!
Join us this year as a rider, walker or supporter of this important fundraiser for LivableStreets!
A huge thank you to our sponsors!
Greenway Links summer ride
On July 29, we hosted a bike ride and walk with 20 community leaders, city planners, designers and bike enthusiasts. Part of the LandLine Summer Ride Series, we brought this group together to check out innovative art, transportation and development projects along the Columbia Road Corridor, a missing link in the historic Emerald Necklace.
Attendees had the chance to explore opportunities for safe, green biking and walking paths along Columbia Road, and listen to ideas on potential strategies to transform this corridor and connect Franklin Park to the Harbor. To see pictures of this ride check out the Flickr album!
To learn more about Greenway Links visit the project page.
Boston Olympics 2024 gone, but legacy not to be forgotten
The 2024 Summer Olympics may not be coming to Boston, but the bid process put a spotlight on Boston’s transportation deficiencies and challenged all of us to envision a better transportation future. As LivableStreets Deputy Director Stacy Thompson stated at a recent MIT Media Lab event, the Olympic bid served as a platform to gather unlikely collaborators and have a serious discussion about the state of transportation in the Boston Metro area.
Imagine what our streets could look like a decade from now. From improved MBTA service, to expanded walking and biking infrastructure, to creating a Gold Standard BRT pilot, let's not forget that, with or without the Olympics, Boston still needs a world class transportation system.
We look forward to working with everyone, for or against the Olympics, to create a Boston 2024 legacy.
Wins
MBTA Control Board takes the reigns
In mid-July Governor Charlie Baker appointed five members to the MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board, including LivableStreets Board Member and Executive Director of the 128 Business Council Monica Tibbits-Nutt!
The formation of the Control Board was a key recommendation by the Governor's MBTA Special Panel following the winter weather that crippled MBTA service.
"Fixing the MBTA will be a complex task, but moving forward with a Fiscal Management and Control Board dedicated solely to the T's operations and finances is an important step toward delivering accountability for taxpayers and riders," said Governor Baker.
We hope you will join us in congratulating Monica on her appointment to the Control Board and support her in the Herculean task of getting the T back on track!
The Casey is coming down
It's been more than two years since the at-grade alternative for the Casey Overpass was won and we are excited to see construction on the project is in full swing! When completed, this project will reconnect four of the most beautiful parks in Boston and the neighborhoods that surround them. It will also extend crucial bike, pedestrian and transit facilities in the area.
LivableStreets is continuing to actively monitor and attend meetings regarding this project to ensure that it moves forward as planned.
To see a few photos of the current phase of construction check out our Flickr album and stay tuned for updates on this and several other important projects being monitored by our Advocacy Committee.
Opportunities
Hub on Wheels
Sunday, September 20
@ City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA
Bike through a car-free Storrow Drive, explore historic neighborhoods, and take in views of the Boston Harbor with thousands of other cyclists for this year’s Hub on Wheels. The ride starts and finishes on City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston, with three different routes to choose from. You haven’t seen the Hub until you’ve seen it on two wheels. Register Today!
New England Bike-Walk Summit
Thursday, September 24
@ DCU Center, Worcester, MA
Join us for the fourth New England Bike-Walk Summit! LivableStreets will be presenting along with dozens of other fantastic speakers from around the region. Be prepared for a wide variety of sessions of interest to all stakeholders – agency personnel, grassroots advocates, professionals in private practice, retailers, and more. To check out the agenda and register visit the website!