Emerald Network
Boston is growing and changing rapidly, with population and job-growth both on the rise. 34% of Boston residents do not own a car. 42% of Boston residents want mobility and open space improvements in their neighborhood (Go Boston 2030, Imagine Boston).
The Emerald Network creates safe, non-motorized pathways that mimic common routes that many people already travel. As the network opens connections to transit, jobs, and open space, it has the power to prompt habitual changes in how we get around.
Visit the Emerald Network website. Download our Emerald Network Quick Facts (Español)
What is the Emerald Network?
- The Emerald Network is a vision for 200 miles of seamless shared-use greenway paths in the urban core of Boston and its adjacent cities.
- Boston has a rich legacy of linear parks and greenways, but they were never finished. The Emerald Network builds on this portfolio of 100 miles of greenways.
View the Emerald Network Vision.
"We're excited by LivableStreets' Emerald Network initiative. It's a perfect pairing with Boston's Green Links project — a plan to provide walking and biking connections for all residents to Boston's largest parks. The Emerald Network takes Boston's local plan to scale in the region."
- Chris Osgood, Boston Chief of Streets | Boston Globe
Why Greenways?
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Greenways help to boost health and mobility by connecting people to open spaces and providing safe, green routes for active transportation.
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Greenways reduce congestion on our roads, aligning with Boston's goal of reducing emissions.
- Greenways create connected, more livable communities where people can thrive.
Read about the Power of the Network.
"By collaborating with the Emerald Network initiative at LivableStreets, park groups, community volunteers and other grassroots organizations we can repair the broken connections and provide more access to the parks for everyone."
- Karen Mauney-Brodek, President of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy
Why Now?
- Boston is a thriving, changing city with significant physical and social challenges. There is no better way to increase mobility than with a network that supports active transportation and expands the reach of the existing transit system.
- We are at a unique moment in time as agencies and citizens are collaborating on long-term plans to envision and shape the future of our cities, including Go Boston 2030, Imagine Boston 2030, Cambridge Citywide Master Plan, and DCR’s Urban Path and Parkways Study.
What's Happening
What You Can Do
Sign up: Receive greenway news, updates, and thought leadership by subscribing to 'Greenway Stories', our quarterly Emerald Network newsletter.
Start a Conversation: Download and share our Emerald Network Quick Facts.
Explore a Greenway: Each month on the website we feature a new Emerald Network greenway to explore.
Volunteer: Join us in spreading the word about the importance of a connected network of greenway paths.
Donate: Support the Emerald Network Initiative with a tax-deductible donation.
Contact: ambar@livablestreets.info
Better Buses
Imagine saving two weeks on your commute every year . . . Dedicated bus lanes, signal priority, and other techniques that prioritize people on buses are essential ingredients for Complete Streets, helping to anchor a world-class transportation network. Download our Better Buses Quick Facts (Español)
64 Hours: Closing the Bus Equity Gap
Our new report outlines how state officials and lawmakers can equitably invest in the MBTA bus system in order to improve transit service for underserved communities throughout Metro Boston.
The MBTA’s bus network serves over one-third of Metro Boston’s transit trips and transports the highest rate of low-income riders across the agency’s services, making it one of the best resources policymakers, planners, and community members have when it comes to connecting residents to life-changing opportunities.
However, the MBTA does not serve all bus riders equally. The MAPC’s 2017 State of Equity Report estimates that Black bus riders spend, on average, 64 more hours per year aboard MBTA buses when compared to their fellow White passengers. Without committing to addressing this service inequity head-on, riders will continue to be underserved by public transit at a crucial moment in our region’s history.
Want to learn more about a specific campaign? Click on any of the buttons below:
Read our reports about Better Buses
Want to support better buses in Boston? Sign up to receive news and updates. Follow the latest news with our #BetterBuses hashtag on Facebook and Twitter.
Why Better Buses?
- Today, approximately seven miles of Boston streets are holding back more than one-fifth of all MBTA bus riders.
- According to MAPC’s State of Equity Report, Black riders spend 64 hours more per year on MBTA buses relative to White riders.
- 36% of motorists surveyed in the Longwood Area wanted to switch to another mode, with public transit being the leading alternative. Finding a Cure: Transportation in the Longwood Area
- Go Boston 2030's goals to increase bus ridership and lower greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved with changes that prioritize streets and signals for buses.
- Without improvements, existing and would-be transit riders in Metro Boston will continue to turn to less sustainable transportation options like rideshare and personal cars, resulting in more congestion, more emissions, and less mobility for all in the region.
Evidence for Better Buses
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In the MA Vision Zero Coalition’s 2019 Candidate Questionnaire, many elected officials in Boston have expressed support for restriction of on-street parking during rush hour in order to create dedicated bus lanes on certain major thoroughfares where bus riders experience significant delays due to traffic congestion. - In 2018, the City of Boston piloted a bus priority lane on Washington Street between Roslindale Village and Forest Hills Station. The pilot became permanent after data showed reduced travel times for bus riders along the corridor up to 25% during the morning commute. Watch now: "A Street is a Terrible Thing to Waste: Boston's Newest Bus Lane".
- LivableStreets' Board Member Steve Miller pinpoints key issues that are holding back Better Buses in Boston in his blog post "Want Better Buses and Trolley Service? Talk to Your Mayor!"
Getting Boston on Board
Watch Better Buses in Action
What You Can Do
Join the conversation: Attend a LivableStreets Advocacy Committee meeting. Download our Better Buses Quick Facts.
Volunteer: Join us in spreading the word about the importance of safe and livable streets. Our volunteers are actively involved in tracking projects, tabling at events, and serving as Street Ambassadors.
Stand up and be counted: Attend a public meeting. Check out the LivableStreets calendar — it’s updated daily!
Become a member: Join our growing community of people invested in creating safe streets and livable communities. Become a member of LivableStreets today!
Contact: info@livablestreets.info
Vision Zero
A new standard for safety on our streets — Vision Zero ensures a basic right of safety for all people as they move about their communities. In Massachusetts, Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville have each made a public commitment to Vision Zero, with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Download our Vision Zero Quick Facts (Español)
Updates:
- On November 17th, we gathered as a community for World Day of Remembrance to reflect upon those we've lost and commit ourselves to improving our roads. More details here.
- The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition has just released the first annual Vision Zero Progress Report for the City of Cambridge! Read the full report here.
- On April 17th, the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition released the third annual Vision Zero Progress Report for the City of Boston. Read the 2018 Progress Report.
LivableStreets is a member of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition. Visit the Coalition website to learn more.
What is Vision Zero?
- Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.
- A commitment to Vision Zero shifts the priority of transportation policies and projects from speed to safety, with the philosophy that crashes can be avoided if streets are designed to protect all people.
- Vision Zero sets a timeline and a commitment and brings stakeholders together to ensure a basic right of safety for all people as they move about their communities.
- The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition has successfully led efforts to build public support for Vision Zero, improve proposed street designs, influence legislation, and hold city leaders accountable.
“Driving, walking, or riding a bike on Boston's streets should not be a test of courage.”
- City of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh
Why Vision Zero?
- Traffic deaths are routinely processed by the public as the unfortunate result of car "accidents" — leaving no one accountable for making changes that can prevent these deaths.
- Cultural attitudes must change to ensure political accountability around safe streets by applying the same focus to traffic deaths as we apply to public campaigns around drunken driving and work site safety.
- To prevent traffic deaths, greater collaboration among local traffic planners, engineers, police officers, policymakers, and public health professionals is needed. Vision Zero brings together diverse and necessary stakeholders to address the complex problem of road safety.
“When a story comes out about cyclists being injured in Boston, every single time I'm thinking, well, we could have prevented it. And people will always argue that cyclists are not being careful or that it's the driver's fault or the cyclist's fault. We just have to stop pointing fingers and just work on solving the problem together. As lofty as that sounds it's what works."
– Dahianna Lopez, PhD Health Policy, Harvard University | WBUR
Why Now?
- Nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2017, marking the second year in a row of the highest number of fatalities seen in 25 years (Governor's Highway Safety Association).
- In 2017, eighty people walking and ten people biking in Massachusetts were killed by people driving vehicles.
- Through the support of the Vision Zero Network and other national partnerships, cities in the U.S. are being given an opportunity leverage their shared resources to transform the culture and expectations around traffic safety through public policy, roadway designs, and other systemic practices to prioritize safety.
"Our shared goals to stop traffic deaths are ambitious and urgent. We will get there faster together by learning from one another.”
– Seleta Reynolds, General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation
What's Happening?
VISION ZERO
TIMELINE
April 2019
Cambridge Year One Progress Report
The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition publishes the first annual Vision Zero Progress Report for Cambridge.
April 2019
Year Three Progress Report
The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition publishes the third annual Vision Zero Progress Report for Boston. The report assesses progress in two areas: Vision Zero Fundamentals and Vision Zero Actions, and provides recommendations to help the City reach its goal.
January 2019
Day of Action at State House
LivableStreets and other Coalition members organize a hugely impactful Day of Action for Road Safety at the State House. Governor Charlie Baker introduces a bill for traffic safety that includes banning handheld phones while driving.
November 2018
Marking World Day of Remembrance
Coalition members organize the fourth annual World Day of Remembrance vigil in Boston. Families and friends of road traffic victims, advocates, and city leaders gather together at the State House.
July 2018
Hands-Free Support
The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition organizes a rally at the State House to support the hands-free bill.
April 2018
Year Two Progress Report
The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition publishes the second annual Vision Zero Progress Report for Boston. The report assesses progress in two areas: Vision Zero Fundamentals and Vision Zero Actions, and provides recommendations to help the City reach its goal.
March 2018
Capacity Boost for Boston
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced a commitment of $5 million additional funds for transportation staffing and projects for FY19, including two planners and two engineers tasked with Vision Zero efforts. This investment comes with a commitment to implement 15 miles of protected bike lanes, 15 total Neighborhood Slow Streets zones, and 15 high-crash intersection improvements by 2022.
February 2018
Action for Cambridge
Cambridge releases its Vision Zero Action Plan. In line with the goals of the plan, the City also announced the implementation of 20 MPH Safety Zones in the City Squares, effective March 1.
January 2018
National Guidelines
In partnership with the Vision Zero Network and the Massachusetts Vision Zero, LivableStreets publishes the Vision Zero Action Plan Guidelines. The guide is designed to help Vision Zero communities build an implementation plan that is concrete and action driven, while being responsive to the context and needs of the community served.
September 2017
Somerville Commits
The City of Somerville commits to Vision Zero.
June 2016
Protect Mass Ave
LivableStreets helps to win interim improvements for Mass Ave, a Vision Zero priority corridor.
March 2016
Cambridge Commits
The City of Cambridge commits to Vision Zero and adopts a Complete Streets policy.
December 2015
A - C - T - I - O - N
As a member of the MA Vision Zero Coalition, LivableStreets provides recommendations to the City's Task Force during planning of the city's Vision Zero Action Plan.
November 2015
Will You Remember Me?
LivableStreets helps to organize Boston's first World Day of Remembrance Vigil at the MA State House, officially launching the MA Vision Zero Coalition.
August 2015
Crash Course
A fatal bicycle crash at Mass Ave and Beacon St spurs the city's first rapid implementation plan.
March 2015
Boston Commits
The City of Boston commits to Vision Zero and adopts a Complete Streets policy.
2015
Vision Zero Stories
LivableStreets collects hundreds of signatures and stories urging the Mayor to commit to Vision Zero.
2014-2015
Transition Time
LivableStreets serves as a member of Boston Mayor Walsh's Transportation Transition Team, of which the number one recommendation is Vision Zero.
What's next?
- The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition will be releasing the first progress report for Cambridge this spring.
- The City of Boston is bringing back its popular Boston's Safest Driver Contest.
- The City of Somerville will be releasing its Action Plan.
What You Can Do
Join the conversation: Attend a LivableStreets Advocacy Committee meeting and sign up for the MA Vision Zero Coalition email list. Download and share our Vision Zero Quick Facts.
Volunteer: Join us in spreading the word about the importance of safe and livable streets. Our volunteers are actively involved in tracking projects, tabling at events, and serving as Street Ambassadors.
Stand up and be counted: Attend a public meeting. See LivableStreets calendar— it’s updated daily!
Become a member: Join our growing community of people invested in creating safe streets and livable communities. Become a member of LivableStreets today!
Contact: info@livablestreets.info
Go Boston 2030
On March 11, 2020, we released "Not on a Shelf: Reporting on the City of Boston's Progress on Go Boston 2030." Check out the report here: www.livablestreets.info/goboston2030_progress_report
What is Go Boston 2030?
Go Boston 2030 is a City of Boston initiative that envisions a bold transportation future for the City. Ideas and feedback collected from an extensive, multi-year public engagement process were used to develop the Vision and Action Plan, which was released in March 2017.
What's Happening?
- Three years after the launch of Go Boston 2030, it's not clear what progress the City of Boston has made toward reaching the access, safety, and reliability goals laid out in the plan.
- In March 2020, LivableStreets will release a report to evaluate the City's progress on implementation of the plan, made possible through generous funding from the Barr Foundation.
What's Next?
LivableStreets is committed to reviewing the City's performance every two years to ensure public accountability in reaching its Go Boston 2030 goals. The biannual report is intended to provide the public with a barometer with which to measure and understand the City's progress. The reports will also help the City recognize any gaps and improve their results.
Building the Report
- Summer 2019: Outreach to community members at neighborhood events, festivals, and meetings across the city
- Fall 2019: Develop report and recommendations
- Winter 2019: Shared a sneak preview of the report at our StreetTalk 10-in-1
- Spring 2020: Launch report
Check out which Go Boston 2030 projects are planned for your neighborhood:
What You Can Do
Volunteer as a Street Ambassador to help build support for Go Boston 2030 projects and policies.
Become a member: Join our growing community of people invested in creating safe streets and livable communities. Become a member of LivableStreets today!
Contact: info@livablestreets.info