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Pages tagged "featured_initiatives"

Go Boston 2030

By Phillip Mirmov | Oct 12, 2023

A photo showing Boston mayor Marty Walsh at a podium.

 

What is Go Boston 2030?

In March 2017, the Walsh administration released The Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan. The plan lays out a comprehensive vision to implement an accessible, reliable, and equitable transportation network throughout Boston by the year 2030. Ideas and feedback collected from an extensive, multi-year public engagement process were used to develop the Vision and Action Plan.


LivableStreets doing outreach at a festival

2017 - 2020 Progress:

In March 2020, we released our first accountability report, "Not on a Shelf: Reporting on the City of Boston's Progress on Go Boston 2030."  The 2020 report found that three years after Go Boston 2030 was released, the City of Boston had made important structural changes to their mobility-related departments, budgets, and priorities, including adding millions of dollars and 20 new staff to the transportation department. While these changes established a strong foundation for the City to make progress on Go Boston 2030 projects and policies, the implementation of these projects and policies did not demonstrate significant progress toward Go Boston 2030’s ultimate goals and targets.

Read our 2020 accountability report here.


Cover page of LivableStreets report, Not on a Shelf 2023What's Next?

The City gave themselves 14 years to reach their 2030 goals—2023 marks the halfway point, an appropriate inflection point for assessment. 

On October 12th, 2023, the City announced their plans for Go Boston 2030 ReVisioned, an update to the original plan.

In October 2023, in tandem with the City’s announcement, we released Not on a Shelf 2023, our second assessment of the City’s progress toward goals set in their original plan. The plan was written to inform the City’s newly-announced update. 

Read our report here! 

If you would like to better understand the impacts of Go Boston 2030 on your community, check out our most recent report. If you have any questions, reach out to us at [email protected].


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: [email protected]

Emerald Network

By Lynn Drew | Jun 12, 2017

 Banner photo for the Emerald Network, featuring the EN logo at the bottom. The photo shows a paved path with pedestrians, a person riding a bike, and someone in a wheelchair all moving towards the camera.

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 program website. Download our Emerald Network Quick Facts (Español)


A map of Boston highlighting the vision of a completed Emerald Network.

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, former Boston Chief of Streets | Boston Globe


A paved path in the woods with about a dozen people traveling along it, either on foot, on bicycle, or being pushed in a wheelchair or stroller.Why Greenways?

  • Greenways help to boost health and mobility by connecting people to open spaces and providing safe, green routes for active transportation.

  • 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



A family of four, two adults and two children in a stroller, walks down the sidewalk while a pedestrian and a person riding a bicycle cross the street in a crosswalk behind them.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.

A line of people, mostly dressed in suits or business casual, hold an orange ribbon; it has been cut in the middle.What's Happening

More than 30 miles of the Emerald Network are currently in-progress; meaning the projects have funding for design, funding for construction or are currently under construction. LivableStreets provides support to these projects by writing comment letters, activating community support at public meetings, and collaborating with municipalities and agencies.

Visit the Emerald Network website to view our progress in detail. 


A handful of people sit around a table, looking at or discussing whatever's written on the pieces of paper on said table. They are in a room full of people.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: [email protected]

Better Buses

By Phillip Mirmov | Jun 12, 2017

Better Buses banner image, showing the back of a bus with an ad that says \

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, and help to anchor a world-class transportation network. Download our Better Buses Quick Facts (Español).

A map of boston with MBTA bus routes highlighted in green, yellow, and red corresponding to the number of hours per mile passengers are delayed over a year. The most delayed routes stretch from Cambridge into the center of Boston and from the center of Boston southwards to Dorchester.

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

  • A group of people on a sidewalk with several buses passing by on the street.Following the completion of the bus/bike lane on Brighton Ave in Allston, Street Ambassadors conducted a survey of bus and bike riders to learn how they feel about the new bus/bike lane. Here is some of what we learned:
    • 90% of bus riders and 98% of bike riders want to see a dedicated lane in the outbound direction.
    • 94% of bus riders ranged between neutral and very satisfied with the lane, while 93% of bike riders were at least somewhat satisfied with the lane.
    • 93% of bike riders feeling safer in the shared bus-bike lane compared to before.
    • The survey responses also highlighted the importance of keeping cars out of the lane in order for it to work as intended.
  • When bus lanes are introduced bus ridership goes up. Examples of this improvement across corridors include Broadway in Somerville, where ridership increased by 36%-69% and Brighton Ave in Boston where ridership increased by 5%-8%.
  • Bus Lanes lead to faster bus trips. Adding the bus-bike lane on Washington st in Roslindale led to buses having 25% faster run times.
  • 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.

 


Campaigns

Visit our Better Bus campaign pages:


Reports

Read our reports about Better Buses:

The cover of the Keeping Pace report, showing a woman in a hijab and carrying a bouquet of flowers stepping onto an MBTA bus.Opens in new page
The cover of the Tight Spot report, showing a bus driving along a bus-bike only lane; a person on a bike rides to the bus's right.Opens in new page
The cover of the 64 Hours Better Buses report, with a photograph of several people waiting for the 50 bus, and the report title in white on an orange background.Downloadable PDF
The cover of the Better Buses report, with a photo showing a line of people waiting to board the 47 bus to Central SquareOpens in new page

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.


Two young men, both of whom appear to be Asian-American, stand at a bus stop on the new center-running lanes at Columbus Ave. Both are wearing jackets, masks, and orange livablestreets hats, and they are holding clipboards with rider surveys printed on paper. To their right & behind them run the bus lanes, with a view of Columbus Ave with its traffic lanes as well.

What We're Hearing From Riders

Columbus Ave Center-Running Bus Lanes + Stops

In December 2021, Street Ambassadors spoke with people waiting for buses at the new stops on the center-running bus lanes on Columbus Ave in Boston. We heard:

  • 81% of people felt safer and more comfortable crossing the street, including when they weren’t on their way to take the bus. 
  • 78% of riders are satisfied with the bus lanes that have already improved travel times.
  • Riders told us that their trips became faster and more consistent, with almost 75% of people experiencing improvements in these areas. 
  • The new bus lanes (along with the new bus stops) made people riding the bus feel valued, with one rider sharing, “I feel like I’m the mayor getting an escort”  
  • What’s the favorite feature of the new bus stops? Overwhelmingly, people loved the real-time arrival signs. These signs make it much easier to know when the next bus will be arriving and how crowded it is, allowing people to better plan their trips and expectations.

See more of our results on the City of Boston’s website page

People’s experience is critical for understanding how new infrastructure is working. However, the actual numbers also matter. Our partners at TransitMatters created a data dashboard where we can see the actual time saved for people riding the bus on the new center-running bus lanes.

  • During the morning peak, heading towards Jackson Sq: travel times went from an average of 15 min to <11 minutes, a 20-30% improvement.
  • In the evening peak, heading towards Walnut Ave: travel times decreased from 12 minutes to just 7 minutes, a 40% improvement in travel times. 

These bus lanes are so important because these minutes add up! Saving 4 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening means 45 minutes each week, 3 hours over a month, 36 hours every year! That’s a day and half saved for riders who take the bus 5 days per week.


Watch Better Buses in Action

"Allston Bus Lane"

screencap of the Allston Bus Lane video, showing two cyclists riding in a bus-bike only lane.

"A Street is a Terrible Thing to Waste: Boston's Newest Bus Lane"

a screencap of \

A street ambassador, a white man with brown hair, moustache, and beard, is wearing an orange shirt and holding a clipboard. He is standing in a bus shelter and looking towards the camera with an expression of mock-surprise.What You Can Do

Get involved: 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: [email protected]

Vision Zero

By Phillip Mirmov | Jun 12, 2017

Banner image for Vision Zero, showing a temporary bike lane separated from the read with plastic bollards. Several women ride their bikes down the bike lane, away from the camera.

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)

LivableStreets is a member of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition. Visit the Coalition website to learn more.


A sign declaring \

What's Happening?

  • Nearly 7,500 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2021, which is the most pedestrian fatalities in four decades (Governor's Highway Safety Association).
  • In 2022, 102 people walking and 10 people biking were killed in Massachusetts by people driving vehicles.
  • In 2022, Vision Zero Coalition and the Great Neighborhoods Network put together a questionnaire of questions about mobility & housing; candidates from Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville responded with their answers. Check it out here!
  • In April 2022 we launched Dismantling Law Enforcement's Role in Traffic Safety: A Roadmap for Massachusetts. This report offers a vision and framework for moving toward traffic safety without police. You can check out the full report here.

A two-way bike lane fin Boston, separated from the travel lanes by plastic bollards.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. 

Former Boston mayor Marty Walsh speaks from behind a podium on a sidewalk.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, policymakers, and public health professionals is needed. Vision Zero brings together diverse and necessary stakeholders to address the complex problem of road safety.

A line of cyclists, led by a Boston police officer on a bike, rides down a street alongside parked cars. A second Boston police officer rides on the group's left; behind the cyclists is a tour bus.

What You Can Do

Get involved: Sign up for the MA Vision Zero Coalition email list, and 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 (virtual) public meeting.

Become a member: Join our growing community of people invested in creating safe streets and livable communities. Become a member of LivableStreets today!

Contact: [email protected]

Like our work? Donate today!

Donate

LivableStreets Alliance
70 Pacific Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

[email protected]
617.621.1746

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