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.
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.
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: tony@livablestreets.info
Like our work? Donate today!
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.
Read and share our report: Getting Boston on Board highlights improvements that can be made now by the City of Boston with minimal costs and considerable benefits for bus riders and transit access citywide. This report will guide our Better Buses advocacy agenda as we work with community partners and decision-makers moving forward.
Read our full report and policy recommendations here.
Check out StreetFilm's video "The New Bus Campaigners" featuring some of our Better Buses work:
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.
Better Buses in Action
The City of Everett’s bus-only lane on upper Broadway has contributed to a 20% reduction in travel times. Read more:"When Street Parking Becomes a Pop-Up Bus Lane"
Better Buses in Boston
The City of Boston's siloed approach to city-owned streets and state-managed transit service has resulted in service gaps that undercut the bus system and affect mobility for everyone in the region. Our advocacy efforts aim to create a road map for breaking down these silos to better connect city operations and bus service.
Getting Boston on Board outlines the first steps the City of Boston should take to make fast, meaningful improvements to our transit system in the next one to four years, including the following policy recommendations:
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Prioritize bus upgrades at the city level with a focus on accountability
and equity. - Improve streets to prioritize bus transit on high ridership corridors.
- Expand bus service and improve the rider experience system-wide.
Help us get Boston on board with bus priority now! Visit our Getting Boston on Board campaign page or download the full report.
Keep Rozzie MovingWashington Street between Forest Hills and Roslindale Square services nine MBTA routes and 19,000 bus riders every day. During the morning and evening rush hour, nearly 60% of the people moving along this corridor are traveling by bus, making it one of the busiest bus ways in the region.
Visit our Keep Rozzie Moving campaign page to learn more or download our fact sheet.
What You Can Do
Join the conversation: Attend a LivableStreets Advocacy Committee meeting.
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
Like our work? Donate today!
Longwood Area
Boston’s Longwood Area (commonly referred to as the Longwood Medical and Academic Area or LMA) is a dense and thriving community of medical, academic, research, and cultural organizations that combine to create a powerful economic engine for the city and the state. Projected to grow by 13,200 employees and 6.86 million gross square feet by 2030, now is the time to create a complete streets blueprint that will help Longwood support demand for convenient, safe and accessible transportation.
“[Longwood] doesn't work for cars, pedestrians, buses, or bikes and doesn't have a good connection to public transit . . . Who exactly does it work for?” - Roxbury resident
During 2017, LivableStreets embarked on a year-long engagement campaign in the Longwood Area, collecting over 1500 survey responses and having real-time discussions with commuters and EMTs. Our report "Finding A Cure for the Longwood Area's Transportation Challenges" analyzes the survey results, providing important takeaways and three recommendations for future transportation planning.
Download and share the full report here.
Why Longwood?
- Over 110,800 commuters, visitors, and patients descend on Longwood each day (MASCO).
- Longwood institutions generate jobs, care for the sick, educate tomorrow’s workforce, and are a cultural resource to the community.
- As a working, learning and research "neighborhood", safe access and physical connections are a necessity to move many people in and around Longwood daily.
- Longwood was identified as one of 5 prime corridors for Bus Rapid Transit in Greater Boston in the 2015 Boston BRT Report.
"The people of Boston also deserve public transit that works...That means better commuter rail service...It means smarter bus routes and dependable trains. And it means new connections for neighborhoods like Mattapan to job hubs like Longwood Medical Area in Mission Hill."
- Marty Walsh, 2017 State of the City Address
Why Now?
- The Longwood Area is growing rapidly. By 2030 there is projected to be 13,200 more employees and 6.86 million gross square feet.
- People are changing how they get around Longwood. Since 2000 the number of drive-alone commuters has dropped 19%, while transit use has increased 12%, and walking and bicycling has increased by 7% (MASCO).
- Public Health and Complete Streets are natural allies. Professionals in public health and transportation can work together to create streets that are safe and convenient for a variety of active transportation choices.
“We know that 22% of the February rush hour traffic in the Longwood Area was on bicycle...and with the new developments around we really need to make infrastructure enhancements now to deal with the volume growth of the future."
– Longwood Area Cyclists "Bike Safety in the Longwood Area" (Watch the video!)
What's Happening? 
What's Next?
What You Can Do
Join the conversation: Connect with Longwood Area Cyclists or attend a LivableStreets Advocacy Committee meeting.
Volunteer: Contact andrew@livablestreets.info for more information.
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.
Contact: info@livablestreets.info
Like our work? Donate today!
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.
Updates:
- On April 11th, the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition released the second annual Vision Zero Progress Report for the City of Boston. Learn more about the Coalition here and read the 2017 Progress Report.
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
March 2018
Year Two Progress Report
The Massachusetts Vision Zero 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 City of Boston will be releasing its own Vision Zero annual review later this spring.
- The City of Somerville will be releasing its Action Plan.
- The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition will be releasing progress reports for Cambridge and Somerville.
- LivableStreets and other area advocacy groups crafted an omnibus traffic safety bill which was filed in January 2016. Get updates on the bill here.
What You Can Do
Join the conversation: Attend a LivableStreets Advocacy Committee meeting and sign up for the MA Vision Zero Coalition email list.
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
Like our work? Donate today!
Go Boston 2030
After two years of outreach and dozens of workshops, the City of Boston released its Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan, an unprecedented roadmap for the region’s mobility future. This ambitious plan encapsulates our vision for a Boston where streets are safe, equitable, and vibrant places for people.
The future of Boston is in your hands. Will you help us make this plan a reality?
- Volunteer as a Street Ambassador this spring and help build support for Go Boston 2030 projects and policies. RSVP now for an upcoming training sessions! Click here to learn more.
- Join our Advocacy Committee to help track and influence Go Boston 2030 ongoing and proposed street projects.
- Support our work by becoming a LivableStreets member or make a donation.
What is Go Boston 2030?
- A City of Boston initiative to envision a bold transportation future for Boston for the next 5, 10, and 15 years.
- An ongoing dialogue between the City and the wide range of people who rely on its sidewalks, streets, and transit system to get where they need to go.
- A far-reaching vision that proposes transformative policies and projects to improve transportation for the city's residents, businesses and visitors.
“What we really wanted to do is open the process to people we might not have had a chance to encounter....In many cases, we found out, they hadn't been engaged in any city processes. For them, it was a real eye-opener.”
– Vineet Gupta, Director of Policy and Planning for the Boston Transportation Department | Boston Globe
Why Go Boston 2030?
- For decades, transportation planning in Boston has used a conventional model for public input— community meetings. But not everyone has the time or means to get to such meetings.
- Go Boston 2030 has used a colorful truck people can write on, a bicycle powered trailer, and other creative ways to gather input by meeting the public right where they are: on the streets and sidewalks.
“For decades, the response to Boston's lack of real progress in traffic planning has often been something like: 'What do you expect? Our roads were built on cow paths, not a traffic grid.' Given today's technology and innovative thinking, that stock answer no longer holds."
– Mike Ross | Boston Globe
Why Now?
- The city's last comprehensive transportation plan was completed more than a decade ago.
- Now is the time for the city to develop a big vision as well as a concrete list of immediate improvements and long term investments to ensure that our transportation system is safer, greener, and more equitable for everyone traveling in Boston.
What's Happening?
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Mayor Marty Walsh announced a commitment of $5 million additional funds for transportation staffing and projects for FY19. 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.
- The Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan was released in March 2017. You can view the full report here.
Here are some key proposals LivableStreets is especially excited to see included:
Better Buses
- Overall bus service reliability improvements on 30 busiest routesRapid bus service along Washington St in Roslindale, Mass Ave, between North Station and the South Boston Waterfront, between Mattapan and the LMA, and more!
- Transit signal priority along key bus and Green Line routes.
- Implementing a network of neighborhood mobility hubs.
Emerald Network
- All three of our Boston Greenway Partners’ projects are part of the Action Plan, including Roxbury to Fenway, Arboretum to Roslindale, and the American Legion Parkway.
- Improving Columbia Road so that it better serves the surrounding community and completes Olmsted’s vision of the Emerald Necklace.
- Southwest Corridor extension to Back Bay and MGH via Charles St.
Vision Zero
- Expansion of Neighborhood Slow Streets program.
- Complete streets overhauls for Dorchester Ave in South Boston, Washington St/Columbus Ave in JP & Roxbury.
- Implementing better bike corridors by rebuilding streets with protected, low-stress bicycling facilities.
What You Can Do
Volunteer as a Street Ambassador this spring and help build support for Go Boston 2030 projects and policies. RSVP now for an upcoming training sessions! Click here to learn more.
Join our Advocacy Committee: help track and influence Go Boston 2030 ongoing and proposed street projects.
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
Like our work? Donate today!
