Tag: Boston

job opportunities with WalkBoston & partner organizations

Position: WalkBoston part-time office administrator

Description: WalkBoston is looking for a part-time office administrator to become a core member of our team. The job is a mix of accounting, human resources, and office management. See full job listing

How to Apply: Please submit your resume and a cover letter to jobs@dev.walkboston.org by Dec 15, 2018.

Position: Boston’s Safest Driver Program Manager

Description: The City of Boston is seeking a part-time Program Manager for the second edition of the Boston’s Safest Driver competition set to launch in the winter of 2018. Boston’s Safest Driver is a key educational program element of Mayor Walsh’s Vision Zero initiative aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries from our roadways by 2030. Applicants should be excited to engage with Boston drivers and form new partnerships! See full job listing

Position Dates: December 2018 – July 2019; up to 30 hours per week, pay based upon experience.

How to Apply: Cover letters and resumes can be sent to Kristopher.Carter@boston.gov.

Position: CommonWheels Program Director

Description: A recent recipient of a 3-year grant from Boston Children’s Hospital, CommonWheels Bicycle Collective is now poised for growth and is searching for an energetic and resourceful part-time Program Director to help expand and grow the organization’s programs and outreach. The ideal candidate will have experience in program development and management, excellent communication and relationship building skills, be comfortable working for a small community based non-profit, and have the ability to work independently. Experience with education and youth programming and/or bicycle mechanics are beneficial, but not required. See full job listing

How to Apply: Please send a resume and brief (one page) cover letter to hiring@commonwheels.org with the subject line “Program Director.”

Position: Land Use/Zoning Planner, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission

Description: Under the supervision of the Manager of the Land Use & Environment Section, performs a wide variety of planning tasks necessary to implement Valley Vision, the regional land use plan of our innovative and forward-thinking 21st century Regional Planning Agency, with responsibility for 43 cities and towns in a region of over 630,000 people located in beautiful western Massachusetts.

Requires familiarity with the principles, practices, and methods of land use planning and especially municipal zoning and related planning board technical assistance; strong project management; exceptional communication and community engagement ability; familiarity and experience with planning boards and local development regulations; experience implementing, and knowledge of, Massachusetts zoning and subdivision rules and regulations. See full job listing

How to Apply: Please forward cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references via email by January 5, 2019 to: Catherine Ratté, Manager Land Use & Environment Section cratte@pvpc.org

Position: Housing Planner, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission

Description: The Land Use and Environment Section of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission seeks a highly qualified and motivated Housing Planner (at either entry level or senior level) to focus on Housing planning while working collaboratively with colleagues in the PVPC Land Use & Environment section. This person will work with cities, towns, the state and federal government, and partner organizations to advance municipal housing planning and policy work, including assisting member municipalities to modify local land use zoning regulations to facilitate housing access and affordability. See full job listing

How to Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, 3 references, and a brief work sample by target date of 12-07-2018 to Timothy W. Brennan, Executive Director, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, 60 Congress Street, Springfield, MA 01040, OR – by email to Land Use/Environment Section Manager Catherine Ratté at cratte@pvpc.org.

Boston.com – “Should the Boston speed limit be 20 mph? Some say things need to change to make the city’s streets safer.”

Boston dot com: “Should the Boston speed limit be 20 mph? Some say things need to change to make the city’s streets safer.”

Among several residents and associations who spoke before councilors, Adi Nochur, project manager for WalkBoston, which works to make walking easier and safer in the state, said the proposed speed limit change is essentially about street design.
“It is about traffic calming, and it’s a fundamental matter of equity as well — how do we make sure all neighborhoods get traffic calming and how are we prioritizing areas that have been historically underinvested?” he said.

Posted November 13, 2018

Jamaica Plain Gazette – “City Council holds hearing regarding dockless mobility, electric scooters”

Jamaica Plain Gazette: “City Council Holds Hearing Regarding Dockless Mobility, Electric Scooters”

Kristen McCosh from the Mayor’s Office of Persons With Disabilities said that part of her role is to make sure the path of travel on the sidewalks remain unobstructed.
“Sidewalks are the most common mode of travel for people with disabilities,” McCosh said. She said she was concerned about accessibility of the scooters themselves as well as their speed, and where they might be left in the way of someone who is blind or low vision.
“People with disabilities are not in a position to move them or even go around them,” she said.
In the third panel, Stacy Thompson, executive director of the Livable Streets Organization, and Brendan Kearney from WalkBoston, made suggestions about the implementation of the new scooters. Thompson told the City Council that she hopes they will meet their excitement about the prospect with “increased funding for the infrastructure that will be required to support this.” She also said that regulating the speed of the scooters is just a small portion of the conversation that needs to be had about regulating the speed of all vehicles. Redesigning streets and curbside management were things that Kearney said needed to be thought about.

Posted November 9, 2018

“Step On It!” Sidewalk Scavenger Hunt a success!

On a Nov. 3rd, sightseers, residents, friends, and families ventured out and braved the forecast of rain and wind to gather at Old City Hall and participate in WalkBoston’s scavenger hunt. Teams and individuals alike grabbed their clues and eagerly set off within the Downtown Boston area to search the sidewalks and uncover embedded images/phrases. Fun wrapped up with a bit of history sums it up as participants hunted for over a dozen items: the lyrics to the “Tea Tax,” a plaque commemorating the building of the first subway in America, and many more. The two-hour hunt ended with a celebration of food, drinks and announcement of four winning teams: Ali’s Alley Explorers, Lovely Ladies, Spark, and The Sidewalk Raptors.

Thanks to our staff, board members, and volunteers who put this event together and our co-sponsors MP Boston and the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, who generously invested their resources promoting our event.

Lastly, we thank all the local businesses that donated prizes for the event: Synergy Investments, Hyatt/Downtown Boston, Zipcar, Roche Bros., Sweet Bakery, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Serafina Boston, Boston By Foot, Freedom Trail Foundation, Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, and Zoo New England.

See our album of pictures on Facebook

Results

Team	Score
Ali’s Alley Explorers	37
lovely ladies	34
Spark	34
The Sidewalk Raptors	34
Schuerhoff Team	29
Allsfair	27
Codd Squad	25
Fish-ionaries	25
Scooby Doo	25
Tech Networks of Boston	24
Ladies who Lunch	23
Team Ahearn	23
Diego	13
Clueless	12

Event: MassDOT Design Public Hearing – Cypher Street Improvements, 11/13, 6:30pm

We led a walk two years ago in November 2016 from near the Broadway T Station (meeting at Dorchester Ave & W 2nd Street) that walked toward the Fort Point area. The route went by the proposed GE Headquarters site and highlighted gaps in the pedestrian network at Cypher Street that neighbors in the area have been trying to shine a light on. One of our guest speakers on the walk described a project that would include improvements for Cypher Street that was proceeding toward 25% design.

There is now a public hearing scheduled to take place at the Condon School on November 13 at 6:30pm:

“The proposed work includes new sidewalks and pavement, street lighting, traffic signal systems, improved drainage, accessibility ramps and crosswalks, separated bike lanes, new pavement markings, signing and landscaping in accordance with current state and federal standards.”

The full announcement from MassDOT can be found below. We encourage you to go and speak up for safe walking!

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Department of Transportation Highway Division – Notice of Public Hearing

Project File No. 608807
(search for this number on MassDOT project tracking system)

A Design Public Hearing will be held by MassDOT to discuss the new Cypher Street Improvements, including Richards Street, E Street and Fargo Street in the Seaport District of Boston, MA.

WHERE:

Condon School, 200 D Street, Boston, MA 02127

WHEN:

Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 6:30 PM

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with the opportunity to become fully acquainted with the proposed improvements to the streets listed above. All views and comments made at the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible.

PROPOSAL:

The project will include improvements for truck access to Massport’s Conley Terminal, and expand/improve multi-modal transportation connections through the corridor. The proposed work includes new sidewalks and pavement, street lighting, traffic signal systems, improved drainage, accessibility ramps and crosswalks, separated bike lanes, new pavement markings, signing and landscaping in accordance with current state and federal standards.

A secure right-of-way is necessary for this project. Acquisitions in fee and permanent or temporary easements may be required. MassDOT is responsible for acquiring all needed rights in private or public lands. MassDOT’s policy concerning land acquisitions will be discussed at this hearing.

Written views received by MassDOT subsequent to the date of this notice and up to five (5) days prior to the date of the hearing shall be displayed for public inspection and copying at the time and date listed above. Plans will be on display one-half hour before the hearing begins, with an engineer in attendance to answer questions regarding this project. A project handout will be made available on the MassDOT website listed below.

Written statements and other exhibits in place of, or in addition to, oral statements made at the Public Hearing regarding the proposed undertaking are to be submitted to Patricia A. Leavenworth, P.E., Chief Engineer, MassDOT, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Roadway Project Management, Project File No. 608807. Such submissions will also be accepted at the hearing. Mailed statements and exhibits intended for inclusion in the public hearing transcript must be postmarked within ten (10) business days of this Public Hearing.

Project inquiries may be emailed to dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.us

This location is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats, such as audio tapes, Braille and large print), as available. For accommodation or language assistance, please contact MassDOT’s Chief Diversity and Civil Rights Officer by phone (857-368-8580), fax (857-368-0602), TTD/TTY (857-368-0603) or by email (MassDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us).

Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting, and for more difficult to arrange services including sign-language, CART or language translation or interpretation, requests should be made at least ten (10) business days before the meeting.

In case of inclement weather, hearing cancellation announcements will be posted on the internet at
http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/
JONATHAN GULLIVER PATRICIA A. LEAVENWORTH, P.E.
HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR CHIEF ENGINEER