Tag: MBTA

Mtg Tonight – Re-read WalkBoston Comments on the GLX and the Community Path – March 15, 2016

March 15, 2016
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
10 Park Plaza, Room 4150
Boston, MA 02116
Attention: MassDOT Board of Directors
MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board
GLX Interim Project Manager Jack Wright
Assistant Secretary for Policy Coordination Katherine Fichter
RE: GLX and the Community Path
WalkBoston has worked for over 25 years to promote improvements to pedestrian facilities throughout the state and region. We strongly believe that the proposed Community Path adjacent to the Green Line Extension in Somerville and Medford is an essential element to the successful operation of the extension. The path through this corridor is an integral part of the project that will help it to prosper and serve its riders well, especially when the need is reinforced by the lack of parking at the stations.
The Community Path is essential for the GLX to fully meet its potential in serving the residents of this corridor. It will function as the principal access route to and from the stations for walkers and cyclists, as it will be a safe and protected means of access between residences and the doors of the light rail vehicles. The same levels of access cannot be provided solely by relying on existing streets, which are frequently less direct for users. The safety of walkers is also improved by using routes that are not shared with vehicles.
We urge consideration all possible ways to fund the path and include it an integral part of the construction of this extension. Joint construction is the most cost-effective approach to construction, as the transit project and the Community Path share a common right-of-way and many elements of infrastructure, Cutbacks in the GLX project should not include reducing the number or safety of available routes of access for transit patrons going to or from the stations.
Thank you again for this opportunity to comment on this project.
Sincerely.
Wendy Landman
Executive Director
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Tonight, #Somerville High School is the place to be. re-read our recent letter on #GLX / Community Path in advance!

TIGER VII Application, Union Square Multimodal Improvement Support Letter

June 2, 2015

Secretary Anthony Foxx
U.S Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

Re: Support for TIGER VII Application, Union Square Multimodal Improvement Project

Dear Secretary Foxx, On behalf of WalkBoston, I am writing to express support for the City of Somerville’s TIGER VII grant application to help fund the Union Square Multimodal Improvement Project. WalkBoston has been working for many years with Somerville as the City has actively pursued better non‐ motorized transportation choices. There are many reasons why the construction of this crucial project should be funded at this time.

The Union Square Multimodal Improvement Project will provide badly‐needed infrastructure improvements to a historic downtown district. The project includes roadway and streetscape improvements that will improve traffic flow through the Square, enhance pedestrian and bicycle connections, and create additional plaza and green space for civic life.
A highly anticipated MBTA light rail station is under construction in Union Square with adjacent land cleared for redevelopment. Funding will allow the City to improve access to new transit in one of New England’s most densely populated, but traditionally underserved, commercial districts.
This proposed multimodal project meets the objectives clearly laid out by Secretary Foxx’s Safer People, Safer Streets Action Plan to Increase Walking and Biking and Reduce Pedestrian and Bicycle Fatalities. This plan increases access and connectivity to existing and planned bus and transit systems, linking transportation systems into a multimodal network.
The Union Square Multimodal Project is widely supported by residents and businesses of Somerville. Extensive neighborhood planning and public input continues to be a priority as the project moves into later stages of design.
The Union Square Improvement Project is consistent with DOT’s Policy on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation which emphasizes multimodal transportation systems and with the interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities policy to “develop safe, reliable and economical transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nations’ dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote public health.”

Thank you for considering this important project for funding,

Sincerely,

Wendy Landman
Executive Director

Codman Academy Walk Audit

In 2014, a student was struck and seriously injured on Epping Street, a one block, one lane roadway bordering the Codman Academy. The 9th grade student got off an MBTA bus and started walking across Epping Street and was hit by a car. The student was hospitalized.

Epping Street is a one-way street used by drivers to avoid traffic signals at Norfolk and Talbot. This usage represents safety hazards for the students and faculty at Codman Academy. This report looks at the safety benefits of closing Epping Street.

Information for this report was collected and analyzed by 10th grade students at Codman Academy as part of their physics and math classes in the fall and winter of 2014-2015. They were assisted in this effort by staff from WalkBoston, a non-profit walking advocacy organization.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-CodmanAcademyReport-Dorchester

“The Old State House corner: The corner that could”

The time capsule on top of the Old State House was recently in the news. But did you know about more recent history on that corner?

Bob Sloane recently wrote in our newsletter about changes that WalkBoston pushed for on the corner in 2011 that helped get wider sidewalks and improve safety for the over 36,000 people cross that spot daily between T station users and visitors on the Freedom Trail.

Haven’t received your newsletter yet? (We mail it out to supporters). Get in touch with us or make sure to make your contribution today!

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Pearl Street Walk Assessment

The City of Somerville has made great progress in both installing new bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the City, as well as instituting more active transportation friendly policies. However, there are many intersections and road corridors that continue to be hazardous for pedestrians and cyclists. The Somerville police department identified several high-priority intersections that are particularly dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists to implement the bike/ped enforcement and awareness program. Many of the identified intersections are in the process of being redesigned.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-PearlStreetWalkAssessment-Somerville