Tag: Vision Zero

Cambridge Day – Divisions made clear, Inman Square plan okayed by City Council to go to Legislature

Cambridge Day: “Divisions made clear, Inman Square plan okayed by City Council to go to Legislature”
By Marc Levy

In the past three years, Inman Square has seen five pedestrian crashes, 10 bicycles crashes including Phillips’s death, and 50 vehicle crashes, said Wendy Landman, executive director of WalkBoston, a nonprofit founded in 1990 that has worked with Cambridge in Inman Square since 2014.

Posted June 5, 2018

MA Vision Zero Coalition support for the Inman Square project

May 21, 2018

To the Cambridge City Council,

We are writing to you today since we understand you will be conducting a hearing tonight that involves discussion on the removal of 4 or 5 trees from Inman Square, to facilitate the Inman Square road design for transportation safety.

The goals of the Inman Square redesign are to make the square, specifically the large intersection of Hampshire and Cambridge Streets, safer for people biking and walking — the most vulnerable road users. This is in line with the Cambridge Vision Zero policy, and is particularly timely as a response to the dangers highlighted by the fatal crash that took the life of Amanda Phillips in June of 2016, while she was riding her bike away from Inman Square.

The Vision Zero Coalition is working to make Massachusetts safer for all road users and we believe that the proposed changes to Inman Square will make that complicated and busy intersection much safer for people walking and biking. In addition, the plan responds to the requests of local residents and business owners to create a more attractive and connected Vellucci Plaza to better serve businesses. We believe that the plan now makes the most of the opportunity for a large re-construction project, to fix the traffic and safety operations of Inman Square, and provide an opportunity to revitalize struggling businesses in the Square.

We sincerely hope that the objections to the project stemming from the loss of 4-5 trees (which will be transplanted and/or replaced) will not delay these important safety improvements any longer.

Trees are an extremely important part of the urban fabric and contribute to pedestrian comfort and safety, and our organizations advocate for trees as an important element of streetscape design. Trees are also important contributors to environmental benefits. As transportation is the number one contributor to greenhouse gases in Massachusetts, it is imperative that we provide people with transportation options that get them out of single occupancy vehicles. The amount of carbon that a tree can sequester is moot if we can get hundreds, even thousands, more people out of cars and onto their feet, transit and bicycles. While Cambridge boasts one of

the highest percentages of people who travel by walking, transit and biking, that percentage could be much higher if the City is safer and more attractive for people using those modes.

While we regret the loss of four to five trees, making progress on safety, mode shift, and the continued vitality of Inman Square outweighs that loss and we believe the project should move forward as soon as possible. We are pleased that the designers and City staff have found a way to plant even more trees than are being removed.

We look forward to seeing the re-construction of Inman Square get underway, and to the safer, more convenient and more vibrant Square that will result.

Best regards,

Wendy Landman, WalkBoston

Stacy Thompson, LivableStreets Alliance

Becca Wolfson, Boston Cyclists Union

Members and leaders of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition

Curbed – How multimodal city councilor Michelle Wu gets around Boston

Curbed: “How multimodal city councilor Michelle Wu gets around Boston”
by Alissa Walker

After the budget meeting, we have a Vision Zero briefing from the coalition of community groups, with leaders from Livable Streets, WalkBoston, and the Boston Cyclists Union. Vision Zero refers to the city’s commitment to eliminate pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and serious injuries from crashes with cars. It’s about the principle that our infrastructure choices directly determine how safe it is to get around the city.
The briefing focuses on equity needs—bus service is still congested and unpredictable, but it’s the only affordable option for many of our residents, particularly in communities of color. We can and must do more at the city level to prioritize bus service and improve multimodal options. Mayor Marty Walsh made a big investment in this year’s proposed budget for staffing and resources to improve infrastructure and transit. We all can’t wait to see these passed and implemented!

Posted May 9, 2018

Increased Parking Fines to Fund $5 Million in Transportation; Biking & Bus Improvements Emphasized

North End Waterfront: “Increased Parking Fines to Fund $5 Million in Transportation; Biking & Bus Improvements Emphasized”

“With this investment in safety, operations and multi-modal thinking about our streets, sidewalks and trail systems, Boston is re-taking its place among the leading American cities on walking, biking and transit. Thank you to Mayor Walsh and the Boston Transportation Department for finding creative ways to fund impressive new investments.” – WalkBoston Executive Director Wendy Landman

Posted April 4, 2018

Good news: Mayor Walsh proposes an increase in funding for staff & capital improvements in Boston!

Kudos to Mayor Marty Walsh & the staff for moving Go Boston 2030 from plan toward reality!

Bottom line – this means 15-20 new positions at the Boston Transportation Department to work on many of the things that we care about: Vision Zero, signals, transit, sidewalks. Funding will come from increased parking fines, which will need to be approved by the Boston City Council.

Read the press release from City of Boston: https://www.boston.gov/news/mayor-walsh-announces-transformative-investments-go-boston-2030-transportation-plan-part