Recent Streetsblog MASS posts about Environment

A MassDOT sketch of a proposed mid-river highway installation that would carry Soldiers Field Road and the Paul Dudley White bike path for the decade-long reconstruction of the Massachusetts Turnpike through Allston. Courtesy of MassDOT.

MassDOT Allston Plans Would Plant A Highway Over the Charles River

By Christian MilNeil | Nov 20, 2019 | No Comments

In order to make room for construction workers, project planners have proposed relocating the Soldiers Field Road and Paul Dudley White bike path to a "temporary" mid-river highway that would remain in place for ten years while the rest of the project is built.

A view of the Allston I-90 tollbooths and Beacon Yards in 2015. Photo by Nick Allen, licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0.

MassDOT Report Kicks Off Environmental Review For Allston Multimodal Project

By Christian MilNeil | Nov 7, 2019 | No Comments

MassDOT and the Federal Highway Administration have officially kicked of the two-year environmental review process for the Allston Multimodal Project – a reconfiguration of Interstate 90, Soldiers Field Road and the Framingham/Worcester railroad line along the Charles River waterfront in Allston – with the release of a “scoping report” that outlines how the project will […]

City Releases ‘Go Boston 2030’ Progress Report

By Christian MilNeil | Nov 1, 2019 | No Comments

Mayor Walsh boasts of getting dozens of sustainable transportation projects underway, but the desired results of reduced car use and lower travel times remain elusive.

An electronic tolling gantry on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Courtesy of MassDOT.

Business Groups, Advocates Agree: Drivers Need To Pay More

By Christian MilNeil | Oct 30, 2019 | No Comments

As legislators on Beacon Hill start working on a new transportation funding bill this week, business groups and sustainable transportation advocates are finding common ground on proposals to raise new funds for the state’s transportation infrastructure with new fees, taxes and tolls on motor vehicle users. This morning, the Massachusetts Business Coalition on Transportation, which […]

Photo by JeepersMedia, licensed under CC BY 2.0

Report: Higher Gas Tax, Like Higher Transit Fares, Could Increase Inequality

By Christian MilNeil | Oct 17, 2019 | 1 Comment

While many sustainable transportation advocates champion higher gasoline taxes as a way to pay for transportation improvements, a new report from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) warns that higher gasoline taxes will exacerbate the state’s growing income inequality – unless the state simultaneously passes other tax policies to benefit low-income families. A 10-cent […]

Mayor Walsh’s Climate Plan: City Must Cut Car Use In Half By 2030

By Christian MilNeil | Oct 11, 2019 | 1 Comment

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh released his updated “Climate Action Plan” this week to move the city towards its target of cutting citywide greenhouse gas pollution in half within the next decade, and the plan makes it clear that the city’s transportation policies will need to become much, much more ambitious. The updated climate plan shows […]

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