StreetsblogMASS

An uninjured driver stands next to the SUV she flipped over while driving on Route 1 in Peabody on March 18, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts State Police.

Bucking National Trends, City of Boston Marks Progress on ‘Vision Zero’

By Christian MilNeil | May 10, 2021 | No Comments

"In order to truly achieve Vision Zero, there need to be fewer single-occupancy vehicles on the road," concludes a new progress report from the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition.

The WRTA's downtown bus hub, next to Worcester's Union Station.

The WRTA’s Fare-Free Bus Experiment Was Popular, But Won’t Last Without Funding

By Christian MilNeil | May 7, 2021 | No Comments

The WRTA's higher levels of transit ridership, relative to other peer cities, suggest that its fare-free policies may be especially helpful to frontline workers whose travel decisions are more sensitive to fare costs.

A Walk Audit of Worcester

By Christian MilNeil | May 5, 2021 | 1 Comment

Highway construction devastated West Boylston Street, which remains extremely hostile to foot traffic to this day. What would it take to make it a healthy neighborhood main street again?

The newly rebuilt Kelley Square from above, pictured in early 2021. Photo courtesy of MassDOT.

Eyes On the Street: I Survived Worcester’s New Kelley Square

By Christian MilNeil | May 4, 2021 | No Comments

MassDOT's project upgraded several connecting streets in the Canal District with improved sidewalks and dedicated bike infrastructure.

An Ode to the Miniature Fire Truck

By Kea Wilson | May 4, 2021 | No Comments

Stories about miniature emergency service vehicles are spreading like wildfire on Twitter — so let's rethink our obsession with monster trucks.

The Wayside Trail, part of the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail, passes an abandoned trail station at the Church Street underpass in Weston.

New Plan Plots a Course for Cross-State Trail Through Central Massachusetts

By Christian MilNeil | May 3, 2021 | 1 Comment

About one third of the proposed Mass. Central Rail Trail has already been built, but connecting missing links through the hills of Worcester County will be a more challenging project.

Worcester City Hall and the newly rebuilt Main Street, pictured in December 2020.

It’s Worcester Week on StreetsblogMASS

By Christian MilNeil | May 3, 2021 | No Comments

In small, significant steps, the city is beginning to remake its streets and transit systems to embrace a more walkable, transit-oriented future.

A rendering of the permanent design for the new Tontine Crescent plaza, expected to go under construction in June. Courtesy of of Millennium Partners and the City of Boston.

Downtown Boston’s Tontine Plaza to Be Made Permanent

By Christian MilNeil | Apr 29, 2021 | No Comments

Millennium Partners hopes to start construction on the new plaza in June.

Talking Headways Podcast: A New Conversation about Development Finance

By Jeff Wood | Apr 29, 2021 | No Comments

Let's talk about early childhood education, housing, and connecting transportation to community development.

Two Silver Line buses pass each other on the dedicated busway in Chelsea. Photo courtesy of the MBTA.

Help Pick A Route for the Silver Line Extension Through Everett

By Christian MilNeil | Apr 27, 2021 | No Comments

Planners seek feedback on potential alignments that would extend the Silver Line busway from its current terminus in Chelsea into Everett, Somerville, Cambridge, and downtown Boston.

Gov. Charlie Baker (left) and MassDOT Secretary Jayme Tesler (background).

Advocates Pan Proposed Expansion of Policing in Baker ‘Safety’ Bill

By Christian MilNeil | Apr 26, 2021 | No Comments

Advocates remain in the dark about what's being proposed, and are concerned about the administration's focus on policing instead of preventing crashes.

Batteries can't fix this: a midday traffic jam on I-93 in downtown Boston.

Guest Column: Electric Cars Won’t Save Us

By Jarred Johnson | Apr 23, 2021 | No Comments

To meet its climate goals, Massachusetts will need to eliminate gasoline-powered vehicles from the state’s roadways within the next 25 years. But the Commonwealth’s new decarbonization roadmap aims to accomplish this not with improvements to transit and safer streets, but with widespread subsidies for new electric vehicles. Massachusetts is home to many of the world’s […]

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