Thursday’s Headlines

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Here’s what we’re reading this morning:

Mayor Walsh will cut the ribbon on the “Connect Historic Boston” protected bikeway (featured in a 2018 Streetfilms video) at noon today.
MassDOT is soliciting public comments on its proposed 2020-2024 capital investment plan, with public hearings tonight in Braintree and Fall River.
The Boston Herald’s latest “On the Move” podcast episode features a conversation withPaul Regan of the MBTA Advisory Board.
In the print edition of the Herald, a story on how an “exodus” of retirees out of the MBTA could hinder the agency’s operations and capital investment plans.
California’s latest cap-and-trade auction collected a cool $740 million from climate polluters, reports Streetsblog California.
The two sides of Somerville: in simultaneous meetings last night, residents clamored for the city to tear down the McGrath Highway, and also freaked out about the possibility of losing some on-street parking on Powderhouse Boulevard.

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We’re Four Years Old, Let’s Party

By Christian MilNeil | May 23, 2023

As with any good party for a 4 year-old, there will be delicious cake, and if you show up early enough, you might get to take home a limited-edition StreetsblogMASS zine that we're printing for the occasion. RSVP via Eventbrite to let us know you're coming.

a white striped crosswalk with two vegetated curb extensions on either side.

Wu Admin Announces ‘Safety Surge’ of Traffic Calming for Neighborhood Streets

By Christian MilNeil | May 22, 2023

The city says it aims to install up to 500 new speed humps and redesign at least two dozen intersections every year.

A crowd of people in bikes pedals through a wide brick plaza. In the center, wearing a black helmet and blue hoodie, is Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

PHOTOS: Boston’s 2023 Bike To Work Day

By Christian MilNeil | May 19, 2023

Between 7:30 and 8:45 a.m., convoys of riders coming in from Mattapan, Dorchester, Brookline, Cambridge, Malden, Chelsea, and other cities across the region arrived in City Hall Plaza in waves, while City of Boston Transportation Department staff welcomed them with cowbells and cheers.

Orange construction barrels surround a newly-constructed median island surrounded by parked cars on the left and moving vehicles to the right. Two pedestrians are stepping off the island to cross the street, which is lined with multi-story apartment buildings. In the distance on the horizon are visible the Prudential Center and other skyscrapers in Back Bay.

Eyes On the Street: Some Curb Appeal In Dorchester and the South End

By Christian MilNeil | May 18, 2023

A protected bike lane project that allegedly started construction a year ago is finally showing some visible signs of progress. Boston’s Massachusetts Avenue Better Bike Project will create a two-way protected bikeway along the western curb of Massachusetts Avenue from Melnea Cass Boulevard in Roxbury to Columbia Road in Dorchester. Planning for the project began […]

A wide intersection with a multi-story brick building on the far side. In the foreground is a triangular traffic island surrounded by asphalt where three crosswalks meet.

Truck Driver Kills 5-Year-Old Girl In a Downtown Andover Crosswalk

By Christian MilNeil | May 15, 2023

In spite of eyewitness reports that her killer drove into the crosswalk while Olson and her family were legally protected by a walk signal, a spokesperson for the District Attorney's office said that they have decided not to restrain the perpetrator from operating a motor vehicle.

Flooding on Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester during a "king tide" event

On Morrissey Boulevard, A Flood of Plans, But Little Action

By Christian MilNeil | May 15, 2023

The lack of consensus around the future of Morrissey Boulevard and the adjacent Kosciuszko Circle (the dangerous rotary where Morrissey, Day Boulevard, Old Colony Avenue, and Mt. Vernon Street all intersect) represents a considerable risk factor for the city's plans to create a new transit-oriented neighborhood on the Red Line.