The fast-growing City of Everett has established a new Active Transportation Advisory Committee to make it easier and safer to get around the city without a car.
"We want to try to get citizen feedback, find out what are the issues people are most concerned about," Committee Chair Andrea Porras told StreetsblogMASS. "There are a lot of pedestrians in Everett. We're here to give a voice to the citizens in Everett who don't have cars or are interested in non-car transportation."
The group, chartered by the Everett City Council, started meeting this winter, and they are seeking additional members.
The committee meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. at Everett City Hall.
"This isn’t a binding committee, so they can’t vote to change a regulation. But they're going to be the voice of the community shaping our projects," says Jay Monty, the City of Everett's transportation planner. "I view this committee as a partnership, and we’re making sure that voice gets heard. If we’re trying to figure out where a new commuter rail station might be, developers have one opinion about where it should go, but I want to have the city’s existing residents and neighborhoods to have a say in that decision, too."
The city has several large-profile transportation plans in the works right now. An MBTA-led study to improve bike, pedestrian, and transit connections across Sweetser Circle is getting underway this summer.
Last year, the Biden administration also pledged $22 million for the MBTA to build a dedicated, separated busway on Broadway (which is also a key link in the MBTA's popular new frequent-service 109 bus route).
But in addition to those ambitious long-term projects, the committee is also working on ways to improve the city more immediately.
The committee and city officials are discussing possible "neighborway" projects, which entail traffic-calming on low-traffic neighborhood streets to prioritize bike and pedestrian connections.
And the committee is also hoping to organize a bike safety rodeo for Bike Month in May.
"I really like Everett, it’s geographically small, and it has a small-town feeling to it," says Porras. "It's a place where I feel like I actually can get involved and help make things happen."
You can learn more about the Everett Active Transportation Committee, and view their recent meeting agendas and minutes, on the City of Everett's website.
