Recent Streetsblog MASS posts about Advocacy Opportunities

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has painted new bike lanes on Fenway near Simmons University. The lanes have been criticized for their lack of physical protection, and for their poor design at intersections. During the morning rush hour on July 11, 2019, dozens of safety advocates lined the new bike lanes to create a "people-protected" barrier.

Photos: ‘People-Protected’ Bike Lane on Fenway

By Christian MilNeil | Jul 11, 2019

A crowd of over 100 street safety advocates spent a pleasant morning in one of Boston’s Olmsted parks (albeit one that’s largely been paved over to give drivers more places to get stuck in traffic) as they created a “people-protected bike lane” on Fenway and Brookline Avenue during the morning rush hour. As reported previously, […]

An aerial view of the Back Bay Fens, looking east towards downtown Boston. Brookline Avenue runs diagonally from the upper left to the lower right in this image.

Unforced Error on the Fenway: New Bike Lanes on Busy Roads Lack Physical Protection

By Christian MilNeil | Jul 10, 2019 | 2 Comments

A repaving project of the Fenway and Park Drive near the Landmark Center is drawing criticism from Boston-area cyclists for installing new unprotected bike lanes in dangerous, heavy-traffic locations where parking-protected bike lanes appear to be feasible. The project includes the intersection of Park Drive and Brookline Avenue. In February, a driver at that location […]

A derailed Red Line car blocks the tracks at the JFK/UMass station on June 11, 2019. The derailment destroyed signal equipment and is expected to disrupt service on the Red Line for most of the summer. Photo courtesy of the Boston Fire Department.

Higher Fares Take Effect, and Elected Officials Respond With a ‘Boston T Party’

By Christian MilNeil | Jul 1, 2019

A fare increase for most MBTA subway and commuter rail tickets takes effect today, but dozens of local elected officials and activists are responding with a “Boston T Party” during this morning’s commute. The higher prices take effect nearly three weeks after a Red Line train went off the rails at the JFK/UMass station and […]

A presentation board showing the Department of Conservation and Recreation's conceptual cross-sections for Memorial Drive in Cambridge, photographed at a public meeting held on June 25, 2019.

State’s Memorial Drive Concept Conserves Cambridge Waterfront… for Cars

By Christian MilNeil | Jun 26, 2019 | 2 Comments

On Tuesday evening in Cambridge, several dozen neighbors, local politicians and transportation advocates turned out to hear the state’s conceptual improvement plans for the “Memorial Drive Phase III” project, which would rebuild the roadways and paths on Cambridge’s riverfront from Eliot Bridge near Mount Auburn Hospital to the rotary at the foot of the Boston […]

A group photograph of West Roxbury neighbors setting out on a safety audit of Centre Street on May 11, 2019. Courtesy of West Roxbury Walks.

Boston Kicks Off Redesign Process for West Roxbury’s Centre Street

By Christian MilNeil | Jun 17, 2019 | 1 Comment

West Roxbury Main Streets, the neighborhood business organization, has been asking the city for traffic calming improvements since 2016, when a survey identified Centre Street's pedestrian-hostile design as a major barrier to foot traffic.

The old Northern Avenue Bridge and the downtown Boston skyline in 2013. Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ingfbruno.

Car Lanes Would Bust the Budget for Boston’s New Northern Avenue Bridge

By Christian MilNeil | May 31, 2019 | 2 Comments

Nine years ago, when it was still a vast plain of parking lots, planners imagined Boston’s Seaport neighborhood as the city’s future: a master-planned “innovation district” of tech companies, new housing options and signature public spaces along a revitalized waterfront. Now that it’s largely built, few people call the Seaport an “innovation district” any longer. […]

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