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Congress Urged to Act as Pandemic Losses Threaten Transit Agencies
A $1 trillion draft economic stabilization plan from the U.S. Senate provides no financial assistance for the nation's transit agencies, which have been bleeding red ink as the COVID-19 pandemic slashes fare collections and revenues from state sales and payroll taxes.
March 20, 2020
‘Public Process’ Without Public Meetings
As cities and towns across Massachusetts embrace increasingly strict "social distancing" measures to try and slow the spread of COVID-19, hundreds of public meetings across the state are being cancelled and major public planning initiatives have been put on hold while governments scramble to address the mounting public health crisis.
March 16, 2020
Thursday: Boston Hosts Events On Blue Hill Ave., ‘Connect Downtown’ Projects
City of Boston planners have scheduled two separate public meetings next Thursday, March 5 to present their progress on two major street safety projects: a transit-focused redesign of Blue Hill Avenue in the southern part of the city, and the "Connect Downtown/Southwest Corridor Extension" project, which is aiming to improve bike and pedestrian access into and through the neighborhoods surrounding the Boston Common.
February 27, 2020
Mass. Senate Takes Up Automated Enforcement Bill
The amended bill now includes provisions to allow automated enforcement of dedicated bus lanes.
February 24, 2020
T4MA Issues ‘Call To Action’ As Advocates Await Transit Funding Bill
Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA) and 22 of its partner organizations are hosting a "Call to Action" event in the State House next Tuesday as House leaders continue to work on a long-promised transportation funding bill.
February 21, 2020
Boston Starts Outreach For Hyde Park Ave. Bus and Bike Improvements
Planners from the City of Boston and the MBTA held their first open house on Tuesday evening in the city's Hyde Park neighborhood to solicit ideas for "complete streets" and transit-priority improvements to Hyde Park Avenue, a major transit corridor and one of the only north-south routes into the neighborhoods of Hyde Park and Readville.
February 17, 2020
Plans For Somerville’s Deadliest Intersection Make Little Effort To Tame Violent Driving
A $5 million safety improvement project for the dangerous intersection of Mystic Avenue and McGrath Highway will provide basic accessibility upgrades to sidewalks and crosswalks, but largely will not address the reckless, high-speed driving behavior that killed two people in hit-and-run crashes in the area over the past year, according to plans presented by MassDOT officials Wednesday evening.
February 13, 2020
Where Should Massachusetts’s Next Car-Free Street Be?
Last year, New York City banned cars on 14th Street; this month, San Francisco did it on Market Street. The results have been impressive and politically popular, as traffic has seemingly vanished without a trace.
February 10, 2020
Advocates Put Dedham Rail Trail On April Ballot
Supporters of the Dedham Heritage Rail Trail have collected over 2,100 signatures to put an advisory referendum on the ballot for the town's April 11 municipal election.
February 4, 2020
Governor Proposes More Transport Funding, Partly Reversing Past Cuts
MassBudget is a nonprofit think tank that conducts research and analysis on economic and budget policy in Massachusetts, with a particular focus on improving the lives of moderate- and low-income residents. This guest post is part of a MassBudget series looking ahead at some major stories to watch for in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget debate. StreetsblogMASS will share additional briefs and analysis from MassBudget as new budget proposals are released by the Governor and legislative bodies.
February 3, 2020
