Recent Streetsblog MASS posts about Blue Hill Avenue

Riders arrive at City Hall Plaza for Bike to Work Day in 2018. Courtesy of the City of Boston.

Bike to Work Day This Friday, and More Bike Month Events

By Christian MilNeil | May 17, 2022 | No Comments

May is MassBike’s Bay State Bike Month, with dozens of bike rides, bike repair clinics, and other events all over the commonwealth. You can find a lot more events at MassBike’s BayStateBikeMonth.org website, but here’s a brief summary of some highlights: Wednesday: Burritos and A Bike-In Movie The Boston Cyclists Union is hosting a Bike […]

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NO SURPRISE: Feds Report Double-Digit Increase in Road Deaths in 2021

By Gersh Kuntzman | May 17, 2022 | No Comments

Call it the forgotten pandemic: road fatalities surged by double-digit percentages, including a significant increase in deaths outside of cars, in 2021, according to a new report issued Tuesday by federal authorities.

A detail of the MBTA's proposed new bus network map, showing the proposed new routes that would connect Roxbury and Dorchester to the jobs of the Longwood Medical Area (upper left). Courtesy of the MBTA.

Our First Look At the T’s Proposed New Bus Network

By Christian MilNeil | May 16, 2022 | No Comments

The MBTA has published a draft map of its proposed new bus network – a major milestone in the agency’s efforts to reinvigorate and expand its bus services. For the past year, the T’s planners have been working on a blank-slate redesign of its bus routes to adapt to the region’s changing travel patterns, better […]

Attorney General Maura Healy speaks at an event launching her campaign for governor outside the Maverick Blue Line station earlier this year.

What Maura Healey’s Climate Plan Reveals About Her Transportation Priorities

By Sam Mintz | May 13, 2022 | No Comments

The framework contains a number of ideas about how to decarbonize the transportation sector, which generates roughly 40 percent of the state's climate-heating pollutants.

A map illustrates bus shuttle stops for the upcoming April 2022 closure of the Blue Line between the Airport station and downtown Boston. Courtesy of the MBTA.

The Blue Line’s Rough Ride Will Continue One More Week

By Christian MilNeil | May 13, 2022 | No Comments

On Thursday, the MBTA announced that its suspension of Blue Line service between the Airport station and downtown Boston will extend one more week, through Tuesday, May 17.

Highway Pollution Is Surging Back Towards Pre-Pandemic Levels

By Christian MilNeil | May 12, 2022 | No Comments

Massachusetts residents burned through roughly 596 million gallons of gasoline during the first three months of 2022.

Two Green Line trains collided on Commonwealth Avenue on the evening of Friday, July 30, 2021. Courtesy of the Boston Fire Department.

Feds’ Safety Review Could Impact Local Governance Over the T

By Christian MilNeil | May 10, 2022 | No Comments

"FTA leadership recently discussed the pattern of safety incidents with MBTA executive leadership, yet it remains unclear what actions the MBTA Board and executive team are implementing to prevent and address the system's safety violations," wrote federal officials.

The northern entrance to the new Charlestown Seawall bike path, pictured from Draw 7 Park in Somerville. The Alford Street Bridge and the spire of the Saint Vincent de Sales Church on Bunker Hill are visible in the distance.

Two New Trail Links Open, Connecting Greenways North of Boston

By Christian MilNeil | May 9, 2022 | No Comments

A tour of the new Charlestown Seawall trail, which connects Draw 7 Park in Somerville to Alford Street in Boston, and the new Watertown-Cambridge Greenway, which connects the Alewife Red Line station to Watertown Square.

A hazardous materials warning sign reading "DANGER: Asbestos may cause cancer, causes damage to lungs, authorized personnel only, wear respiratory protection and protective clothing in this area" hangs from a post in front of an uncovered pile of construction debris.

MassDOT Under Fire for Stockpiling Hazardous Debris Next to Public Housing in Chelsea

By Christian MilNeil | May 6, 2022 | No Comments

"Folks always say what is environmental justice? What is environmental racism? Here it is. This is a prime example of it. The state is dumping contaminated material next to low-income communities and communities of color,” said Rosanne Bongiovanni, the executive director of GreenRoots, a Chelsea-based environmental justice advocacy organization.

A photo illustration of a Tesla parked at a charging station with hundred-dollar bills flying around

Study: Most of the Commonwealth’s EV Rebates Had No Effect on Buyers’ Choices

By Christian MilNeil | May 5, 2022 | No Comments

Surveys of program participants found that more than half of rebate recipients were "free riders" - car buyers who would have chosen an electric car with or without the state's cash, but took the money anyhow.