Recent Streetsblog MASS posts about Chelsea

An Amtrak Lake Shore Limited train passes through Chester, Mass. Photo by Benjamin Turon, licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license.

Debate Begins Over the Next U.S. Transportation Funding Bill

By Christian MilNeil | Jun 4, 2020 | No Comments

Yesterday, House Democrats released a draft bill that establishes a $494 billion, 5-year plan for the nation’s transportation infrastructure – but in spite of language to address climate change, and significant funding increases for rail and transit programs, the lion’s share of the bill’s funding would still go to roads and highways. The proposed legislation, […]

The MBTA closed most of its downtown subway stations Sunday night, escalating tensions as thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters struggled to get home.

How T Closures Escalated Post-Protest Tensions

By Christian MilNeil | Jun 4, 2020 | No Comments

Management at the MBTA is facing intense criticism after shutting down core subway stations on recent evenings, leaving thousands of its riders stranded and trapped among the belligerent police forces they were protesting against. On Sunday evening, thousands of people participated in a peaceful march from Nubian Square to the State House. As night fell […]

3rd Street bus lane in San Francisco. Photo: SFMTA

Mental Health Break: Watch Some Buses Cruise Down Dedicated Bus Lanes

By Christian MilNeil | Jun 3, 2020 | No Comments

Take some deep breaths and watching some city buses leapfrog past single-occupant vehicles.

Protesters march in New York City's Foley Square on Tuesday. Photo by Steven Vago

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In Their Own Words: Black New Yorkers Talk About Their Fear in Public Space

By Steven Vago | Jun 3, 2020 | No Comments

“We don’t need you to take a knee with us,” City Council Member Donovan Richards of Queens said. “We need you to take your knee off our necks.”

St. Louis County police in riot gear confront protesters n Ferguson in August 2014. Photo by Jamelle Bouie, licensed under Creative Commons.

Streets Need to Be Safe for Black Lives, Too

By StreetsblogMASS | Jun 1, 2020 | No Comments

It’s been one week since Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, choked George Floyd to death in a Minneapolis street, and three months since a retired Georgia cop and his son gunned down Ahmaud Arbery on a quiet street in Georgia. Both killings were caught on videos that contain damning indictments not only of the […]

The Boston Cyclists Union's "Bike to Market" events bring bike repair services and training to Boston neighborhoods that are underserved by brick-and-mortar bike shops. Photo courtesy of the Boston Cyclists Union.

Poor and black ‘invisible cyclists’ need to be part of post-pandemic transport planning too

By Julian Agyeman | May 29, 2020 | No Comments

Editor’s note: this article originally appeared on The Conversation and is republished here with permission from the author. As states and workplaces prepare to open up after the lockdown, many people are looking for alternatives to public transit to get to work. The National Association of City Transport Officials reports an “explosion in cycling” in […]

Proposed signage for Cambridge's "shared streets" network, part of the city's strategy to provide safe physical distancing routes for car-free residents to get around the city. Courtesy of the City of Cambridge.

Cambridge (Finally) Announces Citywide Shared Streets Network

By Christian MilNeil | May 28, 2020 | No Comments

The conceptual network would extend "all the way from Fresh Pond and Danehy Park, through Harvard Square and down towards Kendall Square... with another piece running down from Central Square to the river along Magazine Street."

A network of quick-build bike lanes will take shape in downtown Boston this summer as part of the city's "healthy streets" initiative. Courtesy of the City of Boston.

Mayor Walsh Announces Details of New ‘Healthy Streets’ Initiative

By Christian MilNeil | May 28, 2020 | No Comments

The initial plans include a network of new protected bike lanes across downtown Boston and around the Public Garden, expanded bus stop waiting areas, and processes to let restaurants expand their outdoor seating areas on sidewalks and on-street parking lanes.

Bluebikes docked at South Station in downtown Boston.

Boston Cyclists Union to Offer Deeply Subsidized Bluebikes Passes

By Christian MilNeil | May 28, 2020 | No Comments

The Boston Cyclists Union, with financial support from Boston's Wagner Foundation, will offer limited-income applicants annual Bluebikes passes for just $5 – a 95 percent discount from the typical price of an annual pass.

A new survey of Massachusetts residents found that many people expect to walk and drive alone more often - and use transit less - than they did before the pandemic. Courtesy of MassINC Polling Group.

New Poll Forecasts Fewer Trips, Large Mode Shifts on the Streets This Summer

By Christian MilNeil | May 28, 2020 | No Comments

A new poll from the MassINC Polling Group shows that many Massachusetts residents expect to make fewer trips once the state begins to reopen this summer, and when they do travel, they expect to ride transit much less often – and walk or drive more – than they did before the pandemic. MassINC conducted a […]