Category: Announcement

job opportunities with WalkBoston & partner organizations

job opportunities with WalkBoston & partner organizations

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Position: WalkBoston part-time office administrator

Description: WalkBoston is looking for a part-time office administrator to become a core member of our team. The job is a mix of accounting, human resources, and office management. See full job listing

How to Apply: Please submit your resume and a cover letter to jobs@walkboston.org by Dec 15, 2018.

Position: Boston’s Safest Driver Program Manager

Description: The City of Boston is seeking a part-time Program Manager for the second edition of the Boston’s Safest Driver competition set to launch in the winter of 2018. Boston’s Safest Driver is a key educational program element of Mayor Walsh’s Vision Zero initiative aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries from our roadways by 2030. Applicants should be excited to engage with Boston drivers and form new partnerships! See full job listing

Position Dates: December 2018 – July 2019; up to 30 hours per week, pay based upon experience.

How to Apply: Cover letters and resumes can be sent to Kristopher.Carter@boston.gov.

Position: CommonWheels Program Director

Description: A recent recipient of a 3-year grant from Boston Children’s Hospital, CommonWheels Bicycle Collective is now poised for growth and is searching for an energetic and resourceful part-time Program Director to help expand and grow the organization’s programs and outreach. The ideal candidate will have experience in program development and management, excellent communication and relationship building skills, be comfortable working for a small community based non-profit, and have the ability to work independently. Experience with education and youth programming and/or bicycle mechanics are beneficial, but not required. See full job listing

How to Apply: Please send a resume and brief (one page) cover letter to hiring@commonwheels.org with the subject line “Program Director.”

Position: Land Use/Zoning Planner, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission

Description: Under the supervision of the Manager of the Land Use & Environment Section, performs a wide variety of planning tasks necessary to implement Valley Vision, the regional land use plan of our innovative and forward-thinking 21st century Regional Planning Agency, with responsibility for 43 cities and towns in a region of over 630,000 people located in beautiful western Massachusetts.

Requires familiarity with the principles, practices, and methods of land use planning and especially municipal zoning and related planning board technical assistance; strong project management; exceptional communication and community engagement ability; familiarity and experience with planning boards and local development regulations; experience implementing, and knowledge of, Massachusetts zoning and subdivision rules and regulations. See full job listing

How to Apply: Please forward cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references via email by January 5, 2019 to: Catherine Ratté, Manager Land Use & Environment Section cratte@pvpc.org

Position: Housing Planner, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission

Description: The Land Use and Environment Section of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission seeks a highly qualified and motivated Housing Planner (at either entry level or senior level) to focus on Housing planning while working collaboratively with colleagues in the PVPC Land Use & Environment section. This person will work with cities, towns, the state and federal government, and partner organizations to advance municipal housing planning and policy work, including assisting member municipalities to modify local land use zoning regulations to facilitate housing access and affordability. See full job listing

How to Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, 3 references, and a brief work sample by target date of 12-07-2018 to Timothy W. Brennan, Executive Director, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, 60 Congress Street, Springfield, MA 01040, OR – by email to Land Use/Environment Section Manager Catherine Ratté at cratte@pvpc.org.

WalkBoston is hiring!

WalkBoston is hiring!

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WalkBoston is looking for a part-time office administrator to become a core member of our team. The job is a mix of accounting, human resources, and office management. Please submit your resume and a cover letter to jobs@walkboston.org by Dec 28, 2018. Details below:

Accounting:

  • All aspects of accounts payable and receivable processes including vendor invoice payment, processing donations, preparing bank deposits, recording employee time into accounting system
  • Generate and record customer invoices
  • Run monthly accounting reports
  • Assist with Non-profit tax filings (including 1099s) and audit preparation
  • Work closely with our outside accountant

Human Resources:

  • Process new hire documentation
  • Benefits Administration (Health Insurance and 403B retirement plan)
  • Payroll processing
  • Maintain personnel and organization records

Administration:

  • Quarterly and yearly state filings
  • Insurance Renewals
  • State contract applications
  • Salesforce data entry (create/update contacts and accounts, record donations)
  • Track inventory levels of office supplies and printed materials
  • Maintain office administrative files (electronic and written)

Required Skills:

  • Five years experience with general bookkeeping and accounts payable and receivable
  • Computer proficient with Windows and Mac operating systems
  • Must have experience with Microsoft Office (esp. Excel) and Quickbooks
  • Detail oriented and works with a high degree of accuracy
  • Ability to multitask and meet key deadlines
  • Self-directed and capable of working with limited supervision
  • Highly organized
  • Comfortable working in a small office environment

Terms

  • 15 hours/week
  • Salary range $21 – $24/hour depending on experience
  • Flexible schedule (2 full days/week or 3-4 short days)
ACTIVISTS CALL FOR FASTER ACTION: 4,500 PEOPLE INJURED IN CAR CRASHES ON STREETS OF BOSTON IN 2017

ACTIVISTS CALL FOR FASTER ACTION: 4,500 PEOPLE INJURED IN CAR CRASHES ON STREETS OF BOSTON IN 2017

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  STACY THOMPSON at 651-206-1068 or stacy@livablestreets.info

ACTIVISTS CALL FOR FASTER ACTION: 4,500 PEOPLE INJURED IN CAR CRASHES ON STREETS OF BOSTON IN 2017

Event details for third annual vigil released; Zakim Bridge and Boston City Hall to be lit yellow; loved ones, advocates, and elected officials gather to remember the hundreds of people who have died across the state; Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition calls on City of Boston leaders to prevent deadly crashes by investing in safe, equitable streets

BOSTON: Friday, November 16, 2018 – Following a slew of fatal crashes in Metro Boston, the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition announces a day of actions on World Day of Remembrance on Sunday, November 18, 2018. Planned events include a vigil to memorialize the human toll of traffic crashes suffered across Massachusetts and the world. The vigil will be preceded by a Ghost Bike Dedication Ceremony for Meng Jin, who was killed by a dump truck while biking near the Museum of Science on November 9, and followed by a silent walk of remembrance to City Hall Plaza to call on Boston leaders to take faster action on making city streets safer.

“We know what works – streets that are properly designed to keep people safe,” said LivableStreets Alliance executive director Stacy Thompson. “The hard work is implementing these designs in cities and towns across Massachusetts. Tackling these issues through the lens of Vision Zero means changing how communities manage their streets.”

In 2016, 37,461 people were killed in car crashes across the U.S., a 6% increase in deaths compared with 2015 and the highest number of traffic deaths since 2007.On Boston streets, 4,521 people were injured in 2017.

To broaden public awareness of traffic deaths, the Coalition has coordinated with the City of Boston and MassDOT to light up Boston City Hall and the Zakim Bridge in yellow on the night of November 18th. In the week leading up to World Day of Remembrance, activists across the state have placed cutouts of human figures near crash sites, including in Boston, Cambridge, Springfield, Worcester, and other cities with high crash rates.

“People in the metro region do not stay within one municipal boundary, so we need cooperation between city and the state agencies,” said Becca Wolfson, executive Director of the Boston Cyclists Union. “We have bridges that are unsafe, and leave dangerous gaps in the bike network. We also know that injury crashes are occurring at a disproportionate rate in lower income communities and want to see prioritization of projects based on crash data. This is an issue of public health, public safety, and equity.”

The Coalition invites crash survivors and their loved ones, members of the public, and local and state leaders to gather at the vigil and reflect upon those who have been injured or killed on our communities’ streets. Attendees are encouraged to wear yellow, the color connected with victims of traffic crashes across the globe.

After the vigil, attendees will be invited to join a Silent Walk of Remembrance to raise awareness of the thousands of injuries from car crashes in Boston each year, and to call for faster action from City leaders. Participants in the silent walk to Boston City Hall Plaza can write messages in chalk to City leaders. Coalition members will lay out more than 1,100 yellow blossoms on the Plaza, signifying the enormous death and injury toll on Boston streets in 2017.

The vigil and silent walk are one of hundreds of events taking place internationally as part of the World Day of Remembrance, a United Nations-recognized movement to commemorate lives lost or injured on roads.

The Coalition will soon be rolling out its third annual progress report, reviewing and rating Boston’s Vision Zero efforts over the past year. The Coalition is committed to reviewing the City’s progress annually to ensure public accountability in reaching its goals.

Earlier this year, Mayor Walsh announced a new annual $5 million investment to advance the projects and policies in Go Boston 2030, adding 20 new staff to the Transportation Department.

“Four years after the launch of Vision Zero, the City of Boston is not making fast enough progress towards eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030,” said WalkBoston executive director Wendy Landman. “Each serious injury and life lost on Boston streets continues to be an occasion to reflect on the urgency of Vision Zero.”

On the state level, the Coalition is gearing up for a Day of Action on January 23rd for the 2019 legislative session. The Day of Action, led by Coalition member Emily Stein, president of Safe Roads Alliance, will bring constituents to the State House to advocate for distracted driving and hands-free bills.

“Massachusetts is a leader in so many fields,” said Stein, “but it falls behind other states in New England when it comes to addressing the public safety issue of distracted driving. The passage of distracted driving legislation will save countless lives across the Commonwealth.”

Event Details:

World Day of Remembrance

November 18, 2018 from 12:30-3:30pm

Schedule of events:

  • 12:30pm: Ghost Bike Dedication Ceremony for Meng Jin at Charles River Dam Road and Museum Way
  • 1:45pm: Gather on the steps of Massachusetts State House for a Memorial Vigil
  • 2:00pm: Program for Memorial Vigil Begins
  • 2:45pm: Silent Walk of Remembrance to Boston City Hall Plaza
  • 3:30pm: Event ends

On the evening of Sunday, November 18th, the following landmarks will be lit yellow, the color associated with traffic fatalities, in recognition of World Day of Remembrance:

  • Zakim Bridge, Boston
  • Boston City Hall
  • South Station, Boston
  • Government Center T Station, Boston
  • Burns Bridge, Worcester

Memorial Organizers: Members of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition, including Safe Roads Alliance, LivableStreets Alliance, MassBike, WalkBoston, Boston Cyclists Union, among others.

Crash sites where cutouts will be placed

World Day of Remembrance Facebook Event Page

MA Vision Zero Coalition website

Contact

Stacy Thompson, LivableStreets Alliance, 651-206-1068 or stacy@livablestreets.info
Brendan Kearney, WalkBoston, 617-960-6037 or bkearney@walkboston.org
Emily Stein, Safe Roads Alliance, 617-417-3689 or emily@saferoadsalliance.org
Rebecca Wolfson, Boston Cyclists Union, 315-345-6532 or bwolfson@bostoncyclistsunion.org
Galen Mook, MassBike, 703-395-4232 or galen@massbike.org

The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition advocates for the implementation of Vision Zero in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, and for the reduction of traffic injuries and deaths across Massachusetts. The new and growing coalition includes community-based organizations, nonprofits, businesses, civic groups and individuals representing communities across the state. visionzerocoalition.org/

LivableStreets Alliance is an advocacy organization working to create a world where streets are safe, vibrant public spaces that connect people to the places where they live, work and play. LivableStreets advocates for innovative and equitable transportation solutions that create safe, affordable and convenient options for everyone in Metro Boston. http://www.livablestreets.info

The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) promotes a bicycle-friendly environment and encourages bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation. http://www.massbike.org

WalkBoston makes walking safer and easier in Massachusetts to encourage better health, a cleaner environment and more vibrant communities. https://walkmass.org

The Boston Cyclists Union is helping Bostonians lead healthier lives by promoting the everyday use of the bicycle for transportation. Among other things, they repair bikes, educate new riders, and organize neighborhood residents who would like to voice support for friendlier street designs, bike paths, and public spaces. http://bostoncyclistsunion.org

Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. http://visionzeronetwork.org

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Upcoming grant opportunities

Upcoming grant opportunities

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We’ve highlighted upcoming funding opportunities that your community or organization may be able to use to improve walking in your area. Let us know if there are other grants that we should highlight!

Opportunity:

Winter City Vanguards / Wintermission: Bringing public life to winter cities

Funding organization(s):

8 80 Cities

Description:

Wintermission will coach three U.S. cities to plan, pilot, and implement creative solutions to increase social interaction and physical activity in public spaces during winter.

8 80 Cities is accepting proposals for Wintermission project partners in three U.S. cities. We will support these partners to become national leaders in winter city planning, design, and programming. These cities will become Winter City Vanguards, and work with 8 80 Cities and other partners to:

1. Lead a city-wide conversation about public life and social isolation in winter
2. Implement winter city pilot projects
3. Develop a unique winter city strategy

We encourage applications from teams of community leaders that are committed to making their city a vibrant, connected, and accessible place to live in winter.

Winter City Vanguard teams will receive:

  • Technical assistance to implement winter-based pilot projects and develop a Winter City Strategy
  • Up to $15,000 to cover material expenses to implement pilot projects
  • An all-expenses-paid trip for three team members to attend the Winter Cities Shake Up conference in Saskatoon, SK on January 23-26, 2019
  • Ongoing capacity-building and mentorship opportunities from global leaders in winter city building

Due date:

23:59PM Eastern, November 29, 2018.

Opportunity:

2019 Transportation Justice/Transportation and Climate Initiative Funding

Funding organization(s):

Transportation for Massachusetts

Description:

As a key element of our work on Transportation and Climate, Transportation for Massachusetts is seeking proposals to advance work at the intersection of transportation access and social justice. We expect to offer between 10 and 20 one-time grants ranging from $7,500 to $10,000 for projects starting in January 2019.

This funding is made possible through a grant from the Barr Foundation to support efforts to promote transportation justice and climate resiliency.

Due date:

11:59PM Eastern, November 30, 2018.

Funding opportunity:

The Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities program

Funding organization(s):

Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Description:

Grantee communities will receive training, individualized consultation and technical assistance, connection with peer communities to learn from one another, an in-person workshop in their community, as well as grants of $12,500 each to begin the implementation of the Safe Routes to Parks action plan. At the end of the grant period, awarded communities will have a customized action plan to improve safe, equitable local park access that includes ideas for how to fund and sustain their efforts and will have implemented at least one action from the plan.

Due date:

11:59PM Pacific, December 10, 2018.

Opportunity:

Commonwealth Places Grant

Funding organization(s):

The program seeks to engage and mobilize community members to make individual contributions through a crowdfunding platform with the incentive of a dollar-for-dollar funding match of up to $50,000 from MassDevelopment if the crowdfunding goal is reached within 60 days.

Description:

The Commonwealth Places program aims to engage and mobilize community members to make individual contributions through a crowdfunding platform, with the incentive of a dollar-for-dollar funding match (up to $50,000) from MassDevelopment if the crowdfunding goal is reached within 60 days. Through its first two rounds, Commonwealth Places has launched fifty projects in Massachusetts, with MassDevelopment providing more than $1.4 million in matching funds. Projects have included main street improvement projects in North Adams, Wakefield, and Hyannis; large scale mural projects and public art installations in Lynn, Salem, and Worcester; and pop-up retail activations in Ashland, Boston, Brockton, and Lowell, among others.

Due date:

Applications for the third round will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a deadline of midnight on December 21, 2018.

Funding opportunity:

MassTrails Grant program

Funding organization(s):

MassTrails Grants are funded through two different sources:

  • Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grants are federally funded through the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), administered at the State level, providing funding for the development and maintenance of recreational trail projects. Both motorized and non-motorized trail projects qualify for assistance.
  • Commonwealth Trails grants are supported by the state’s annual Capital Investment Plan and aim to help communities design, create and maintain off-road shared-use pathway connections between where Massachusetts residents live, learn, work, shop, and recreate, especially by building out the longer distance regional networks of multi-use pathways across the state and filling in critical gaps in existing networks, or overcoming current barriers to connectivity.

Description:

MassTrails provides grants to support recreational trail and shared-use pathway projects across the Commonwealth. Grant amounts are dependent on the project and its needs, but generally range from $10,000 to $100,000 with grants of up to $300,000 awarded to high priority projects.

Eligible grant activities include project development, design, engineering, permitting, construction, and maintenance of recreational trails, shared use pathways, and the amenities that support trails.

MassTrails grants are REIMBURSABLE, meaning grantees must first pay for expenditures themselves and then submit for reimbursement using the required documentation.

MassTrails grants are MATCHING grants and require that proponents provide a minimum of 20% of the total project cost. Projects with higher match commitments will be given greater consideration.

Eligible projects require documented land owner permission and community support.

MassTrails grants are reviewed and recommended by the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board (MARTAB) and the Commonwealth’s Inter-Agency Trails Team.

Due date:

February 1, 2019.