Tag: Boston

RFP for 872 Morton Street and Rear Parcel

RFP for 872 Morton Street and Rear Parcel

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April 4, 2016

Christopher Rooney, Project Manager
Department of Neighborhood Development
Boston City Hall
City Hall Plaza
Boston, MA 02201

Re: RFP for 872 Morton Street and Rear Parcel

Dear Mr. Rooney:

WalkBoston is very pleased that the 872 Morton Street parcel is being developed with strong community input. From your presentations, we understand that the goal of the development will be to enhance the social and aesthetic character of the neighborhood.

WalkBoston requests that the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the development site include the following items:
• A vegetative buffer around the Steven P. Tranquility Garden that will enhance its serenity and sense of healing. As noted in the several Renew Our Community (ROC) meetings, the 5,000 s.f. dedicated to the Garden should not be adjacent to access roadways or development that would detract from its restorative atmosphere of peace.
• Separation between access to the development site and residences on Hopkins Street. Current plans call for an access road between 21 and 27 Hopkins Street. Because of the small house lots, the roadway would be virtually next to the houses, especially 21 Hopkins and might necessitate the taking of mature trees. As discussed at the neighborhood meetings and also brought up at the public hearing on March 24, the neighborhood would like to see every effort made to create an access/egress directly off of Evans Road that would be further away from the Hopkins residences. Furthermore, an access off Hopkins Street would be very close to the Steven P. Odom Tranquility Garden and detract from the sanctuary nature of the Park.

Sincerely,
Dorothea Hass

cc: Trena Ambroise
Daniel Ayala
Frederick Paulsen
Johnathan Kitchen
Councilor Andrea Campbell

Comments on Old Northern Ave Bridge 2/24/16

Comments on Old Northern Ave Bridge 2/24/16

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February 24, 2016

Kevin Kotelly, P.E.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
New England District
696 Virginia Road
Concord, MA 01742-2751

Brona Simon
Massachusetts Historical Commission
220 William T Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125

Re: Old Northern Avenue Bridge

Dear Mr. Kotelly and Ms. Simon:

WalkBoston has been engaged in discussions about the Old Northern Avenue Bridge for more than 15 years – a remarkably long time for action to be taken on one of the City’s iconic and important pieces of infrastructure.

As a participant in the City’s informal review process during spring 2015, WalkBoston was one of the eleven groups1 that voted to support the rehabilitation of the bridge (two groups supported a new bridge). After being asked by the City to participate in an in-depth review and discussion process, we feel that this strong support for rehabilitation should weigh heavily in the City’s final decision about the future of the Bridge.

WalkBoston is a strong supporter of rehabilitating the existing bridge and doing so immediately to restore an important element of the City’s pedestrian network, end the endless debate, and maintain a piece of the city’s character. Specifically, rehabilitating this bridge, rather than replacing it with a new structure is important for the following reasons:

• The ONAB was, and should again be, the route of daily walking for thousands of Bostonians. Maintaining a level crossing for pedestrians between the waterfront and the seaport significantly enhances the walking experience by being easy, allowing walkers to have full views as they walk between the districts, and giving walkers the experience of being close to
the water and the harbor. The arched Moakley Bridge is less comfortable and less attractive for walkers than the Old Northern Avenue Bridge (and used less by walkers when the ONAB was open to pedestrians). This is the opposite of what we should be thinking about for the future of this important connection.

• The industrial character of the Bridge is an enormous part of its charm, and creates an everyday link to Boston’s working and seafaring past – we should not lose this important part of our personality. Perhaps the bridge also presents an opportunity to link our old technology with the arrival of GE and its focus on new technology. New York’s High Line is a wonderful and evocative example of how old industrial infrastructure can be a source of joy and economic development – the ONAB should be thought of in that same creative way. A “Friends of the Old Northern Avenue Bridge” group should be formed to immediately and creatively raise funds and develop a plan for rehabilitating and re-using the Bridge.

• The ONAB is an important element of the Harbor Walk, and in its existing place and configuration is one of its most interesting spots.

• WalkBoston does not oppose allowing emergency and high occupancy vehicles to use the Bridge, but we are skeptical that allowing general vehicle use of the Bridge will do anything to alleviate the transportation problems of the Seaport, and will only result in more cars jammed into a portion of Atlantic Avenue that cannot accommodate them. In fact the opposite may occur. As a very attractive and pleasant way for walkers to get around the City, the ONAB will encourage walking, biking and transit use – exactly what we need to be doing for the future of the Seaport and all of Boston.

• While WalkBoston strongly and emphatically supports the rehabilitation of the ONAB, we believe that this may not necessarily entail a full and meticulous restoration of every element of the structure. We think that it is important to capture the functionality, spirit and identity of the bridge, while also acknowledging that timely and cost-effective implementation is of great importance.

We hope that the ACOE and MHC will support the rehabilitation of the Old Northern Avenue Bridge and we would be pleased to answer any questions you might have about our position.

Sincerely,

Wendy Landman
Executive Director
WalkBoston

Want to submit your own comments? Here are some tips from the Boston Preservation Alliance: 
http://www.bostonpreservation.org/allianceviews/2016/02/urge-city-hall-key-agencies-to-preserve-the-northern-avenue-bridge/

Vision Zero Boston and Pedestrian Fatalities Press Conference, 2/11/16

Vision Zero Boston and Pedestrian Fatalities Press Conference, 2/11/16

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Notes from WalkBoston Executive Director Wendy Landman’s remarks, City of Boston’s Press Conference 2/11/16, on Vision Zero Boston and Pedestrian Fatalities

Video of remarks on YouTube

The four people in Boston, and seven people in other Massachusetts communities who lost their lives in January, were doing the most natural, ordinary and necessary of things – walking in their own communities. We need to make such tragedies rare, not ordinary.

The Vision Zero approach to ending deaths from traffic crashes is based on making streets safer for everyone with a special focus on slowing down traffic speeds and improving street crossings.

WalkBoston is glad to be included in this press conference while at the same time working hard to make sure that we will not have to do this in years to come

Making Boston a safe place to walk is key to the City’s equitable access to opportunity, to long-term economic vitality, to fighting climate change and creating a resilient city, and to making Boston a great place to live, work and play.

We are pleased to be working with the City of Boston and state agencies on this very important issue.

I also want to thank and recognize our fellow advocates in the Vision Zero Coalition – we are all working together on this critical effort.

We urge the City to set aside the dollars needed to make both long and short term improvements.

Engaging with the advocacy community, the grassroots neighborhood organizations and Boston’s residents, workers and visitors is key to success in reducing pedestrian fatalities and injuries

The City’s planned 2016 Vision Zero actions to improve safety along Mass Ave and in Codman Square and to implement neighborhood slow zones in the Talbot-Norfolk Triangle and Stony Brook are great first steps – we look forward to seeing their implementation and working with the City to identify the subsequent actions.

WalkBoston has been a core member of the City’s Task Force, pushing hard to make sure that we know where crashes are happening and then figuring out how to make both immediate and longer term improvements to reduce the chances for future crashes in those places.

We are also excited to be starting a Safe Routes for Seniors project with the Elderly Commission under the City’s Age Friendly Boston initiative. Working with many city departments we will identify senior-friendly walking improvements in 3 target neighborhoods to be implemented over the next several years and also outlining policies and protocols that the City will follow to ensure that senior’s walking needs are well addressed.

The City’s launch of a new online tool to collect information to take pro-active steps to improve safety at locations where the public has noted dangerous conditions is an important step toward achieving Vision Zero – one that helps move beyond reaction and toward solutions.

Finally, we pledge to continue our advocacy for walking safety, to working with the City, and to engaging with many City residents to ensure that their voices are heard on this critical issue. Thank you.

City of Boston’s Vision Zero Task Force site: VisionZeroBoston.org 

Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition site: VisionZeroCoalition.org

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Comments on PNF 425 Washington Street, Brighton

Comments on PNF 425 Washington Street, Brighton

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February 8, 2016

Lance Campbell
Boston Redevelopment Authority
Boston City Hall
1 City Hall Square
Boston, MA 02201

Re: Proposal for 425 Washington Street, Brighton (Parsons Crossing)

Dear Mr. Campbell,

WalkBoston appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Project Notification Form for 425 Washington Street in Brighton. We are commenting because of concern about pedestrian issues associated with this project.

This proposal is generally positive for pedestrians and for the neighborhood. The site is located in the heart of Brighton Center, the center of a walkable community where Washington Street  houses local shops and major establishments and services. The retail area is well-served by public transportation and Washington Street’s bus routes draw pedestrians to access the transit service. The proposal is designed to improve the appearance of the street where significant numbers of walkers will pass daily.

Notwithstanding this transit served and walkable setting, the project is quite auto-centric. In a densely built inner neighborhood that is already beset by too much traffic, the project seems With a high ratio of vehicle parking spaces to housing units (1.7), the project seems to be designed with cars, rather than walking and transit in mind.  The expectation that every housing unit requires at least one or more parking space is one of the continuing issues with rebuilding Boston’s neighborhoods. This should not be a requirement when a project is well served by both transit and walking facilities, where such a requirement may be outmoded. Moreover, it is an expectation that has been challenged successfully elsewhere in the city and should be challenged here as well, since many of Boston’s residents now forgo the decision to have a car and instead rely on public transit or private vehicle transport services such as Uber or carsharing options such as Zipcar.

We are concerned that the city is exploring guidelines that would affect the changing tastes and needs of its newer residents in regard to use of vehicles, requiring fewer parking spaces. The developers of the project should explore less on-site parking and take advantage of the site to attract walkers within this very vibrant commercial area at the heart of the community. The underground parking portion of the project may become unneeded. Brighton has become a highly desirable inner neighborhood for residents including groups that are likely to be less reliant on cars – workers who choose not to own one, older folks moving back into the city for its advantages, and students who want to live along convenient bus routes that can reliably and efficiently take them to one of our many universities. As we are all well aware, individuals who do not own a vehicle are much more reliant on walking, a great convenience for many and one which definitively awards better health to those moving about on foot in the ordinary activities of everyday living.

Thank you for your consideration of our comments.

Sincerely,

Robert Sloane
Senior Planner

ALARMING RISE IN MASSACHUSETTS PEDESTRIAN DEATHS IN 1ST MONTH OF 2016

ALARMING RISE IN MASSACHUSETTS PEDESTRIAN DEATHS IN 1ST MONTH OF 2016

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Contact: Wendy Landman, wlandman@walkboston.org
Brendan Kearney, bkearney@walkboston.org
Office: 617-367-9255

ALARMING RISE IN PEDESTRIAN DEATHS IN 1ST MONTH OF 2016
Horrific crash early Monday morning in Boston underscores issue of pedestrian safety; at least 11 pedestrians have been struck and killed in Massachusetts in 2016

February 2, 2016 – Eleven people walking in Massachusetts were killed by people driving vehicles in the first month of 2016. Four of these deaths occurred in Boston. Early Monday morning a couple was struck by a person driving an SUV, who then proceeded to drag the middle-aged woman underneath her vehicle for almost three miles from Chinatown to Dorchester.

The underlying cause of each crash is not yet known. If this crash rate continues, Massachusetts would see a doubling of pedestrian fatalities by comparison with each of the last ten years. 79 pedestrians lost their lives in traffic crashes in 2013 and 70 in 2014, and preliminary data point to 72 pedestrian fatalities in 2015.

Traffic deaths are unacceptable and WalkBoston believes that they are also preventable.  While national data show a trend toward lower total traffic deaths, there has been a disturbing trend toward an increase in pedestrian deaths. We need to focus on protecting pedestrians who are suffering disproportionately from speeding traffic and distracted drivers.

Pedestrian fatalities in Massachusetts
Jan 4, 2016 – South Hadley – James “Jimmy” Collins, age 68
Jan 4, 2016 – Malden – Piere Simon, age 60
Jan 6, 2016 – South Yarmouth – Wyatt Maskell, age 19
Jan 9, 2016 – Worcester – Frank Jeffrey Call, age 56
Jan 12, 2016 – Roslindale – Silvia Acosta, age 78
Jan 13, 2016 – Dorchester – Queshon Ivy, age 43
Jan 18, 2016 – Reading – Jacob Goldberg, age 89
Jan 20, 2016 – Framingham – Patrick Stratton, age 25
Jan 20, 2016 – Quincy – Thomas Chen, age 84
Jan 24, 2016 – Dorchester – Nicholas Tammaro, age 66
Jan 26, 2016 – South Boston – name not released, age 66

At a glance:
● Failure to yield: at least 4 people were killed in a crosswalk while walking with the right of way.
● 7 of the people hit & killed were in their 60s or older (68, 60, 78, 89, 84, 60s, 66).
● 8 of the crashes occurred after dark, with 6 crashes between 4:45 & 8:00pm. (Sunset for MA in month of January: Jan1st – 4:22pm, Jan31st – 4:56pm).
● At least 1 of the drivers involved has been charged with OUI.
● 3 of the fatal crashes have been reported in the media as hit & runs.

In Boston:
Mayor Walsh’s Vision Zero Task Force has identified the most dangerous, high crash locations and corridors based on crash data from previous years; on January 22nd, a Safety Issues map tool was launched, which allows users to add locations of concern for people walking, biking, or driving in Boston.

The next step: this information needs to be used to make the operational, enforcement, behavioral, and built environment changes necessary to stop injuries and deaths on our roads. Safe streets for all modes of travel are critical for Massachusetts’ quality of life and economic vitality.

The Vision Zero Task Force’s rapid response team visits serious crash locations and recommends short term and long-term solutions to make the area safer for everyone after crashes. WalkBoston implores the city to sufficiently fund the rapid response program with capital budget dollars and give support so that longer-term street changes can be made.

Statewide:
Vehicle speed
A pedestrian struck by a vehicle going 40 mph has a 77% likelihood of a fatality or severe injury – while a walker hit by a vehicle going 20mph has only 18% chance of severe injury.

Adapting our communities for an aging population
There is a widespread desire by people to age in their own homes and to live in neighborhoods where they can maintain independence as they age. We must ensure that our cities and towns are safe to walk with well-marked crosswalks, slow moving traffic, adequate WALK time at intersections and good night lighting.

Nationwide:
Distraction
In 2013, 3,154 people were killed and approximately 424,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

About WalkBoston
WalkBoston is a pedestrian advocacy organization working to make Massachusetts more walkable. All of WalkBoston’s work is focused on making walking safer and easier in Massachusetts. Some of our current initiatives that are most closely focused on safety are the following;

● WalkBoston is a member of the Task Force for Vision Zero Boston (visionzeroboston.org), working toward eliminating traffic fatalities in Boston. The rapid response task force visits serious crash locations and recommends short term and long-term solutions to make the area safer for everyone after crashes.

● WalkBoston is one of founding members of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition (visionzerocoalition.org), which advocates for the implementation of Vision Zero in Boston and for the adoption of Vision Zero throughout Massachusetts. The new and growing coalition includes community-based organizations, nonprofits, businesses, civic groups and individuals representing communities across the state. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.

● WalkBoston is working with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in 18 Massachusetts communities with high pedestrian crash clusters to develop recommendations for safety improvements. In each community police, public works, transportation and other staff are engaged to help evaluate and remedy safety problems.

● WalkBoston is just launching a Safe Routes for Seniors program with the City of Boston’s Elderly Commission (and many others). The program will include pilot projects in three Boston neighborhoods to improve the built environment and develop policies and protocols for Boston under its Age Friendly City initiative. Walking safety is a key component of the project.

● WalkBoston’s annual meeting on March 22nd will focus on Vision Zero; our speaker is Leah Shahum, the executive director of the national Vision Zero Network (visionzeronetwork.org), which just last week announced Boston would be a Focus City. Learn more at walkboston.org

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Actions You Can Take:
1. Report unsafe conditions on the Vision Zero Boston Safety Issues Map

2. Learn how you can speak up for safer walking conditions in your community at a free Ped101 training session

3. Share this release: on Twitter or on Facebook

4. We’ve been offered a $10,000 matching grant toward our work to help move Vision Zero forward: Help us meet this goal.