Energy News Network: “Massachusetts bill aims to reduce traffic congestion, but will it help climate?”

The money dedicated to pedestrian and bicycle networks is welcome, said Wendy Landman, executive director of WalkBoston, a nonprofit that promotes efforts to make Boston a more walkable city. Safe, robust pedestrian options are necessary not just for those who travel primarily by walking, she said, but also to support public transportation, as most transit riders start and end their trips on foot. Still, more could be done, Landman said.

“We see it as steps in the right direction, but not as being transformational,” she said…

The bill is now under consideration by the joint committee on transportation, and activists are hoping it signals progress despite its imperfections.

“Will this do everything we need to do to get us to our climate goals? No,” Landman said. “Is it trending in the right direction? Yes.”

Posted August 16, 2019