Boston
Boston Has Yet to Deliver on Big Promises to Eliminate Traffic Deaths
Local advocates say the lack of action to fix dangerous Beacon Street is emblematic of Walsh's timid approach to the problem.
January 20, 2017
What the Heck Is Wrong With Boston’s MBTA?
Last week, the engine on one of Boston's Orange Line trains overheated and ignited some trash, filling traincars with smoke. Passengers broke windows to escape. Three people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
November 4, 2016
How American Cities Can Protect Cyclists From Deadly Trucks
Heavy trucks kill. They account for as much as 32 percent of cyclist deaths in New York City and 58 percent in London, far out of proportion to their share of traffic. Across the U.S., 1,746 bicyclists and pedestrians have been killed in collisions with commercial trucks over the last five years.
October 25, 2016
Boston Wants to Lower Its Speed Limit to 20 MPH — But Can’t
Twenty is plenty in Boston, according to its elected officials. The City Council voted unanimously this week to lower the default speed limit on most residential streets to 20 mph -- and not for the first time.
April 29, 2016
What Went Wrong With Boston’s Green Line Extension?
Last week, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority abruptly cut ties with four contractors working on the 4.7-mile Green Line extension to Somerville and Medford, outside Boston. The announcement came shortly after reports that the cost of the light rail project had ballooned to about $3 billion, an increase of a billion dollars.
December 14, 2015
Tactical Urbanism Win: Cyclist Protects Boston Bike Lane With Flowers
Even the most delicate barrier between bikes and auto traffic can change the behavior of drivers and make cycling a lot more appealing. Case in point: An ingenious bit of tactical urbanism in Boston this week resulted in a bike lane protected by $6 pots of hardware store mums.
September 11, 2015
The Politically-Driven, Koch-Backed Campaign to Undermine Boston Transit
Boston's MBTA has been having a tough year.
August 20, 2015
Boston Says So Long to the Casey Overpass, a 1950s Highway Relic
This month, Boston is demolishing a monument to 1950s-era car infrastructure: The Casey Overpass, a short elevated road built in 1955 to whisk drivers over the Forest Hills MBTA station in Jamaica Plain without encountering any pesky things like intersections or pedestrians.
May 20, 2015
Boston Cyclists Excavate Massive Snow Tunnel To Restore Bike Path
For every pedestrian and cyclist who's had your journey interrupted by an impassable mound of snow, we bring you this story from Boston. Earlier this month, Beantown resident Ari Goldberger found his journey to the Wellington Station T stop impeded by a "15-foot mountain of snow."
February 23, 2015
Despite Problems, Boston’s MBTA Should Continue to Expand
Cross posted from the Frontier Group.
February 12, 2015