We’re happy to see City Councillors Kendra Lara and Ricardo Arroyo, along with the Boston Transportation Department and neighborhood resident Nathan Eckstrom, are leading a safety walk on January 28th at 1pm, focusing on road safety issues along Hyde Park Avenue. The walk will meet at Forest Hills Station (Upper Level). Advance registration is recommended. More details here:
So, 2022 definitely had its share of ups and downs, but in taking stock on the eve of 2023, three posts stand out as particularly worth looking back on and noting (in roughly reverse chronological order):
MBTA adds additional service to Forest Hills starting today – 6 September 2022
El 17 de noviembre, el plan de Calles Lentas de South Street Baja y el Vecindario Cercano fue aprobado por la Comisión de Mejoramiento Publico, Public Improvement Commission (PIC). Este logro fue la culminación de años de abogacía por parte de residentes y el trabajo del equipo de Calles Lentas de Boston, Boston Slow Streets team. Estos avances serán construidos en 2023. Vea las especificaciones:
Después del voto, el Jefe de Calles, Jascha Franklin-Hodge tomó un momento para decir unas palabras sobre el compromiso por parte de la administración para reconstruir las calles de Boston incluyendo este extracto:
“Debemos hacer más, debemos hacerlo más rápido – para reconstruir nuestras calles con el fin de que sean seguras y cómodas para todos. Y debemos ver y cambiar las políticas y los procesos que muchas veces resultan en un proceso prolongado y tardanzas excesivas al hacer este tipo de trabajo crítico. Así que solo quisiera decirles a los miembros del público aquí que yo al igual que la administración estamos comprometidos a hacer estos cambios.”
Nosotros aplaudimos esta declaración y hemos incluido una transcripción completa con sus palabras abajo. Mientras el programa de Calles Lentas en Vecindarios, Neighborhood Slow Streets, a sido un programa exitoso, este solo no puede solucionar el peligro a nivel general que viven las personas vulnerables en vecindarios alrededor de la ciudad. Nosotros alentamos a la ciudad que cumplan con su compromiso de acelerar el paso de cambio, y esperamos trabajar en conjunto para brindar calles seguras a Roslindale.
Comentarios completos:
“Antes de que sigamos quisiera quitarme el puesto de presidencia de PIC y usar esta oportunidad para decir algunas cosas de parte de la administración de la Alcaldesa Wu en mi capacidad como su Jefe de Calles y Comisario de Public Works. En primer lugar, quisiera decir gracias a ti Stephanie ([Seskin (Directora de Transportación Activa del Departamento de Transportación de Boston)] y su equipo por todos sus esfuerzos trabajando en este proyecto y durante los últimos años – yo se que estos esfuerzos han involucrado (como hemos escuchado) extensa divulgación pública, juntas públicas, oportunidades para dar comentarios, y múltiples rondas de revisión de diseño. Y llegar hasta este punto ha requerido bastante inversión de tiempo y energía por parte del equipo de la ciudad así que estoy muy agradecido por eso.
En segundo lugar, quisiera decir gracias a los miembros de la comunidad quienes han luchado por este proyecto, y quienes han impulsado a la ciudad a crear calles más seguras en los vecindarios por años y por décadas en algunos casos. Pedimos mucho de ustedes, incluyendo venir a esta junta en el medio del día en un Jueves, y eso es solo para obtener algo tan fundamental como una calle donde se sientan seguros.
La tercera cosa que quisiera decir es que la ciudad necesita mejorar. No debería tomar esfuerzos extraordinarios para obtener una básica infraestructura segura en nuestras calles. No deberíamos pedirles que alegen con nosotros por su seguridad o la de sus hijos y vecinos. Casi todos los días escucho de personas en vecindarios de cada parte de Boston sobre el miedo que sienten en nuestras calles – y si, esos sentimientos si importan. Y yo veo las estadísticas – todavía tenemos miles de personas cada año que son lesionadas en nuestras calles y casi todos los años más de una docena de personas mueren en esas mismas calles. Yo se que podemos y debemos hacer más para producir mejor infraestructura que sea más segura en la ciudad de Boston.
Y quisiera decir que lo que acabamos de aprobar, lo que repasamos hoy representa mejores prácticas establecidas para las calles de vecindario. Estas se reflejan en la guía de la ciudad de calles completas: en la guia de calles urbanas de NACTO, en publicaciones de MassDOT, en publicaciones de la Administración Federal de Carreteras, Federal Highway Administration. Estos cambios no son novedosos, no son excepcionales o experimentales, y su eficacia no está en cuestión. Lo que aprobamos hoy son un set de cambios que acercaran a estas calles más cerca hacia lo que décadas de investigación y experiencia han mostrado que resultan en calles más seguras para todos los usuarios. Y entonces, la ciudad siempre aceptara y tomará en cuenta los consejos del público en cualquier proyecto que hagamos, pero la seguridad no debe de estar a debate y no debería de ser tan difícil o tomar tanto tiempo como lo toma ahora para obtener que estos tipos de cambios de seguridad sean implementados en la ciudad de Boston. Así que digo esto para reconocer que nosotros como líderes de la ciudad tenemos trabajo que hacer.
Debemos hacer más, debemos hacerlo más rápido – para reconstruir nuestras calles con el fin de que sean seguras y cómodas para todos. Y debemos ver y cambiar las políticas y los procesos que muchas veces resultan en un proceso prolongado y tardanzas excesivas al hacer este tipo de trabajo crítico. Así que solo quisiera decirles a los miembros del público aquí que yo al igual que la administración estamos comprometidos a hacer estos cambios. Estoy muy emocionado de ver estos mejoramientos ser implementados en Roslindale el próximo año, y eso pasará mientras trabajamos para acelerar el paso de cambio – cambios como estos en vecindarios a través de Boston. Así que gracias, y solo quería tomar un momento para expresar mi posición sobre esto.”
Haga clic aquí para una versión en español de esta publicación
On 11/17/22, the Lower South Street and Vicinity Neighborhood Slow Streets plan was approved by the Boston Public Improvement Commission (PIC). This successful outcome was the culmination of years of advocacy by residents and work by the Boston Slow Streets team. These improvements will be built in 2023. View the specifics:
After the vote, Boston’s Chief of Streets, Jascha Franklin-Hodge, took a moment to make a statement about the administration’s commitment to rebuilding Boston’s streets including this excerpt:
“We must do more, we must do it faster – to rebuild our streets so that they are safe and comfortable for everyone. And we must look at and change the policies and the processes that often result in protracted process and excessive delay in doing this kind of critical work. So I just want to say to the members of the public here, you have my commitment and the administration’s commitment to make these changes.”
We applaud this statement and have included a transcription of his full remarks below. While Boston’s Neighborhood Slow Streets has been a successful program, it does not by itself sufficiently address the widespread danger posed to vulnerable street users in neighborhoods across the city. We encourage the administration to follow through on this commitment to accelerate the pace of change, and look forward to being a partner in bringing safer streets to Roslindale.
FULL REMARKS
“Before we move on I would like to take off my hat as PIC chair and use this as an opportunity to say a few things on behalf of Mayor Wu’s administration in my capacity as her Chief of Streets and Public Works Commissioner. First off, I want to say thank you Stefanie [Seskin (Active Transportation Director in the Boston Transportation Department)] and her team for all the hard work on this project over the past few years – I know that this effort has involved (as we’ve heard) extensive resident outreach, public meetings, feedback opportunities, and multiple rounds of design revisions. And getting to this point has required substantial investment of time and energy by the city team so I’m very grateful for that.
Second, I want to say thank you to the community members who have advocated for this project, and who have been pushing the city to create safer neighborhood streets for years, in some cases decades. We ask a lot of you, including showing up for a hearing in the middle of the day on a Thursday, and that’s just to get something as fundamental as a street where you feel safe.
The third thing I want to say is that the city needs to do better. It should not take extraordinary advocacy to get basic safety infrastructure on our streets. We should not ask you to plead with us for your safety or that of your kids or that of your neighbors. Almost every single day I hear from people in neighborhoods in every part of Boston about the fear they feel on our streets – and yes, those feelings do matter. And I see statistics – we still have thousands of people every year who are injured on our streets. and most years more than a dozen people are killed on those same streets. I know that we can and we must do more to produce better and safer infrastructure in the city of Boston.
And I want to say that what we just approved, what we reviewed today represents well-established best practices for neighborhood streets. These are reflected in the city’s complete streets guidelines: in NACTO’S urban street design guide, in publications from MassDOT, in publications from the Federal Highway Administration. These changes are not novel, they’re not exceptional or experimental, and their efficacy is not in question. What we approved today is a set of changes that bring these streets closer to what decades of research and experience has shown us results in safer streets for all road users. And so, the city will always accept and consider public input on any project that we do, but safety should not be up for debate and it should not be as hard as it is or take as long as it does for us to get these kinds of safety changes implemented in the city of Boston. So I say this to acknowledge that we as city leadership have work to do.
We must do more, we must do it faster – to rebuild our streets so that they are safe and comfortable for everyone. And we must look at and change the policies and the processes that often result in protracted process and excessive delay in doing this kind of critical work. So I just want to say to the members of the public here, you have my commitment and the administrations’ commitment to make these changes. I’m really excited to see these improvements get implemented in Roslindale next year, and that’s going to happen as we work to accelerate the pace of change – changes like these in neighborhoods across Boston. So thank you, I just wanted to take a moment to express our position on this.”
– Jascha Franklin-Hodge (Boston Chief of Streets)
Remarks made at 11/17 Public Improvement Commission meeting
(view the PIC video starting at Jascha’s remarks)
We are happy to report that BTD is looking to extend the existing inbound Washington Street Bus/Bike Lane in Roslindale from Albano Street to Poplar Street. This bus lane would help address severe congestion on Washington Street on the approach to Poplar Street. A few details provided by BTD:
BTD is hosting two coffee hours next week at the Square Root Café. We encourage folks to drop by to support this well-needed extension!
See also this BTD flyer for these events in English, Spanish, and Creole.
WalkUP Roslindale is a member of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition, a broad coalition of nonprofits and community groups who share the goal of ending traffic injuries and deaths across Massachusetts. As the November election nears, we wanted to boost the Coalition’s support for Ballot Question 4, which would allow otherwise eligible residents the ability to obtain driver’s licenses, regardless of immigration status. The Coalition’s full statement is below:
The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition stands in strong support of the Yes on 4 for Safer Roads ballot campaign to uphold the common-sense law known as the Work and Family Mobility Act.
This law was enacted earlier this year and allows qualified residents, regardless of immigration status, to apply for a standard driver’s license. As a Coalition focused on improving street safety, we know this law will meaningfully improve road safety for everyone, and will dignify all our residents with the freedom to travel safely and legally. Voting YES on ballot question 4 in November will preserve this law, improve mobility, and ensure more drivers on our roads are trained and licensed.
A YES vote on ballot question 4 will:
Read our full statement here.
Here’s how you can learn more + get involved:
We hope you will vote YES on question 4 on the ballot this November!
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
We sent a letter to the BPDA today supporting amendments to the Zoning Code that would remove extra hurdles to opening cannabis establishments in the City of Boston. We believe these amendments are consistent with both our walkability and equity principles. Our full letter is reproduced below and also available as a PDF.
UPDATE: 17 August 2022
The MBTA Commuter Rail “Surge” Schedule for Forest Hills (plus Hyde Park and Ruggles) to Back Bay and South Station (and back) is now available. It can be found here.
Here’s a selected station pair – Forest Hills and South Station only – total travel time is about 13 to 15 minutes:
INBOUND FROM FOREST HILLS – WEEKDAYS
5:31am, 6:34am, 6:42am, 7:16am, 7:34am, 7:42am [BIG GAP], 8:34am, 8:42am, 9:14am, 9:31am, 9:42am, 10:16am, 10:31am, 10:42am [BIG GAP], 11:31am, 11:47am, 12:17pm, 12:31pm [BIG GAP], 1:31pm, 1:47pm [BIG GAP], 2:36pm, 3:18pm, 3:36pm [BIG GAP], 4:36pm [BIG GAP], 5:36pm [BIG GAP], 6:36pm [BIG GAP], 7:36pm [BIG GAP], 9:16pm [NO MORE INBOUND FROM FOREST HILLS AFTER 9:16PM]
OUTBOUND FROM SOUTH STATION – WEEKDAYS (Applicable line noted in parentheses)
6:50am (Needham) [BIG GAP], 7:50am (Needham) [BIG GAP], 8:50am (Needham) [BIG GAP], 9:50am (Needham) [BIG GAP], 10:50am (Needham) [BIG GAP], 11:50am [BIG GAP] (Needham), 12:50pm (Needham), 1:05pm (Stoughton) [BIG GAP], 1:55pm (Needham), 2:05pm (Stoughton), 2:25pm (Wickford), 2:55pm (Needham), 3:25pm (Providence), 3:55pm (Needham), 4:25pm (Providence), 4:55pm (Needham), 5:00pm (Stoughton) [BIG GAP], 5:55pm (Needham), 6:00pm (Stoughton) [BIG GAP], 6:55pm (Needham), 7:00pm (Stoughton), 7:25pm (Wickford), 7:55pm (Needham), 8:00pm (Stoughton), 8:25pm (Providence), 9:00pm (Stoughton), 9:20pm (Needham) [BIG GAP], 11:00pm (Needham) [NO MORE OUTBOUND TO FOREST HILLS AFTER 11:00PM]
INBOUND FROM FOREST HILLS – WEEKENDS [BIG GAPS THROUGHOUT]
6:31am, 6:36am, 8:36am, 8:51am, 10:36am, 10:51am, 12:36pm, 12:51pm, 2:36pm, 2:48pm, 4:36pm, 6:36pm, 8:36pm [NO MORE INBOUND FROM FOREST HILLS AFTER 8:36pm]
OUTBOUND FROM SOUTH STATION – WEEKENDS [BIG GAPS THROUGHOUT]
7:15am, 9:15am, 11:15am, 12:20pm, 1:15pm, 2:20pm, 3:15pm, 4:20pm, 5:15pm, 6:00pm, 7:15pm, 8:00pm, 10:15pm [NO MORE OUTBOUND FROM SOUTH STATION AFTER 10:15PM]
UPDATE: 15 August 2022 – NEW MBTA FLYERS NOW AVAILABLE:
Orange Line Shutdown – ENGLISH
Orange Line Shutdown – SPANISH
Orange Line Shutdown – HAITIAN CREOLE
NOTE: For travel between Roslindale and Downtown, the best bet is almost certainly going to be the Commuter Rail from either Roslindale Village, Forest Hills, or Bellevue. Without coming completely out and saying it, the T is essentially going to allow for free boarding of the system based on flashing a Charlie Card or Charlie Ticket. They are now clear that they won’t be checking the value on these passes, so basically anything will work here.
PRIOR POST FOLLOWS
Among the many issues unfortunately plaguing our region’s transit system, the state of the Orange Line’s tracks and signals has been an ongoing concern for several years as slow zones have multiplied all along the line, increasing travel times significantly and contributing to the sense of an agency on a downward trajectory at exactly the wrong time. We simply can’t afford a transit system that doesn’t work.
Today, the MBTA admitted reality, made it official, and announced a 30-day shutdown of the entire Orange Line, from Forest Hills to Oak Grove, starting at 9 pm on Friday, 19 August 2022, and ending on Monday, 19 September 2022. The MBTA’s announcement can be found here. We’ve pulled the whole thing into this post to highlight key items in planning for Roslindale residents during this period and we encourage everyone to sign up for “Orange Line Transformation Updates” with the button in the post from the T:
FULL MBTA ANNOUNCEMENT:
As part of the Orange Line Transformation Program, we’re accelerating important reliability upgrades during a 30-day shutdown of the entire line starting at 9 PM on August 19. Regular Orange Line service will resume on Monday, September 19.
During this acceleration, crews will complete multiple projects more than five years faster than originally planned.
Why We’re Doing This Work
Upgrades to Orange Line tracks and signals will improve safety, increase reliability, and provide smoother trips for riders.
Project Features:Rider Benefits:
- Safety: New tracks, ties, and ballast will reduce the risk of high-impact events such as derailments
- Reliability: Track and tie replacement will allow us to remove speed restrictions, resulting in faster travel times and fewer unplanned stops
Orange Line Service Alternatives
During this 30-day shutdown, a number of service alternatives will be available.
Crews will begin work at 9 PM on Friday, August 19. Regular service will resume on Monday, September 19.
Commuter Rail
The Commuter Rail may be the best option for many Orange Line riders. During this shutdown, riders can simply show their CharlieCard or CharlieTicket to conductors to ride the Commuter Rail in Zones 1A, 1 and 2. All Commuter Rail stops along the Orange Line are accessible.
Providence Line trains will make additional stops at Forest Hills:
- On weekdays, 24 Providence Line trains will stop at Forest Hills
- On weekends, 10 Providence Line trains will stop at Forest Hills
Haverhill Line trains will make additional stops at Oak Grove. Check back here for more information about this schedule coming soon.
For service on the south side of the Orange Line and to Downtown, riders can take the Needham Line, which stops at:
- Forest Hills
- Ruggles
- Back Bay
- South Station (with a connection to the Red Line)
For service on the north side of the Orange Line, riders can take the Haverhill Line, which stops at:
Shuttle Buses
Orange Line train service will be replaced with free, accessible shuttle buses:
- Between Oak Grove and North Station
- Between Back Bay and Forest Hills stations (with the exception of Massachusetts Avenue station).
Check back here for additional shuttle bus service information.
Green Line
Riders are encouraged to use Green Line service in the downtown Boston area at Government Center, Park Street, Boylston, Arlington, and Copley stations.
Neighborhood Impacts
The loudest work will occur when crews cut rails with a saw and tamp the track to the proper elevation.
Contact Us
For questions or comments related to this project, please email the Orange Line Transformation team at OLT@nullmbta.com.
To report construction issues or noise complaints, please call the OLT project hotline at 617-222-3393.
Sign Up for Orange Line Transformation Updates
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We’re pleased to be able to share the final version of the Poplar Street Walk Audit report with everyone. No comments were received since we posted the draft on the 3rd of August, so the final is the same as the draft with just some dressing up (logos and footers added). The report is available in PDF format, and also posted below. We look forward to working with the city on planning and implementing street safety improvements in this critical corridor in our neighborhood.
Please contact the Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA) and your elected officials to show your SUPPORT for badly-needed new housing at 59-63 Belgrade Avenue.
This proposal will replace the Folsom Funeral Home, which is closing, and will provide:
Please send a polite, brief support email in your own words to the following individuals with the subject line: “Please Support 59-63 Belgrade Avenue”
This is an important infill proposal that will provide needed new transit-oriented housing, displace no one from the site, and enhance the entrance to Roslindale Square on Belgrade Ave. WalkUP Roslindale previously submitted a comment letter in support of the project to the BPDA.
Please submit your support emails before Friday, August 19th! The ZBA hearing will be held virtually on Tuesday, August 23rd.
Thank you!