“It’s a Wonderful Life” showing December 6, 2018, at 8 pm – Final Installment in our fall movie series!!!

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REMINDER: The fourth and final installment of our monthly film series at the Rozzie Square Theater on Basile Street takes place in just under 2 weeks, on December 6, 2018, at 8 pm (note the time change from prior showings). To get us into the holiday spirit, and as a nice way to finish off the Holiday Market on Birch Street, we’ll be showing the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” For urbanists, this Frank Capra offering, shot in 1946, the year after the end of the Second World War, provides a fascinating snapshot of the country as it looked back at the first 4 decades of the 20th Century and then looked ahead to what might come next (consider for a moment that Pottersville looks a lot more lively than the suburban tract housing George is helping build). As always, please come by the multiple bus lines that run through the square every day, come by Blue Bike (we have that now!), come by the Needham Line, walk, bike, or, if you must, go ahead and drive, and note that the suggested donation is $5 per person. Old Man Potter wants to see you in his office!!!

AND Let us know you’re coming by visiting our “It’s a Wonderful Life” event page on facebook. Thanks!

Comment Letter on 3-7 Poplar Street (732 South Street) Apartment Proposal

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Today, we sent a letter to the Boston Board of Appeal (colloquially knowing as the Zoning Board) concerning a proposed new apartment project at 3-7 Poplar Street (also known as 732 South Street), right above Wallpaper City. This project is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, November 27, 2018.

The full letter is reproduced below; you can also download the original as a PDF file.
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Roslindale Snow Clearance Collaborative – 2018-2019

Matt Lawlor 2 Comments

January 6, 2019 update: please sign up on our snow clearance page at http://walkuproslindale.org/snow if you’re interested in helping, and spread the word!

After a fair amount of success during the winter of 2017-2018, we here at WalkUP Roslindale are standing ready to launch the Roslindale Snow Clearance Collaborative once again for the upcoming winter of 2018-2019. By way of reminder, the RSCC focuses on clearing snow and ice from bus stops on key routes in and around Roslindale Square and at the major intersection of Hyde Park Avenue and Cummins Highway. This year, we will look to clear bus stops in those same key locations, but we’re also going to see if we can incentivize participation by partnering with our very own Roslindale Village Main Street and District 5 City Councilor Tim McCarthy, as follows:

  • Anytime there’s a snow event greater than 4” (just over 10 cm), we will pick a suitable morning or evening time as soon as possible after the snow stops flying to meet up at the 2 locations (NW corner of Hyde Park/Cummins and in front of the Roslindale Community Center on Washington) and then descend on and shovel out the identified stops.
  • With the help of our friends Councilor McCarthy and RVMS, the incentive we’re offering will be $10 Rozzie Bucks coupons for everyone who shows up and lends a hand.
  • BTW, Rozzie Bucks are a great deal — good at many stores and restos in the square and the farmers market to boot!!

Astute observers of the urban scene here in SW Boston will recognize that this is akin to the program District 6 City Councilor O’Malley has developed for shoveling out neighborhood fire hydrants where he drums up support by giving out JP Licks gift certificates. We hope to do the same with bus stops and Rozzie Bucks and with Councilor McCarthy contributing an initial investment of $300 and the Roslindale Business Group (yes, the second best RBG) underwriting a further $100, we are hopeful that we’ll see success this year. If it snows, we hope you’ll join us!!!

Letter of Support for Pedestrian Safety and Traffic Calming Improvements in Roslindale Square

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We recently sent an official comment letter to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, expressing our strong support for recent pedestrian safety and traffic calming improvements around Roslindale Square. These improvements represent an important step forward in realizing our vision of a truly walkable neighborhood where everyone who prefers to get around without a car can do so easily, and those who need to drive share the space fairly and safely with everyone else. Much remains to be done. Toward that end, below we express our support for the changes made so far, and offer ideas for next steps.

Our full letter reproduced below; you can also download a PDF version of the letter plus the attached parking count exhibit.

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RVMS seeks crowdfunding support for Poplar Streetscape Improvements – Invest in a better public realm!

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Our go-getter friends at Roslindale Village Main Street have gone public with their emerging plans to make streetscape improvements to the block of Poplar Street that abuts Adams Park in the heart of Roslindale Square. They have teamed up with our other friends at Patronicity to seek $25,000 in crowdfunding to match $25,000 in funds from MassDevelopment and a further $5,000 from the Boston Main Streets Foundation. Take a few minutes to visit the Revitalizing Poplar Street page on Patronicity, and if you like the concept and the direction they’re headed in, make whatever investment you can in a better public realm for our neighborhood!

REMINDER – ONE WEEK TO GO – “Night of the Living Dead” – November 1 @ 7pm – The third installment of the Fall 2018 Walkable Film Series

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REMINDER: After a super turnout for “The Human Scale” that netted $80 in proceeds to our friends at RVMS, we would LOVE to see you for the third installment of our monthly film series at the Rozzie Square Theater on Basile Street two weeks from tomorrow, November 1, 2018, at 7 pm. As a last echo of Halloween, we’ll be showing the cult classic “Night of the Living Dead.” This George Romero offering, shot in black and white almost three decades after the arrival of technicolor, is the zombie movie by which all zombie movies are measured. As always, please come by the multiple bus lines that run through the square every day, come by Blue Bike (we have that now!), come by the Needham Line, walk, bike, or, if you must, go ahead and drive, and note that the suggested donation is $5 per person. We hope you’re coming for us, Barbara! We can’t wait!!!

AND Let us know you’re coming by visiting our Night of the Living Dead event page on facebook. Thanks!

Image result for night of the living dead

WalkUP Comment Letter on Washington Street Bus Lane

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We recently sent an official comment letter to Boston’s Chief of Streets Chris Osgood, expressing our strong gratitude and support for the city’s implementation of a morning inbound bus lane on Washington Street between Roslindale Village and Forest Hills. This improvement has greatly improved the commuter experience for transit-riders and cyclists alike, at extremely low cost. We’d like to see much more of this in and around the City of Boston!

We also took this opportunity to raise a couple of concerns: first, compliance with the morning bus lane has been inconsistent, and a few parked cars blocking buses and bikes ruins the experience for everyone. We need to see better enforcement to insure the lane doesn’t become a half-solution at best. We also want to get the ball rolling on an afternoon/outbound dedicated bus lane, as studies show that the evening outbound rush hour commute encounters more traffic and is slower for bus riders than the morning route was before the bus lane.

Our full letter reproduced below; you can also download a PDF version.

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Fall 2018 Roslindale Walkable Film Series – 10/4 @ 7 pm – “The Human Scale”

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REMINDER: We would LOVE to see you for the second installment of our monthly film series at the Rozzie Square Theater on Basile Street a week from this Thursday, October 4, 2018, at 7 pm. This time it’s “The Human Scale” – the urban life-focused documentary about Jan Gehl and his firm’s work around the globe. Come by the multiple bus lines that run through the square every day, come by Blue Bike (we have that now!), come by commuter rail on the Needham Line, walk, bike, or, if you must, go ahead and drive. We can’t wait!!!

You’re welcome to sign up and spread the word from our Facebook Event page as well.