Roslindale Gateway Path Visioning Session Smashing Success

Tonight’s Roslindale Gateway Path Visioning session was a smashing success. The turnout was extraordinary, filling the large double-room meeting space in the Roslindale Community Center just about to capacity. In addition to many people who live, work, and play in Roslindale and adjacent neighborhoods (including notably JP and West Roxbury), several city councilors, state legislators, and state agencies (including the MBTA and MassDOT) sent representatives who actively participated in the event. The meeting reflected tremendous energy and enthusiasm for the project, and sparked many new ideas and concepts that we and our collaborators at Tufts and the Livable Streets Alliance will be synthesizing over the coming weeks.

In case you weren’t able to make it, here is the presentation that kicked off the event, but most of the 90 minute meeting was spent gathering community input in small groups. Stay tuned for more news at our path page and send any additional comments to path@nullwalkuproslindale.org.

In the meantime, a snapshot from the beginning of the meeting, as people were still streaming in:

Attendees at Gateway Path Visioning Meeting
Attendees at Gateway Path Visioning Meeting

And now that we’ve had the world premier at tonight’s session, a special feature: drone footage of the first segment of the proposed route, starting at the Roslindale Village Commuter Rail station. Thanks to Larry McInnes for shooting, directing, and cinematography, and Alan Wright for starring in this motion picture:

Finally, the event was well covered on social media. Sampling of recent tweets below.

Tweets about Gateway Path Visioning Session
Tweets about Gateway Path Visioning Session

Finally, an after-event photo of many of the organizers, presenters, facilitators, along with some WalkUP Roslindale Steering Committee members:

Gateway Path Visioning Session Organizers, Presenters, and Facilitators
Gateway Path Visioning Session Organizers, Presenters, and Facilitators

LANA Hosting South & Walter Streets Visioning Session on April 7, 2016 7pm-9pm 1300 Centre Street

South and Walter Streets Visioning Session Flyer
South and Walter Streets Visioning Session Flyer

WalkUP Roslindale ally Longfellow Area Neighborhood Association is hosting a visioning session regarding the South and Walter Street Corridor on Thursday, April 7, 2016 from 7pm-9pm at the Weld Hill Research Building, 1300 Centre Street. South and Walter Streets connect Centre Street near Bellevue, West Roxbury at one end back to Centre Street adjacent the Arboretum and Faulkner Hospital at the other end, cutting through one of a densely populated, mostly residential, area of our neighborhood. These streets were historically designed (or more likely re-designed in the car era) to move cars quickly with little concern for pedestrian safety, walkability, and quality of life. There have been some small recent improvements but much remains to be done to reclaim this important corridor. Please show up and share your views!

Arboretum Gateway Path Visioning Session March 30, 2016 at 6:30pm

Momentum is growing for the Arboretum Gateway Path, which would create a new entrance to the Arboretum near the Roslindale Square Commuter Rail station, creating access to the park right from the business district (and avoiding the steep incline for the existing entrances), and also providing a shorter “straight shot” multi-use path from Roslindale Square to Forest Hills. To learn more and contribute your own ideas, please join us for a community visioning workshop organized by our community partners at Tufts University6:30pm, Wednesday, March 30th at the Roslindale Community Center (6 Cummins Highway). RSVP and more details here.

Arboretum Gateway Path Alternatives
Arboretum Gateway Path Alternatives

Update 3/7/16 – hot off the presses, check out these posters for this event:

Go Boston 2030

Go Boston 2030 Idea Roundtable – Roslindale Session Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015 at Roslindale Community Center

Go Boston 2030RSVP here.

Earlier this year, Mayor Walsh announced Imagine Boston 2030, the first citywide planning process in 50 years. The Imagine Boston 2030 process is an opportunity and a framework for WalkUP Roslindale supporters to advance our vision of a walkable neighborhood and a walkable city where people of all ages will have ample convenient and safe options for getting around by foot, bicycle, and transit. The 2030 target date is far enough away that we could make substantial investments and improvements in that time frame, but close enough that we should be moving ideas into policy and policy into practice starting now. But it will only live up to its potential if residents speak up and engage in the process.

One important part of the Imagine Boston 2030 citywide effort is Go Boston 2030, “an initiative to envision a bold transportation future for the city.” Go Boston 2030 has been holding visioning meetings at various locations throughout the city, and the Rozzie session is set for Thursday of this week.

The Go Boston 2030 Idea Roundtables are designed to gather transportation project and policy ideas that would most affect our lives. By donating your ideas, you will contribute to planning a transportation future that works for everyone. It is important that those who share our vision of making Roslindale the most walkable neighborhood in Boston turn out and speak up. Details below:

Date: Thursday, November 19, 2015
Time: 6pm – 8:30pm
Location:

Roslindale Community Center
6 Cummins Hwy

Spread the word!

RSVP Link

Go Boston 2030 Roundtable Invite
Go Boston 2030 Roundtable Invite
"Alternative 1"

Update from the Nov. 10, 2015 Community DCR Meeting re Centre/Walter Intersection

"Alternative 1"
“Alternative 1”
As noted earlier, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (“DCR”) held an additional public meeting about potential redesign of the Centre Street Corridor in Roslindale on November 10, 2015. The meeting was reasonably well attended with a robust discussion about the significant problems with existing conditions at the troublesome Walter & Centre Street intersection, among others, and potential design alternatives. The majority of the spoken comments offered were consistent with key WalkUP principles. Although the latest presentation has not (yet) been posted, a copy of the presentation from the 10/7/15 meeting concerning the same area is available on the DCR website. WalkUp Roslindale is working on a formal comment letter advocating in favor of alternative 1 and emphasizing that any design must better incorporate pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure.

"Alternative 2"
“Alternative 2”
The redesign project, which is not currently funded by the state legislature, will not be implemented for at least three years, in the best of circumstances. It is important for Roslindale residents and WalkUP supporters to voice how critical the project is for the walkability and cycleabilty of Roslindale.

The comment period has been extended to November 30, 2015.

Send a comment to DCR and note specifically:

  • DCR should make pedestrian and cycling access and usability a priority in a design and not be treated–as in the existing conditions–as second to automobile use.
  • A traffic light (alternatives 1 and 2) is an essential component of pedestrian and cyclist safety and must be included.
  • Key abutters, including the residents, employers and visitors of day care centers, senior housing facilities and a rehabilitation hospital complex require safe, usable and convenient crossing of both Walter and Centre Streets.

Finally, in our continued effort to avoid confusion, we remind you that this is separate from the process underway with respect to the nearby intersection of Walter and Bussey Streets.

Healy Field Community Meeting Flyer

Healy Field Playground Community Meeting – October 19, 2015 at Roslindale Community Center

Healy Field Community Meeting Flyer
Healy Field Community Meeting Flyer

WalkUP Roslindale strongly supports increased and improved open space, green space, and play space in the neighborhood (ideally all three together!). Indeed, one key benefit of moderately higher-capacity housing should be to allow more space to be left over, greater more political clout, and a more stable tax base to provide enhance shared recreational space for all of us. To that end, we encourage community members to attend an upcoming meeting to about improvements to the Healy Playground (off of Florence Street).

The meeting will be Monday, October 19, 2015, 6:30pm-8pm, at the Roslindale Community Center at 6 Cummins Highway. The Parks Department is interested in what the community has to contribute to the
design process. Following a brief presentation, community members will be able to offer
input regarding the material presented and the design process.

Spread the word, and see you there!