Session 2B

Equitable Transportation:

Improving Mobility Without

Moving People Out

Matt Lawlor Moderator - Robinson + ColeStacy Thompson - Livable StreetsAdi Nochur - WalkBostonTiffany Cogell - Boston Ministries

#urbanismsummit

EQUITY &

TRANSPORTATION

M A R C H 3 1 , 2 0 1 7

L I V A B L E S T R E E T S A L L I A N C E

An equitable region is one in which

all residents have the opportunity to

reach their full potential

" D e s p i t e t h e mu l t i - mod a l w a y s

r e s i d e n t s o f t h e r e g i o n g e t a r o u n d ,

ma n y r e s i d e n t s f a c e s u b s t a n t i a l

c h a l l e n g e s . T h i s i s e s p e c i a l l y t r u e

f o r l o w - i n c om e h o u s e h o l d s wh o

d o n ’ t ow n a v e h i c l e , y o u n g p e o p l e

w i t h o u t a d r i v e r ’ s l i c e n s e , a n d

p e o p l e w i t h mob i l i t y i m p a i r m e n t s .

T h o s e i n d i v i d u a l a n d h o u s e h o l d

c o n s t r a i n t s a r e c omp o u n d e d b y

h i s t o r i c a l a n d o n g o i n g d i s p a r i t i e s

i n t r a n s i t s e r v i c e p r o v i s i o n f o r

l o w - i n c om e c ommun i t i e s a n d

c ommun i t i e s o f c o l o r . "

t r a n s p o r t a t i o n i m p r o v e m e n t s

h a v e t e n d e d t o p r o m o t e   m o v i n g

c a r s   r a t h e r t h a n   m o v i n g p e o p l e .  

c o m m u t e r s o f c o l o r o f t e n s p e n d

m o r e t i m e c o m m u t i n g t h a n t h e i r

w h i t e c o u n t e r p a r t s ; a n d o f t e n

p a y m o r e f o r i t .  

S o u r c e : M A P C S t a t e o f E q u i t y

R e p o r t U p d a t e , M a r c h 2 0 1 7

ANALYSIS 

OPEN HOUSE ON MAY 3, 2019

N a t i o n a l l y h o u s e h o l d s i n

t h e l o w e r t h i r d o f t h e

i n c om e r a n g e d e d i c a t e d

1 5 . 7 % o f t h e i r i n c om e t o

t r a n s p o r t a t i o n i n 2 0 1 4 ,

c om p a r e d t o 8 . 2 % f o r

h o u s e h o l d s i n t h e u p p e r

t h i r d o f t h e n a t i o n a l

i n c om e r a n g e .

E q u i t a b l e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n m e a n s p r o v i d i n g a r a n g e o f t r a n s p o r t a t i o n o p t i o n s i n l o w - i n c o m e c o m m u n i t i e s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s o f c o l o r t h a t a r e a f f o r d a b l e , t r u s t w o r t h y ,

a n d s u s t a i n a b l e .  

ADDRESSING THE

EQUITY GAP  

M e t r o B o s t o n c a n n o t b u i l d i t s w a y

o u t o f c o n g e s t i o n .     W e m u s t u s e

r o a d s p a c e m o r e e f f i c i e n t l y ,

p r i o r i t z i n g m o d e s t h a t c a r r y t h e

m o s t p e o p l e .

B e t t e r b u s e s i m p r o v e c o n n e c t i o n s

b e t w e e n c o m m u n i t i e s a n d o t h e r

t r a n s i t m o d e s , i n c l u d i n g c y c l i n g a n d

w a l k i n g .

G o B o s t o n 2 0 3 0 ' s g o a l s t o i n c r e a s e

b u s r i d e r s h i p a n d l o w e r g r e e n h o u s e

g a s e m i s s i o n s c a n b e a c h i e v e d w i t h

c h a n g e s t h a t p r i o r i t i z e s t r e e t s a n d

s i g n a l s f o r b u s e s .

WHY BETTER BUSES 

S o u r c e : M a s s D O T

What is a better bus? 

F r e q u e n t a n d C o n v e n i e n t - b u s l a n e s ,

s i g n a l p r i o r i t y , u p d a t e d r o u t e s  

C o m f o r t a b l e p l a c e t o w a i t f o r t h e

b u s  

A c c e s s i b l e e n t r y a n d e x i t , i d e a l l y

t h r o u g h p l a t f o r m - l e v e l b o a r d i n g

S e a m l e s s i n t e g r a t i o n w i t h o t h e r

s y s t e m s , i n c l u d i n g b i k e s h a r e s y s t e m s ,

s a f e b i c y c l e a n d p e d e s t r i a n p a t h s ,

a n d e x i s t i n g b u s a n d r a i l .  

A f f o r d a b l e !  

FEATURES

S t r e e t A m b a s s a d o r s : M e e t

p e o p l e w h e r e t h e y a r e a t

B R T P i l o t s : D e m o n s t r a t e w h a t i s

p o s s i b l e

  S e c u r e i n t e r i m w i n s , b u t s t i c k

w i t h i t f o r t h e l o n g h a u l

How 

6 1 7 - 6 2 1 - 1 7 4 6

w w w . l i v a b l e s t r e e t s . i n f o

S T A C Y T H O M P S O N

L I V A B L E S T R E E T S A L L I A N C E

THANK YOU!

Advancing Equity Through Age-Friendly Walking

Adi Nochur, WalkBostonCongress for New Urbanism – New England Summit

March 31, 2017

Equity Considerations

• What communities are you working in?

• What populations/stakeholders’ needs are you addressing?

• How are you engaging those populations/stakeholders to address their needs, as well as those of the broader community?

Equity case study: Age-Friendly Walking in Boston

Walkability and Age-Friendly Boston

Age-Friendly Walking

• Partnership between WalkBoston, Elderly Commission/Age-Friendly Boston, and other city agencies and community partners to advance safe and comfortable walking for seniors in the City of Boston

Age-Friendly Walking

• Partnership between WalkBoston, Elderly Commission/Age-Friendly Boston, and other city agencies and community partners to support safe and comfortable walking for seniors in the City of Boston

• Near-term goal: work from 2016-2018 in three pilot neighborhoods (South End, Mattapan, East Boston) to implement street and sidewalk improvements

• Long-term goal: use lessons learned from pilots to create guidelines for a multi-agency citywide approach to senior walking

Pilot Neighborhoods

• East Boston – Meridian/Border Street corridors

• South End – Mass Ave corridor

• Mattapan – Mattapan Square

Neighborhoods selected in part based upon racial and economic demographic data (focus on low-income seniors and seniors of color)

Age-Friendly walk audit – South End

Age-Friendly walk audit – Mattapan

Age-Friendly walk audit – East Boston

Next Steps

• Work with agency/community partners to advance improvements in pilot neighborhoods

• Work with agency partners to create processes for citywide action items

Lessons Learned

• Walkability is critical to seniors’ physical and economic mobility and thus to aging in place

• Age-Friendly Walking presents a frame to bring new collaborators and diverse stakeholders together

• Directly addressing the needs of vulnerable populations benefits all. Safe and comfortable walking for seniors means safe and comfortable walking for everyone!

Questions?

Our Goal: Promote healthy walking and biking in the Talbot-Norfolk Triangle

Survey • How often, how far, and why we walk and bike• Factors that promote or discourage walking and biking in TNT

Who & How we surveyed• 137 TNT residents, evenly distributed by gender, age, and streets• Door-to-door, engaging neighbors while collecting information

Headline: Safety is a major factor—both personal safety and traffic/roads

Next Steps: Partner Initiatives, Innovation Circles, Community Actions

TNT Neighborhood Survey on Walking & Biking

TNT

Codman Square

WALKING BIKING

Frequency(2-5x / week) 80% 33%

Distance 1-3 miles 1-3 miles

Why/WhereWork/School/Transit

(60%)Fun & Exercise 80%

(Work/School/Transit 6%)

• 80% of TNT residents walk 2-5 times/week

• Typically walk about 1-3 miles each time

• Mostly walk to get somewhere, and bike for fun

2

Results Summary: Walking & Biking in TNT Today

Safety and Roads are biggest barriers before age 46, then Health is major barrier

Personal Safety concerns (violence, shootings, harassment) discourage 30-40% of TNT residents

Roads/Traffic (speeding, violations, etc.) discourages 20-30% of TNT residents

What Discourages TNT Residents from Walking?

Safety & Roads Health40%

30%

20%

3

4

4-7 Neighbors in each circle, adults and youth

What is a memorable walking experience for you?

What energizes or discourages you from walking?

How can we promote walking in our neighborhood?

Neighbor Innovation Circles Generate Ideas

Slow Streets initiative will improve traffic and roads conditions

Safe Routes to School will help keep children (and parents) safe

Fairmont Greenway mural to promote safe biking & walking

Neighborhood Health block party: “Let’s Get Moving!”

Innovation Circles: Ideas in progress…

TNT Ideas & Initiatives to Promote Walking

Events•Summer events• Ice cream truck•Color walk/fun themes•Having kids run race•Walking Marathon

Incentives•Set walking distance goals•Mileage markers•Prizes for walking•Free food/drinks•Pedometers track progress•Store discounts for walkers•Publicize walk routes•Beautify public areas

Groups•Walking group•Walking buddy•30+/50+ groups•Partner with youth•Pet walking•Let children go out

to play/walk Safety - Personal

•End street harassment•Safer streets•Safer neighborhood•Neighborhood pride•Social connectedness•Local police detail•Surveillance cameras

Safety – Traffic•Safer walk signs•More crosswalks•Stop signs and speed bumps to reduce speed•Posters on speed risks

Safety – Roads, etc. •Better lighting•Trees, more greenery•More trash cans•More benches•Sidewalk repair

5

E+ Green Building36 - 38 Colonial AvenueDorchester Center / TNT

Under Mayor Menino’s Energy Positive Green building program facilitates high-efficiency design and best construction practices and onsite renewable energy.

While this is exactly what any resident would want, purchase prices are high for apartment living. Most TNT renter-residents looking to become homeowners will not be able to take advantage of this opportunity and may search other neighborhoods or cities for more affordable homeownership opportunities.

3 bdrm apt condos $600+K2 bdrm apt condo $400+K

Improvements in the housing market may serve to gentrify our neighborhood along the Fairmount Greenway.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8j0LtX0hcHBNjhOUzJoTTNsMXc

Boston Project has developed a strong relationship with our NDC and makes space for neighbors’ voices to be heard regarding their hopes for their neighborhood.

Here’s an example of the impact a neighborhood organization can make:

Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (CSNDC) Response to Talbot-Norfolk Triangle Neighbors United (TNTNU)

12/15/15 Feedback on New England Heritage Homes (NEHH) January 12, 2016 Dear Members of TNTNU:

Thank you for taking the time to meet with CSNDC and providing your feedback and questions on the design of New England Heritage Homes. As we work through the development of NEHH, we hope to continue our engagement with members of the community as partners in this process.

Below are CSNDC’s responses to TNTNU’s major feedback themes and questions from the December 15, 2015 meeting. Major Feedback Themes:

Neighbors want to create a development that is exemplary, has benefits both for the new homeowners and the community, while being mindful of budget constraints.

CSNDC is strongly committed to the vision of the Eco-Innovation District and is seeking to develop NEHH to align with that vision to the extent that it is feasible within time and budgetary constraints. As you know, we aim to make the homes LEED-certifiable to the LEED Silver standard and NEHH will be a transit-oriented development within walking distance to public transportation, including the MBTA Fairmount/Indigo Line Talbot Station (down the street from the site), and in support of the Fairmount /Indigo Line CDC Collaborative. Additionally, the project will revitalize an underutilized area as the land is currently composed of abandoned and vacant lots.

Neighbors strongly support the home ownership model.

o

CSNDC is committed to developing NEHH as an affordable home ownership project in order to help stabilize the neighborhood through community asset building.

Neighbors feel loss of greenspace is significant compared to the original plan. Small front and back yards and does not achieve the goal of creating a community green experience along New England Ave. Lack of landscaping/trees in current design is a concern. New England Heritage Homes should include a signature greenspace project.

Making New England Ave pedestrian and biking friendly is a top priority.

Can DND, CSNDC, TNT work more closely with Public Works and BTD (Neighborhood Slow Zone initiative) to plan New England Ave improvements together?

TNT’s goal is to keep New England Ave as a street that moves traffic through TNT while minimizing congestion on side streets. Extending two-way use of the street through to Norfolk Street is critical to our future.

As a transit-oriented development, NEHH is designed to achieve a high level of walkability and encourage less vehicular travel. Pedestrians will have ease of access to the site and the construction plan will include rehabilitation of the City of Boston sidewalks along the entire perimeter of the site.

We want to be higher than LEED-Silver with home construction. What can we add to increase energy-efficient measures? Can all homes be oriented for the best solar benefit? What building materials are being used for long-lasting quality? Can we have permeable driveways? Etc.

*******

Neighborhoods of organized, engaged residents are empowered. When neighborhoods partner with larger organizations such as the city or their NDC, there is a collective power that better facilitates real improvements in safety, walkability/bikeability and attainable housing.