We are devastated by the recent incidents in Louisville, Georgia, Minneapolis, and New York’s Central Park that have put the pervasive racism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness in our country on acute display. We are angry about the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and so many more. As an organization that envisions a world where streets are safe, vibrant public spaces that connect people to the places where they live, work and play, this includes more than fighting for protected bike lanes, crosswalks, and bus lanes. When we talk about death on our street ..read more

This post is the second of two parts. Part One frames our current situation in existing inequities. In Part Two we focus on solutions that are designed to address these equity gaps and apply in the new context of COVID-19, while making our streets more livable. Orange cones are part of the solution, but they won’t fix the problem  This pandemic has created a heightened sense of urgency around our streets, how they are managed, and who they serve. As summer approaches and more states begin the process of “re-opening,” we must understand that operations haven’t changed much for many sectors ..read more

This post is the first of two parts. Part One frames our current situation in existing inequities. In Part Two we will focus on solutions that are designed to address these equity gaps, while making our streets more livable and apply in the new context of COVID ..read more

On March 18th we sent out a statement from LivableStreets that detailed our response to COVID-19 and provided useful resources. Please check out our initial response on the LivableStreets' website here.  While much of it is still relevant, as the situation continues to evolve, our response and actions must evolve with it. In the weeks since we sent out our statement, we have been lending a lot of thought to how the current public health and economic crisis impacts our work, along with all of the longstanding inequities that it illuminates. We’re launching a blog series to explore the chal ..read more

Many years ago, I was hitch-hiking east from San Francisco. (It was 1967, the summer of love – but that’s another story.) Somewhere in Wyoming, at around 2 am, with no houses or streetlights for hundreds of miles, the car started making funny noises which, given our collective state of mind, sounded ominous. We pulled over, got out, and there it was – the biggest sky I, a city dweller, had ever seen. It was both darker and brighter than I would have thought possible. Stars. And more stars. Bursting out from a background that was beyond black. It was so amazing, so surprising, so beautiful that ..read more

The core idea is really simple. The eastern Massachusetts urban metro area is blessed with over 110 miles of long, tree-lined paths along its rivers and harbor, as well as through its parks and water-shed highlands – greenways -- many designed a century ago by Frederick Law Olmsted and his associates. The Charles River’s Dr. Paul Dudley White Bicycle Path. The fabulous Emerald Necklace. The Mystic River paths. The Neponset Trail. The HarborWalk. And more. But, although each piece is much used and loved, it’s all cut up into separate, stand-alone blips. Wouldn’t it be great if they were connect ..read more