MAYOR WALSH RELEASES GO BOSTON 2030 VISION AND ACTION PLAN TO GUIDE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION FUTURE

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES GO BOSTON 2030 VISION AND ACTION PLAN TO GUIDE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION FUTURE

Plan is comprised of 58 projects and policies to direct the City of Boston's transportation agenda for the next decade and beyond

BOSTON - Tuesday, March 7, 2017- Mayor Martin J. Walsh today released the Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan that will direct the City of Boston's transportation agenda for the next decade and beyond.  The plan is comprised of 58 transportation projects and policies that are designed to expand access to a variety of connected transportation options, improve traffic-related safety on Boston's streets, and ensure reliability of service for the City's residents, commuters and visitors. The Plan highlights projects already underway and presents a blueprint for the City to direct its capital plan funding. "Go Boston 2030 addresses the transportation challenges that we face as a city and a region, and lays the foundation for how we can create a safer, more equitable transportation future," said Mayor Walsh.  "Shaped by the feedback from thousands of residents, the action plan includes both short and long-term projects that will create greater transportation access that is reliable and safe for all users of our city's streets. Altogether, the initiatives in this plan will connect people to the region's fastest growing job centers, tackle transportation inequality, prepare our transportation networks for climate change and increase economic mobility for the people of Boston." The "Top Policies and Projects" of the Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan include: Walking and Bicycle Friendly Main Street Districts - improve access into and around Boston's neighborhood commercial districts for people traveling on foot and by bike. Fairmount Line Service Improvements and Urban Rail - provide improved connections for Dorchester and Mattapan with an increase to the frequency of service and better payment systems, and then introduce new rail cars to create a rapid transit line. Columbia Road Greenway - create a neighborhood friendly street for those walking, biking, or traveling by bus along this corridor, that connects to Franklin and Moakley Parks. Neighborhood Mobility microHUBs - develop prominent neighborhood access points to help residents select from a range of connected travel choices including subway, bus, bike-share and car-share. Smart Signal Corridors and Districts - program traffic lights to work together to facilitate movement in congested parts of the City. Mattapan to LMA Rapid Bus - design high-quality stops, signal priority, all-door boarding, and some exclusive lanes to create direct access from Mattapan and Southwest Dorchester to jobs and medical care in Roxbury, Mission Hill, and the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. North Station to South Boston Waterfront Rapid Bus and Ferry - introduce direct bus service in exclusive lanes between the Seaport and northern commuter rail in tandem with ferry service.   Top Policies Vision Zero Safety Initiatives - continue to implement innovative measures to reduce traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries due to crashes on Boston's local streets. State of Good Repair - investments by the City to repair and maintain Boston's roadways and bridges for the decades ahead. Restructure Bus Routes - work with the MBTA and local communities to develop a new network of bus routes that better match the travel needs of Bostonians. Autonomous Vehicles - develop policies to prepare for self-driving vehicles and support on-street testing of autonomous vehicles. "Boston is booming, with new housing and new businesses opening up and even more on the way," said City of Boston Chief of Streets Chris Osgood. "With the Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan,we now have a framework to provide connections between Boston's neighborhoods and to new job centers, allowing people to access them using transportation options that are affordable, efficient and enjoyable.  " "In 2015, Mayor Walsh directed BTD to develop a plan to make transportation improvements that would benefit all of Boston's diverse communities in all of the City's neighborhoods, in both the short and the long-term," said Boston Transportation Commissioner Gina N. Fiandaca. "An unprecedented public engagement process was undertaken that led to thousands of ideas and comments being submitted by residents and stakeholders. This Plan, and the aspirational goals and targets that are established and prioritized in it, is the direct result of that collaborative process." Five thousand ideas were submitted to the City during the first round of the public engagement process, helping to set the project's goals and metrics. Moving forward from goals to specific projects, the public submitted another 3,500 policy and project ideas. After analyzing these ideas, nearly 4,000 Boston residents and others helped to prioritize them by voting for their top choices of projects. Several Go Boston 2030 projects are already underway and are having a positive impact on the City's streets, including: Vision Zero Neighborhood Slow Streets ParkBoston Performance Pricing Parking Meter Pilot Program Boston's Safest Driver Contest Autonomous Vehicle Testing DriveBoston car-share Program Expansion of Hubway bike-share Program Installation of protected bike lanes. Information on all of these programs can be found at www.boston.gov/transportation. "The Vision and Action Plan represents a milestone for every resident in the city because it the first time that a plan made by residents, for residents, will lead to better travel choices for neighborhoods by creating more equitable distribution of investment in transportation infrastructure," said Representative Russell E. Holmes (D-Mattapan) and co-chair of Go Boston 2030. "It is gratifying that Go Boston listened when people stepped forward to say that our transportation must foster opportunity across neighborhoods by connecting the workforce with key job centers. This bold plan will serve as a blueprint for communities moving forward and will keep Boston a leader among world-class cities." The Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan provides a blueprint for the City of Boston to direct its capital plan spending and to work with state transportation agencies to begin implementation. The City is committing to a five year investment plan in order to jump-start implementation of the policies and projects identified in the Go Boston 2030 Action Plan. The City will leverage City funding to attract State funding through the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO.) The City will seek development mitigation to contribute to building streets and sidewalks to enhance public investment. The City will work with surrounding cities and towns to connect transportation networks cost-effectively. The City will establish a Go Boston 2030 Mobility Lab in partnership with academia and stakeholders to track progress toward achieving its goals and to experiment with new technology, with an eye toward accountability. "The Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan is a tremendous effort that brings together, for the first time, ideas from residents, stakeholders and the business community, delivering a result that is ambitious, bold and truly exciting," said Richard A. Dimino, President & CEO of A Better City and co-chair of Go Boston 2030. "From the perspective of the business community, the plan will move the city forward because it is squarely focused on improving mobility, including by protecting infrastructure that is vulnerable to sea level rise and extreme weather events. The future success of Boston depends in large part upon its ability to support employer and worker populations that demand a built environment with a fully connected network of walking, cycling, ride-sharing and transit riding choices." Go Boston 2030 reflects a partnership between several public agencies and, in particular, complements the Imagine Boston 2030 and Climate Ready Boston initiatives. The Go Boston 2030 public process will continue through the execution of individual projects, with policies and projects receiving a more in-depth planning process at the local level, including through further collaboration with residents and other stakeholders. For more information on Go Boston 2030, please visit here.