28號巴士的30個候車亭屋頂將建成綠色花園

               (Boston Orange 編譯)

波士頓市府堤共示意圖。

波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 在10月2日宣佈，將把28號公車路線中30個車站的候車亭屋頂，變成綠色花園，種植抗旱植物，改善空氣品質，增加風雨時的蓄水量，同時為巴士路線增加新的綠色空間，為民眾提供樹蔭。

               吳弭市長指出，這為期三年的試驗計畫是波士頓市府氣候韌性辦公室(Office of Climate Resilience)的新里程碑，也是全美在安裝巴士候車亭綠色屋頂上，規模最大的一次性安裝行動。

               這些綠色屋頂將可為原本透明的巴士候車亭屋頂，提供直接的樹蔭，讓人們在熱天等車時，涼快些。種的植物還可以吸收雨水，減少徑流，捕捉汙染物，進而改善水質，預防淹水。

               波士頓市府表示，這是波士頓市熱計畫的一部分，包括「涼爽社區」策略，旨在藉由蔭涼候車站，讓社區涼快些。

               28號公車在麥特潘、多徹斯特和洛士百利之間行駛，是麻州地鐵在波士頓市的3條可免費搭乘公車路線之一，也是搭乘人數最多，半數以上乘客為低收入民眾的一條公車路線。

               波士頓市和3家機構合作辦理這候車亭屋頂綠化項目，包括集體社會影響（Social Impact Collective），一家波士頓市少數族裔所擁有的建築設計公司，以及衛斯頓苗圃( Weston Nurseries)，一家麻州的植物苗圃，和波士頓青年建造 (YouthBuild Boston)，一家衛青少年提供支援即進入建築工程和設計行業所需經歷的本地非牟利組織等。

              參與辦理這計畫的機構包括波士頓市氣候韌性辦公室，環保局，物業管理辦公室，綠色基礎設施辦公室，交通局，市長辦公室，以及麻州地鐵，市府街道家具合約夥伴JCDecaus。

               波士頓市氣候長 Brian Swett，新綠交易(Green New Deal)主任暨環境局局長Oliver Sellers-Garcia，綠色基礎建設主任Kate England，以及集體社會影響創辦人Michael Chavez等人分別從各方面讚許這一計畫。

               JCDecaus北美共同執行長Alan Sullivan表示，該公司很榮幸能參與這促使碳排放到2050年縮減為零的計畫。

               波士頓市府表示，市府的人力發展辦公室和環保、能源，以及開放空間內閣，新綠交易團隊，綠色基礎建設辦公室等合作，從國家海洋及大氣局獲得980萬元，將致力於培訓有助波士頓市加強海岸氣候韌性人力，以及相關的建設項目。

BOSTON - Wednesday, October 2, 2024 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu announced the installation of green roofs on 30 bus shelters along the MBTA’s #28 Bus route. Built in collaboration with community partners, these new roofs feature drought-resistant plantings that will help provide shade, improve air quality, increase stormwater retention, and add new green space along the bus route. The City selected bus shelters along this corridor as it has some of the highest bus ridership in the MBTA system and neighborhoods along this corridor are disproportionately impacted by extreme heat. The City and its partners will be evaluating this three-year demonstration project to learn how it can be scaled to other locations across the city.   “These green roofs on bus shelters are not just a representation of Boston’s progress on sustainability—they are a practical, scalable solution to some of the most pressing challenges we face as a city,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “With this new milestone from our Office of Climate Resilience, we are demonstrating that Boston is leading the way in innovative, community-focused climate action.” These green roofs provide direct shade over bus shelters, which typically have transparent roofs. In addition to keeping people cool on hot days, the plantings will absorb rainwater, reduce runoff, and capture pollutants, thereby contributing to better water quality and flood prevention. Finally, the small rooftop gardens will also support birds and pollinators, fostering greater biodiversity in urban areas. This is the largest single installation of green roofs on bus shelters in the nation.  This project advances key strategies in Boston’s Heat Plan, including the “Cool Commutes” strategy, which aims to create cooler commutes through shaded bus stops. The City prioritized the Route 28 corridor running between Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury as it intersects with some of the city’s urban heat islands - areas that experience higher temperatures for longer periods on hot days. Route 28 is currently the most popular route in the MBTA system and is one of three fare free bus lines in Boston. Over half of riders on free routes are classified as low-income, and thus disproportionately affected by climate impacts such as the urban heat island effect. This corridor is used by a variety of bus routes in addition to the #28.   “The launch of these green roofs is a tangible example of how we can reimagine our urban infrastructure to be more resilient, sustainable, and equitable,” said Brian Swett, Chief Climate Officer. “This is also a terrific example of Boston’s approach to the Green New Deal - investing in neighborhoods and people to address our climate crisis.” “This project exemplifies how innovative, scalable solutions can improve the day-to-day experience for residents, while adapting our city for the climate challenges ahead,” said Chris Osgood, Director of Climate Resilience. “A range of partners made this project possible, and we look forward to learning from it and scaling it to communities across Boston.” To install and maintain the green roofs, the City partnered with Social Impact Collective, a Boston-based, minority-owned architecture and design firm, Weston Nurseries, a Massachusetts-based plant nursery, and YouthBuild Boston, a local non-profit organization which focuses on providing underserved young people with the support and credentials needed to successfully enter the construction and design industry. Data collection and analysis will be conducted in partnership with Social Impact Collective, ensuring that the project’s benefits are thoroughly documented and understood. Data being collected includes how much stormwater is retained, temperature of green roofs compared to the sidewalk, and plant growth.  “The number of public and private partners involved in this project demonstrates the all-of-government approach this administration has taken to enhancing sustainability, livability, and justice,” said Oliver Sellers-Garcia, Green New Deal Director and Commissioner of the Environment Department. “We’re committed to putting all our resources towards work that improves daily life and directly involves residents, youth and local entrepreneurs. Boston’s climate investments are quality of life and economic development investments too–that’s what the Green New Deal is all about.” “Having led the original pilot project back in 2014, we were delighted to work with the City again and bring back this valuable program” said Michael Chavez, Founder of Social Impact Collective. “These green roofs are a visible example of how implementing climate resilience at a neighborhood scale can improve outcomes while empowering the community through training and involvement in project implementation.”  The green roof retrofit project builds on a successful pilot program initiated in 2014. This new installation, completed last month, will seek to standardize the integration of green infrastructure across Boston's bus shelters and potentially other street furniture. These green roofs will be monitored and maintained for three years to assess their impact on heat, air quality, stormwater management, and biodiversity. This project is a collaboration between the City’s Office of Climate Resilience, the Environment Department, the Office of Property Management, the Office of Green Infrastructure, the Transportation Department, the Mayor’s Office, as well as the MBTA and JCDecaux, the City’s street furniture contracting partner.  "It's been amazing to work with Michael, Trevor and YouthBuild Boston again! Their partnership and passion for green infrastructure (GI) undoubtedly helped [de]pave the way for widespread GI implementation in Boston," said Kate England, Director of Green Infrastructure. "Green roofs are just one type of GI the City is deploying to improve our resilience to the effects of climate change--distributed GI in our neighborhoods ensures our most vulnerable populations experience the many benefits of GI in their daily lives." “As the sustainability leader in out-of-home media and the first in our industry to commit to the RE100 and to our carbon emissions to Net Zero by 2050, we are proud to be supporting this important Boston initiative to provide new sustainable services on the streetscape” said Alan Sullivan, Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux North America. Today’s announcement expands upon the City’s work to make Boston the most green and resilient city in the country. Recently, the Office of Workforce Development in collaboration with the Environment, Energy, and Open Space Cabinet, the Green New Deal team, and the Office of Green Infrastructure have been awarded $9.8 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop the workforce needed to enhance Boston’s climate and coastal resilience. This project is a strong example of Boston’s work to implement a Green New Deal that is focused on enhancing quality of life and economic opportunities through addressing climate change. You can learn more about this project or see a map of where the green roofs are located here.