On March 7, the Boston government released its official plans for the future of transportation in the city. Mayor Martin J. Walsh presented the “Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan,” which is a city initiative aiming to drastically improve traveling within Boston for its residents over the next decade.
The overall plan includes 58 individual projects and policies that focus on different transportation solutions. According to an official press release by the City of Boston, they 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.”
According to Walsh, the plan does not only include strategies for improving public transportation, but also projects that focus on opening access to other modes of transportation to residents.
“The future of transportation in Boston involves all different modes of mobility, including car-share, autonomous cars and bike-share,” he said.
While some of these projects have already been initiated and are currently being carried out, others will begin in the upcoming years. Projects that are already in motion include the installation of protected bike lanes, the expansion of the Hubway bike-share program, the autonomous vehicle testing, and the Drive-Boston car-share program.
Other “top policies and projects” that will be implemented over the next years include, among many others, the restructuring of bus routes, the repair of roadways and bridges, the Vision Zero Safety Initiatives aimed at reducing traffic-related fatalities, the improvement of access for people travelling on foot or by bicycle, and the Smart Signal Corridors and Districts where traffic lights are programmed to work together in order to counter traffic jams.
During his announcement, the mayor also pointed out that “Go Boston 2030” was not only an effort headed by city officials and the administration, but that it was also the result of the direct input of the various communities in the city. According to the press release, around 5,000 ideas were initially submitted by the public, and then another 3,500 from contributions for the specific projects. Later on, around 4,000 residents were also involved in the process of choosing and prioritizing the best projects.
“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,” said Walsh.
Furthermore, the co-chair of “Go Boston 2030” and Representative Russell E. Holmes acknowledged the public’s extensive contributions to this initiative.
“The Vision and Action Plan represents a milestone for every resident in the city because it [is] 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 Holmes.
On Twitter, Walsh emphasized the importance of this plan for Boston, saying,“Transportation is the life blood of our city.”
For more detailed information on the “Go Boston 2030” initiative, go to boston.gov/transportation/go-boston-2030.