Woman at podium, in black top, giving award acceptance speech as others stand behind her.
Man at podium, in suit, giving award acceptance speech as others stand behind him.
A little hometown pride: Alessandra Seider, chair of the #SomervilleMA Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Committee, and Brad Rawson, head of the @cityofsomerville.bsky.social Mobility Division, receiving the @walkmass.bsky.social Golden Shoe Award.
In December, PTAC Chair Alessandra Seiter and Mobility planner Kate White presented their collaboration on Union Square at the WalkMassachusetts Network monthly meeting. PTAC organized a walk audit, taking an approach we can replicate elsewhere. Check it out! www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Na...
Today is @walkmass.bsky.social's Annual Celebration, which you can still attend virtually or in person in Kendall Square: www.givesignup.org/TicketEvent/.... As a Somervillen and WM board member, I'm happy to be presenting a Golden Shoes award to our very own PTAC & Mobility Division. (1/2)
I highly recommend attending this if you want to learn how to do a walk audit in your community
Details/RSVP form for the upcoming free walk audit trainings now available. Both town hall rooms we are meeting in are accessible (ramp & elevator available): walkmass.org/2026/03/20/u...
Thanks for the shoutout! We’ll be hosting 2 walk audit trainings / demo walk audits in early May in Randolph and Holliston on a weekday morning & a Saturday morning. similar to last year’s in Beverly, they’ll be free&open to anyone, not just those towns, thanks to the BostonMPO - More to come.
"Snow isn’t just an inconvenience. It becomes a barrier to safety and mobility in daily life."
The city has clearly made, and continues to make, progress in this area, and that's important to acknowledge. But huge barriers remain. Accessibility can't be weather-dependent.
Accessibility Advocates Press @boston.gov City Council for Better Snow Removal - mass.streetsblog.org/2026/03/03/a...
I’m introducing a policy order on sidewalk snow removal at our City Council meeting this Monday!
Some cities like NYC and Boston have recently been exploring increased municipal sidewalk snow clearance.
Cambridge can follow these cities’ leads and expand sidewalk snow clearance here as well!
In Boston, @mayorwu.boston.gov & Office of Neighborhood Services have announced some shoveling meetups in neighborhoods across the city to supplement the cleanup effort.
Find one near you listed here: Boston.gov/shovel
City teams will be plowing major roadways to ensure emergency vehicle access.
I know it can be frustrating if a plow has pushed snow back over a cleared area, but curb ramps must be cleared continually.
If plowed snow coverage is too much, use the BOS:311 app to request support from the City.
Snow Shoveling in Boston Who has to shovel? Property owners must clear adjacent sidewalks and curb ramps. Some rental leases require tenants to shovel. How much shoveling is required? Clear a 42-inch-path so people using strollers and wheelchairs can pass. When is shoveling required? Snow must be cleared within 3 hours of snowfall ending or 3 hours after sunrise if it snows overnight. Snow pile on a curb ramp? As plowing occurs, curb ramps may be covered and must be cleared again. If the snow coverage is too much to clear, please use the BOS:311 app to request support from the City of Boston.
That responsibility means clearing a 42-inch path through the sidewalk, not just in front of your home or business, but all the way to the ramp and crosswalk.
Learn more about snow shoveling in Boston: boston.gov/snow.
Be a good neighbor, shovel your sidewalk and curb ramps. Three images of well-cleared sidewalks and curb ramps with green check marks. Three images of a snow-covered sidewalk, a curb ramp covered in snow, and a fire hydrant blocked by a snow pile.
Help your neighbors get around safely as Boston experiences what is forecasted to be a historic blizzard.
Property owners must clear snow and ice from abutting sidewalks and curb ramps within 3 hours after snowfall ends or three hours after sunrise if the snow ends overnight.
A flyer with the Boston skyline for WalkMass Network's upcoming webinar on the Micromobility Commission Report to be held Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 1 pm on Zoom. Kris Carter and Jaclyn Youngblood from MassDOT will present, joined by WalkMass and MassBike staff for support and discussion. Register using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IrQf6JHYRhmbtagYmD7ouQ#/registration
We’re excited to be co-presenting with @walkmass.bsky.social on Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 1 pm a webinar with Kris Carter & Jaclyn Youngblood from @massdot.bsky.social about the Special Commission on #Micromobility's upcoming 2026 report. 🚲🛴🚶🚶♀️
Register below:
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
DESIGN APPROACHES APPROACH 1 - curbside bus lanes APPROACH 2 - dedicated middle of street bus lanes
DESIGN APPROACH 1 Buses operate in a side-running bus lane with bus stops on the sidewalks Greater design and phasing flexibility 2 Longer crosswalk legs, shorter total crossing More enforcement needed to be effective More space for linear park and turn lanes
DESIGN APPROACH 2 Buses operate in a protected transitway with bus stops in the center, similar to light rail (Green Line) More limited design and phasing flexibility 3 Shorter crosswalk legs, longer total crossing More space for bus platforms Less space for linear park and turn lanes
ONGOING OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS • We are currently modeling the project at the corridor and intersection level to evaluate how different design approaches work for all modes • The analysis includes projected volumes for planned development and will demonstrate how each design approach operates • Results of the analysis will be used to refine a traffic scheme that most effectively and safely manages demand while allowing for necessary flexibility • The outcome and comparison of this analysis will be the subject of our 3rd planned community engagement
What the at-grade looks like is still being thought through; looking at 2 design approaches. APPROACH 1 - curbside bus lanes; APPROACH 2 - dedicated middle of street bus lanes.
There’s a shorter URL for the same project page: boston.gov/rutherford
AT-GRADE DESIGN Safety & Mobility: Space required for an underpass complicates pedestrian crossings, eliminates space for a continuous linear path, creates pinch points that eliminate turn lanes, and would continue to look and feel like a highway. Resiliency & Reliability: We cannot design an underpass that would not be below the water table, creating cost, maintenance, and reliability issues. Flooding and freezing that occurs today would continue, resulting in continued unexpected detours and delays. CITY OF BOSTON STREETS CABINET Mayor Michelle Wu
ENGAGEMENT SCHEDULE • Ongoing coordination with MassDOT and MBTA • 2/3/26: Charlestown Neighborhood Council (CNC) • 2/11/26: Community meeting #1 • Mid March: Community meeting #2 (date TBD) • Mid April: Community meeting #3 (date TBD) • May 2026: Submit 25% Design to the MassDOT • MassDOT to host 25% Design Public Hearing late 2026 • Additional regular engagement and updates to be provided between 25% and design completion CITY OF BOSTON STREETS CABINET Meeting #1: General Update & Rutherford Ave Focus on project background, major elements of the design, and share design approach options for Rutherford Ave Meeting #2: Sullivan Square & Public Realm Review feedback from meeting #1 and gather feedback on public realm opportunities for Sullivan Square, Rutherford Ave, and new linear park. Meeting #3: Traffic Analysis Share the results of traffic analysis and the proposed design for the 25% design submission. Mayor Michelle Wu
AT-GRADE DESIGN Project Risk: An underpass design would introduce significant delay, resulting in loss of existing project funding and critical failure and closure of the existing underpass structure prior to a replacement Cost: Constructing new underpasses would add at least $200M to the estimated total project construction cost, in addition to flood control elements such as pump stations CITY OF BOSTON STREETS CABINET Mayor Michelle Wu
SIDEWALK & LINEAR PARK On the east side of Rutherford Ave, future sidewalks will be contained within a roughly 40' wide, 5+ acre linear park with a generous buffer! space and separate walking and biking paths On the west side of Rutherford Ave, new buffer space will be added CITY OF BOSTON STREETS CABINET Mayor Michelle Wu
Boston will be moving ahead with an At-Grade design for Rutherford Ave/Sullivan Square!
• Mid March: meeting #2
• Mid April: meeting #3
• May: 25% Design to MassDOT
• late 2026: MassDOT 25% Design Hearing
@mayorwu.boston.gov @streets.boston.gov @boston.gov
More: www.boston.gov/departments/...
‼️ LAST CHANCE to apply for the #CommunityChangeGrant program!
This is your community’s chance to receive a $2,000 grant for projects related to healthy, active, and engaged places to live, work, and play. #ActivePeople
Apply TODAY by 10pmET/7pmPT: buff.ly/osYthPV
Guest Column from @walkmass.bsky.social:
Enough With the Snow, We Deserve Accessible Sidewalks - mass.streetsblog.org/2026/02/10/g...
I had a foot surgery in November, and spent time on a knee scooter and a boot. I'm back in shoes, but it's still harder than usual to get around on cleared sidewalks, let alone now.
"It’s scary and dangerous for healthy adults, nerve-wracking for parents with small children, and simply impossible for the most vulnerable members of our communities. Worst of all, it’s this way by design."
The MassBike team at the MA State House Day of Action
Visiting Representative LeBoeuf's office on State House Day of Action
Visiting legislators to discuss current traffic safety camera bills
Coalition members, advocates, legislators and their staff, law enforcement, and legal experts gave testimonials and urged action during the State House Day of Action briefing.
An inspiring Day of Action at the MA State House! Thank you to all who participated for mobilizing around #trafficsafety.
View the replay here: youtu.be/7SikCE2XIIw
T4MA, MAVisionZeroCoalition, @familiesforsafestreets.org, @streetsboston.bsky.social, @walkmass.bsky.social, @bikeboston.bsky.social
To public agencies scolding pedestrians for walking along the roadway: we have no other choice if sidewalks are still not cleared.
At least this bus stop on North Main St. in Providence has a path from the curb to shelter. Good for able-bodied riders but a nightmare for people with disabilities. 😫
I had a friend visit this weekend who is still a bit wobbly from a broken ankle earlier in the year and OH WOW do I have a much clearer picture about the importance of clearing sidewalks, curb cuts, rail crossings, and the rest now.
Tomorrow morning, volunteers from @massbike.bsky.social, @walkmass.bsky.social, @bikeboston.bsky.social and others will visit the State House to lobby for "An Act relative to traffic regulation using road safety cameras."
Background:
mass.streetsblog.org/2026/01/30/p...
#mapoli
Could the the pedestrian crossings at the corner of Causeway St, North Washington St & Endicott St in North End be cleared? @mass.streetsblog.org @boston.gov @walkmass.bsky.social @bos311.bsky.social @universalhub.com
Keeping curb cuts and sidewalks clear isn’t just a courtesy: it’s about access, safety, and equity for everyone. #ClearCurbCuts
With cleanup still underway from the storm that ended earlier this week and another potential nor’easter forecasted for New England this weekend, sidewalks, curb ramps, and crossings remain difficult to navigate in many communities across Massachusetts #ClearCurbCuts www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MV8...
Moving 15 inches of snow off of a sidewalk is hard. A single pass with a snowblower would save a lot of people a lot of back pain (or worse), and that’s a lot more valuable than an immaculate driving lane.
The inequity of muni street plowing vs residents clearing sidewalks is so magnified in a big snowfall like this.
Every hour or so, a plow comes thru to scrape asphalt.
Is the marginal value of paying that guy for that 10th street plowing at all comparable to a single run at the 15” on sidewalks?
