Major Bridge Victory in Boston

Posted: 12/21/2011

This morning the daily commute for many Boston bicyclists became a whole lot safer and more comfortable — thanks in large part to advocates at the LivableStreets Alliance.

In December 2010, LivableStreets executive director, Jackie Douglas, was a panelist on an Alliance Mutual Aid Call, sharing insight and progress from the organization’s Better Bridges Campaign. Three years ago, the advocates launched the initiative to ensure that a $3 billion investment from the state to shore up dilapidated bridges didn’t bypass accommodations for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users. Today, LivableStreets celebrated the completion of bike lanes and pedestrian crossing improvements to the BU Bridge over the Charles River.

“This is a major victory,” Douglas said in the announcement this morning — a victory built on wide participation from LivableStreets members and a strong and diverse campaign coalition. “Improvements to the BU Bridge have created a new vital link, providing more transportation options and new opportunities to integrate physical activity into our daily lives. We are witnessing a growing wave of interest in walking, bicycling, public transit and livable communities.”

One commuter who will make use of that new, vital link is LivableStreets member Emily Blood: ““The BU Bridge used to be the major obstacle in my commute to the Longwood Medical Area,” she said. “Now I’ll bike more often, and it will be so much safer to cross.”

The savvy advocates at LivableStreets aren’t letting the victory pass silently. To highlight the improvements, engage potential members and leverage the victory into a stronger relationship with decisionmakers, they’ll be out on the bridge today and tomorrow giving out goodie bags and getting excited users to sign thank-you postcards to transportation officials.

Learn more about the Better Bridges campaign and other bridge initiatives in last year’s Advocacy Advance report — Bridging the Gaps in Bicycling Networks: An Advocate’s Guide to Getting Bikes on Bridges.

And don’t forget: LivableStreets is the host of our Winning Campaigns Training in Boston this April. Register now to secure your spot and take advantage of these winning advocates’ insight.

Photo: BU Bridge with new bike lanes and pedestrian crossings. (LivableStreets)