The North Shore TMA Blog

Stories and musings about commuting and transportation on Massachusetts' North Shore.

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Tales from a Winter Bicycle Commuter

Posted by Courtney Goldberg

Before you even begin to ask the question, yes, winter bicycle commuters still exist on the North Shore. And yes, they still continue to bike to work even this winter. No, they are not clinically insane.

 Right after last week’s snowstorm (they’re all starting to blend together, aren’t they?), I had a chance to catch up with Bill Woolley, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services at the City of Salem. Bill has been biking to work religiously for 21 years (the pictures above are of Bill's bike at the closed Commuter Rail station and parked outside of his office building). Bill genuinely enjoys his bicycle commute each day and says that he continues to bike in the wintertime because it’s easier to maintain the habit year-round than to stop biking in the winter months and try to resume come spring. Aside from a good deal of admiration for Bill and his dedication to his commute, here’s what I learned from him.

C: What is your motivation for winter bicycle commuting?

 B: Naturally, the ongoing reasons for biking through the winter are the same as the rest of the year: it’s fun, good for my health and easy on my wallet. I also felt like if I stopped biking for the winter, it would be difficult getting started back up again in the spring. After that first year [in 1993 commuting from Beverly to Danvers], it was just a matter of facing and enjoying whatever challenges Mother Nature threw at me. I've slipped on snow-covered ice a few times, making turns I misjudged, but I've had so many layers of clothing on that the padding has kept me from getting injured.

 C: How is cycling in the winter different than it is other times of the year?

 B: The first thing that comes to mind is the degree to which I have to get geared up. Just getting dressed for my ride and undressed afterwards typically adds a half-hour to my daily commuting routine. As far as the actual ride is concerned, slipping on ice and slush is a challenge I don't have to face during the summer. The greatest danger, in my opinion, is during a snowfall when plows are out. They're focusing on their work, rightfully, and not expecting to see someone on a bicycle. I have to be hyper-vigilant about plows approaching from behind so I can get out of the way. Predictably, during a snowy winter commute, I get more name-calling. Drivers are more inclined to roll down their windows and yell unpleasantries. On the more positive side, biking during a snowfall, especially when schools have been called off, can be very peaceful. There are fewer motor vehicles to worry about and the ones that are on the road are going more slowly.

 C: What do you do to outfit your bike and yourself for winter cycling?

 B: I ride a mountain bike, with wide, aggressive tires, year-round. My bike has an excellent taillight and headlight, on which I depend for visibility. In the winter months when the days are shorter, I have to mount my headlight more often, but that’s really it. When the weather is at its wintry worst (snowy, slushy, frigid cold), I wear, in order: long-sleeved T-shirt, heavy socks, sweatpants, water-resistant overpants, sweatshirt, fleece jacket, boots, water-resistant winter jacket, two ski masks, ski goggles, helmet and battery-heated gloves.

 C: How much more time does it take (including gearing up and down for a ride) to bike during the winter months?

 B: Bundling up and undressing can add as much as 30 minutes to my daily routine. The actual ride can be longer, of course, depending on road conditions. Last week, during the [third] blizzard, my commute took an hour and 20 minutes. It normally takes about 25 minutes. The wind was ferocious and the snow was piling up quickly. I took a longer route home (more side streets) to avoid plow caravans. I didn't dare pedal on the road across the Beverly-Salem Bridge, so I walked my bike on the protected sidewalk through a foot of snow and into the wind. I had to stop about every 10 steps just to catch my breath. I also stopped in the new MBTA parking garage in Beverly to clear the ice off my goggles and take an extended breather.

 C: Is winter cycling worth it?

 B: For me, unquestionably so. I can't honestly say [winter is] my favorite time of year for biking (not even close), but it's still more fun and, I think, safer than driving in winter. I've had people call me crazy and insane for biking in winter. Some friends have become genuinely exasperated with me because they think I'm endangering myself or, even, motorists. My argument is this: In the past 21 years of biking to work year-round, I've pedaled approximately 50,000 miles, compared to about 40,000 miles of driving a car for various reasons. During that time, I've been involved in five auto accidents (none of which were my fault and two in which I sustained injuries), compared to zero biking accidents (other than an occasional and harmless slip on ice). So, how does that support the argument that I'm safer in a car than on a bike?

 C: Is there anything else about winter bicycle commuting that you’d like to share?

 B: Yes, No parking problems! Motorists circle around blocks like vultures, waiting to pounce on the first cleared parking space that becomes vacant amid the snow banks. Wherever I pedal to, in Salem or elsewhere, I can always find parking very close to the door. Coffee shops, markets, friends' apartments...

Thank you, Bill for your descriptive and insightful comments!

 Do you practice a shared comment (bike, walk, take the commuter rail, bus, ferry, carpool or vanpool) to work during the winter months? Take a picture of your commute during the week of February 23rd and send it to us via Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #ownwinter. We’ll re-post/re-tweet it and you could win a gift card to Dunkin Donuts!

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Making the case for sustainability long before it was “cool”

Increasingly, companies, non-profit organizations, universities and government agencies are looking to make their worksites more environmentally friendly and with that come the need to make sustainability a core value. After all and according to Ceres (a non-profit leader coalescing organizations that want to tackle the most pressing issues facing the environment), practicing sustainability helps organizations reduce their carbon footprint, require less water and avoid conflicts in their supply chains. It’s natural that business-minded organizations would want to engage in sustainable efforts. The idea that business can make the world a better place sounds like a train anyone can jump on gleefully. According to Wally Hopp, professor of Operations Management at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, positive business practices (and sustainability is one of them) are tactics that enhance the welfare of all stakeholders—that includes customers, employees, shareholders and community members.

At the end of October, North Shore TMA staff attended a sustainability fair at the North Shore Community College in Lynn, MA. We spent the first hour of the morning on “display”—manning a table layered with brochures, banners and promotional material supporting our programs and services. We shared that space in a U-shaped format in the Community College’s gym, with a few rows of chairs set up in the center, where students could sit to listen to a variety of presentations from the companies present. During the second hour, our Outreach Manager, Al Marrone had the opportunity to present to the students about what the NSTMA does, summarizing our mission and explaining why offering commuting options should be the standard at any organization that cares about sustainability.

“At the end of the day, if every single one of you has to worry about how to get to and from school, do you even care if the College recycles or that there are electric hand driers in the bathrooms?” Al asked the students. “If the North Shore Community College joins [the NSTMA], then we will work with the administration and the local government to develop transit opportunities for you between campus and from other major bus and train stops.”

Fortunately for us (and the students), Al’s presentation stuck. Just last week, Al and Andrea Leary, NSTMA Executive Director met with the folks at the North Shore Community College about joining. Al is also working on expanding the NSTMA’s incentive program Green to Work to include a customized solution for students called Green to School. We plan to officially roll out our Green to School program to students at Salem State University (a new member of the NSTMA) early in 2015.

At the NSTMA, the idea is simple. Start with your employees (or students in the case of colleges/universities). Give them options to make their commute easier so they arrive at work (or school) ready to perform. In turn, they will be more productive and will produce more products or enhance a service that will benefit your organization’s customers and boost your bottom line. That will make your shareholders happy, which will make you happy. And from there, you can invest in the community and continue to make your employees happy. It’s goes full circle.

Posted by Courtney Goldberg

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Taking My Biking Commute to the Next Level

Posted by Bill Woolley, NSTMA commuter and guest blogger

The most memorable Christmas present I’ve ever received was when I was a fourth-grader and “Parents Claus” surprised me with a bright-red bicycle with a built-in headlight from Sears. I swear I can still feel the magic of spotting it propped up in front of the tree that Christmas morning. Fifty years later I’m still getting tingles over two-wheelers, but for very different reasons.

After saving up and planning for years, I recently took a bike-and-barge vacation that gave me an opportunity to pedal 146 spectacular miles from Amsterdam, Holland, to Bruges, Belgium. Along with a score of other riders, we wended our way along canals, amid farmland, past windmills and through antique villages so old they’d make New England towns seem contemporary. It was also a thrill to see more cyclists than motorists on every road other than highways.

That trip was unusual for me because I’ve never been a recreational cyclist. I used that 1963 Sears to bike a mile to grade school or the playground when I was a kid, and have used a Giant-model mountain bike to make my way to work, year-round, for the past 21 years. You just wouldn’t find me taking pleasure rides on sunny weekend mornings. I’m strictly a bicycle commuter, plugging along at a less-than-breathtaking 11 MPH, or so, never riding for anything other than practical purposes. I carry a backpack with my lunch, a change of clothes and a can-do attitude to work every day. Not a stitch of colorful Spandex has ever touched my body. Heck, I’m not even sure if Spandex has stitches.

Since biking has always been such a daily matter-of-fact activity for me, sort of like brushing my teeth, the thought of taking a recreational ride had never appealed to me. I figured it would be like a motorist, who spends upwards of 15 hours a week driving to work and back, considering taking a weekend drive for fun. Not to go anywhere. Just to drive. Yawn.

I learned on my vacation, however, that the simple act of biking can be, well … fun. Sure, I was pedaling to get from town to town along the route from Amsterdam to Bruges, but I really had no other goal than to piston my legs up and down, moment by moment, as I watched the sights draw slowly into view, then fade behind me. For once in my cycling life, it didn’t matter where I was going or when I’d get there. It only mattered that I was propelling myself along and feeling very much like a fourth-grader again.

Yes, I frequently and dutifully preach the holy trinity of reasons why I bike to work: it’s good for my health, the environment and my bank account. Practically speaking it’s a no-brainer, but now I have a fourth reason that may be the most important of all. Whether I’m heading to work for the daily 9-to-5 grind or coasting through a European countryside on vacation, biking is just plain fun.

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Free Parking Ain’t Free

Ever heard of the saying, “Freedom ain’t free”? Well, the same is true for ‘free’ parking. Despite your general inclination or even what your employer, landlord, condo association or favorite store owner tells you, the “free” parking they’re offering you isn’t free. You may not be paying for it directly, but someone is.

“Free” parking spots are paid for similarly to the way the roads we drive on are—through tax dollars. According to Donald Shoup, an Economics and Urban Planning professor at UCLA, each on street parking spot is estimated to cost (through government spending) $1,750 to build and another $400 annually to maintain. That means that even if you don’t own a car, you are paying for other people’s parking – though the taxes waged on you. So if you have a shared or alternative commute and you take the bus, commuter rail or ride your bike to work, then you are still paying for all of your colleagues’ parking at your place of business. The ‘free’ parking you have at your worksite is “paid for” out of the salaries granted to workers. The parking spot you park in at the grocery store is paid for in the price you pay for milk, eggs, bread, etc. In fact, free parking is never free—the cost of it is just allocated to something else for which it is deemed more “acceptable” to pay.

That doesn’t sound too fair, does it? Professor Shoup agrees and in his book The High Cost of Free Parking he argues that the driver taking the spot should pay for parking—always. Free parking not only makes those who don’t drive share the burden but it also enables more idling while looking for a spot and it is a poor way to allocate land.

Shoup argues for a simple solution: charge a fair price for on-street parking set at the lowest price you can charge to have 1-2 open spots on a block at a given time. Let the market set this fair price so parkers will pay as little as possible without having to cruise (a waste of time and a terrible waste of gas and CO2 emissions) to look for a parking spot.

And while we’re at it, perhaps we should also pay for parking at work and at the grocery store. After all, if you carpool to work, do you really want to pay the parking for the guy down the hall who drives to work alone every day? If you walk to your neighborhood grocery store or farmer’s market, do you really want to pay others’ parking out of the cost of your total bill?

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Meet our Members – Cell Signaling Technology

Posted by Courtney Goldberg

(Above: Fresh vegetables harvested from the community garden at Cell Signaling Technology in Danvers, MA).

The benefits of NSTMA membership go far beyond the possibility of winning gift cards for commuters who log their trips in our Green to Work program.

Membership gives our member companies tips and benchmarking data for their own sustainability programs and they all benefit from the advocacy we provide on the municipal, state and federal levels. The work we do for our members helps them meet their sustainability goals while also making our roads safer and less congested.

But don’t just take it from me! In an effort to depict how and why NSTMA membership can benefit your organization, I sat down to speak with Seth Levin who works as the Sustainability Coordinator at Cell Signaling Technologies in Danvers, MA. 

C.G.: How long have you been working with the North Shore TMA?

S.L.: Cell Signaling Technologies (CST) joined in June of 2012 as part of our overarching transportation management plan. NSTMA membership gave us access to resources that make our plan better and tips to make it more visible to employees.

C.G.: Please tell me more about CST’s transportation management plan.

S.L.: Sure! The transportation plan started as a way to combat parking lot congestion, reduce scope 3 carbon emissions caused by employee commuting and improve local air quality. But it’s actually grown into something more like a community now. The way it works is employees earn points for using alternative transportation to get to work and those points are then redeemable for cash prizes-- even vacation days. Now the bike commuters meet for long rides on the weekends and the walking commuters compete against one another for points. We didn’t see that coming but it’s awesome!

C.G.: How do you allocate “points”?

S.L.: We have an internal system where our employees can log their trips and so they don’t have to log twice, I send that data to Al [NSTMA Outreach Manager Al Marrone] for the Green to Work program. We give CST employees one point per day when they commute via carpool, vanpool or public transportation and we give two points per day to commuters who bike and/or walk to work. We also have preferred parking for employees who have L.E.F.E. (Low Emission Fuel-Efficient, defined as cars who get 40 MPG highway mile and/or electric vehicles) vehicles and we have free charging stations at both of our locations (on Trask Road in Danvers and Tozer Road in Beverly). We also provide a 50% subsidy for employees who take public transportation and a $1000 subsidy paid out over two years for employees who purchase L.E.F.E. vehicles. We want to make “green” commuting easy and desirable for our employees, which is why we provide substantial incentives for these programs. We also have shower facilities on site, cubbies and indoor bike racks because many of our employees have expensive bikes that they don’t want to leave out in the cold. Additionally, all of these amenities make the programs more visible. The more people see their colleagues doing it, the more inclined they are to try it themselves.

C.G.: Are you a “green” commuter?

S.L.: Yes. I live in Allston-Brighton (Boston) so I commute via a combination of carpool and/or biking/commuter rail. When I bike, I will ride 7 miles to North Station and then take the train up to Beverly and then I’ll ride the final 3 miles into the office. I think it’s important to be visible to my colleagues so they will see what I do as something they should try. Also, I’m known around the office as the “corporate tree hugger” so to speak!

C.G.: What do you find most beneficial about CST’s membership with the NSTMA?

S.L.: Our membership has definitely helped us make our transportation plan more holistic and comprehensive. You guys have also given us some good benchmarking data. It’s great to see what other companies in the area are doing so we can strive to meet or even beat their goals. It’s a great community to be a part of and the events the NSTMA puts on give our department and programs a lot of visibility.

C.G.: Does CST have sustainability goals?

S.L.: Yes, definitely. In fact, the transportation plan is only a small part of those goals. We have a goal of converting all of the paper towel dispensers in our bathrooms to electric hand driers in an effort to reduce waste. We also have a recycling program for both our lab waste (since we are a biotech facility, we create a lot of waste from plastics in our lab) and general waste, like food and packaging. This recycling program combined with our compost program has enabled us to divert 75% of our waste from the landfill and of that 75%, 40% is mix-biotech plastic waste that is diverted and 25% is compost. The money we’ve saved from composting goes to pay for the price premium involved with recycling. We’ve also replaced half of the metal lights in the parking lot with LED lights to save energy. I could go on for days about some of our other initiatives but you can find them on our website at www.cellsignal.com in the sustainability section.

C.G.: Wow! You are really setting an amazing example for all of our members. I’ve heard some great things about a community garden (a recent harvest is pictured above) at CST. Could you tell me more about that?

S.L.: Oh yes. We started a garden on site at CST and the compost from our cafeteria is brought to a farm to be composted and we buy it back to use as soil in the garden. So far this year we’ve grown 120 pounds of food for our employees to eat and many of the employees work at lunchtime and after work to help with weeding.

C.G.: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience with the NSTMA?

S.L.: Yes, I’ve been working on compiling detailed statistics on how our employees are getting to work. I pull reports monthly and share them with you guys. This year alone, we’ve had 87 employees participate in the transportation plan—out of our 400 total employees in the U.S., that’s pretty good. On average, we have 25 people participate per day and I’m really proud of that.

C.G.: You should be! CST even got recognized this year at the Massachusetts ECO Awards for your transportation program.

 S.L.: That’s right! For two years in a row, we have won the Pinnacle Award and this year we won the Spotlight Award for Innovation (thanks to the support of the NSTMA staff who promoted our nomination). I hope we can keep this up year after year…

 Thank you, Seth for your time, enthusiasm and eagerness to share CST’s achievements with us! You certainly are setting the bar high for our member companies.

Readers: stay tuned for more information about CST’s Community Garden…

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Free WiFi on the Commuter Rail!

As the main author of this blog, I am often on a search for relevant and interesting topics for our readers-- of course, you’re thinking-- that’s part of my job! This morning, I had an experience that was worthy of such a topic: I was a green commuter! I am often on the road meeting with my colleagues and with members all over the North Shore TMA. Due to the unfortunate sporadic nature of my schedule and like many folks, I usually drive to these meetings – alone.

But this morning, I took the Commuter Rail to Beverly Station on the Rockport Line and I am pleased to report that it was a delight! I boarded the train with my headphones in—fully engaged in the latest world news reported by the BBC over the live stream of WBUR’s radio app. I sat down, ate breakfast and then opened my laptop. To my pleasant surprise, there was WiFi available free of charge, fully accessible to passengers on the commuter rail. In the 30 minutes that I was on the train, I was able to check email, research a couple of topics related to commuting and begin writing this blog post. Had I been in my car, I would have spent those 30 minutes driving. That’s it. Just driving—and sitting in traffic.

I will be the first to admit that driving to work enables you to have a certain amount of flexibility and sometimes it is just not feasible to carpool or take public transportation. However, I’m asking you now to shift your mindset just a little and think-- are there a few days out of the week or month when you don’t need to drive? Is it possible for you to take the commuter rail or participate in a carpool? I’m willing to bet that the answer to both questions is a resounding yes.

Go forth and enjoy that workable commute, my friends. I sure did!

For more “food for thought” regarding commuting, traffic demand reduction and other transportation musings, follow us on Twitter @NorthShoreTMA

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Green to Work – Share, log and win!

In the world of alternative commuting—that is, not driving alone to and from work every day—the old adage of “what’s in it for me?” is often in play. Sure, it’s easy to say that carpooling, vanpooling, taking the commuter rail or biking to work is good for the environment and less stressful than driving alone. But what really motivates someone to share their car or ride with others and rely on another’s schedule to get to and from work?

The answer: money.

Yes, good old-fashioned, green money. Or, as is the case for the North Shore TMA raffle winners—money in the form of gift cards.

Take Steve Brinton from Cell Signaling Technologies for example. Steve is an alternative commuter. He carpools or bikes to work two times a week and logs his trips using the NSTMA’s Green to Work calendar. Simply doing just that – practicing a shared commute and logging it – makes Steve eligible for a monthly $25 gift card drawing and a quarterly $100 gift card drawing.

Isn’t it time you got paid for doing something good? Try a shared commute. Then log it in Green to Work so you can confidently answer the question the next time it’s asked of you.

The conversation may go something like this…  

Commuting Naysayer: Why do you carpool to work? It’s so inconvenient!

You: I don’t need my car every. I’m saving money on gas, wear and on my car, and I get paid for it.

CN: Really? I should try that, too!

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The ECO Awards recognize excellence in providing commuting alternatives for employees

Photo credit: Sophia Barbosa

On a windy, cold morning on March 26th, approximately 200 people gathered into the EMC Suite at Fenway Park to celebrate commuting-- specifically, shared commuting that results in a decreased demand on traffic—at the 4th annual Massachusetts ECO Awards.

The morning was a joyous one for the North Shore TMA and its members as they snapped “selfies” before the infamous infield backdrop and took pictures with the three World Series trophies, which were on display for attendees to admire.

 The morning’s program included a welcome from Ned Codd, the Assistant Secretary for Green Transportation at MassDOT, a comedic introduction by Cindy Campbell, a former SmartRoutes traffic reporter for WCVB-TV and featured speaking presentations from Celia J. Blue, Registrar of Motor Vehicles at MassDOT and Joseph Curtatone, Mayor of Somerville.

In her remarks, Celia Blue mentioned that even though her job title refers to cars, she is very interested and impressed by transportation options that result in having fewer cars in the road. “The companies here today represent the best in combating traffic demand, especially during the busiest travel times in the Boston area,” Ms. Blue commented.

Mayor Curtatone spoke of the transformation the City of Somerville is undergoing as they anticipate the extension of the MBTA Green Line to Union Square in the coming years and the effort to make Somerville more walk-able for commuters and residents alike.

For the North Shore TMA, the best moment of the morning was getting the opportunity to snap a photo of the good folks from Cell Signaling Technologies of Danvers, MA when they accepted the Spotlight Award for Leadership in Innovation. Cell Signaling was recognized for its leadership in implementing innovative commuter options for their employees. Cell Signaling’s commuter benefits and their diligent efforts to promote those benefits to their employees are worthy of celebration and recognition.

We’d also like to take this time to recognize Cell Signaling Technologies and Eastern Bank for earning the Pinnacle award, and Axcelis Technologies, the City of Salem, Cummings Properties, LLC and MiddleOak for winning the Leader award.

 As an organization dedicated to changing the way people think about commuting and encourage sustainable transportation options, it’s wonderful getting to celebrate with our members and their employees who are excelling in this area.

Congratulations to the good people at Axcelis, Cell Signaling, Eastern Bank, MiddleOak, the City of Salem and Cummings Properties. Keep up the excellent work!

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Why you should try vanpooling, Kindle winner and much more!

There is a lot of noise out there about commuting. Our roadways are undoubtedly congested—all you have to do is drive along Route 128 or Route 1 on a given week day and you’ll see that’s evident. Our roads are also a mess! After this long and very cold winter, the Boston area’s road are laden with pot holes—so much so that crews have to close down parts of streets to fix them (and often times, it’s a repeat fix from a month ago!).

After staring at brake lights twice a day, five times a week on I-93 and worrying during every trip that the pothole you just transgressed may have finally gotten the best of your tires, it’s time to consider an alternative option. That is riding to work. That’s right, you can get directly from your home to work at the time you want but in this case, you don’t have to do the driving. And on top of that, you can save money on your commute, save your car from its next trip to the shop and you can relax or do something else while you’re on your way to work. Seriously, when was the last time you read a good book?

With this in mind, the North Shore TMA would like to commend Steve Arena of Eastern Bank. Like many of you, Steve has a long commute. He drives from his home in Quincy to Lynn every day. Interested in carpooling, Steve took our survey last month to see what options were available to him so he could save money and aggravation on his commute. Steve was one of close to 100 people who took our survey during our “New Year, New Commute” Winter Promotion. Every person who took our survey was entered into a drawing for an Amazon Kindle Fire and of the 100 participants, Steve was the lucky winner—of the Kindle at least.

In fact, each person who took our survey is a winner—at least in the eyes of the North Shore TMA. We are here to provide you with alternatives to your traditional (drive alone, every day) commute and when you try those alternatives and log them using our Green to Work and NuRide incentive programs, you can win gift cards and prizes. We will now be following up with each of our survey participants to discuss their options with them and get them started on the path to easier commuting, money saving and better time management. Think it’s time that you join the pack? Contact us to find out more.

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Winter Biking? Sure! Tips from a Local Rider

At the North Shore TMA, we love to hear tales from commuters. This week, we are honored to feature a guest post by Terry Cowman, an avid outdoor cyclist and member of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Boston Chapter. Terry wrote an article for the February edition of the AMC’s newsletter “Charles River Mud” that included great tips on outfitting yourself and your bike for winter riding.

Read on to gain an interesting perspective on riding outdoors throughout the winter and why New England is the perfect place to experience winter riding.

In his article, Terry provides tips on outfitting your bike for winter. He suggests adding tires with wide, thick rubber and putting running lights on the front and back of your bike since daylight is so limited in the wintertime.

Terry also gives great advice for how to dress for winter riding and he suggests that it’s always best to wear layers and to over dress, especially when it’s windy.

Always the responsible cyclist, Terry provides some good suggestions on where to ride directly after a snowstorm (on main roads that are likely to be plowed) and in the days following it (on side roads that are more scenic).

And finally, since motivation is a factor that we all deal with in the winter, Terry suggests picking an out-and-back route from work or home with a “destination” at the halfway point, like a coffee shop or breakfast place.

Thank you for writing, Terry!

 Stay safe out there!

 If you would like to write for the Greener Commute, please contact us!

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Active Streets Encourage Active Commuters

By Courtney Goldberg, Communications Manager

 Last Wednesday, shared commuters earned a huge win from the state legislature.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill to fund the Active Streets or Complete Streets program. The passage granted $50 million over 5 years to the program as part of the Transportation Bond Bill.

The Active Streets program makes it easier to walk, bike or take public transit across the Commonwealth. It was created in part to support a public health goal set by MassDOT—to triple the number of commuters who travel on foot or by bicycle by 2030.

 The program encourages cities and towns across the state to routinely include Complete Streets design elements and infrastructure in locally funded road projects. Support for this program included advocacy to improve both the public health and the local economies in cities and towns across Massachusetts. Biking and/or walking to work encourages commuters to visit local establishments, which helps to create and retain jobs and increase real estate values. Additionally, by taking your commute out of the car and into the fresh air with roads safely paved for walkers and bikers, residents’ quality if life will be improved.

 The Active Streets program garnered strong support among groups such as the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council who, among others, lobbied diligently for the program’s funding over the past year.

 The bill now moves to the State Senate for its approval. You can track the development of this legislation via Twitter using the Hashtag #ActiveSts. We will also post developments on our website.

The North Shore TMA applauds the House on the passage of this bill and we look forward to a greener, safer and more active commute.