#masscommute

[northshoretma]

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!

[northshoretma]

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.