On Sunday, July 7: Sniff out gas leaks and walking hazards

On Sunday, July 7  from 4:00 - 6:00 pm, South Boston residents are invited to help reduce our utility bills, make our neighborhood safer, and fight climate change by participating in a walking hazard/gas leak-detection effort. 

Why are we mapping walking hazards?

Faded crosswalks, sidewalks with out curb ramps, perilous intersections and poor lighting are among the hazards that seniors, kids, people in wheel chairs and baby stollers, and other pedestrians face daily in South Boston. When reported, these are easily and affordably fixed and the payoff is big. A walkable community benefits small local businesses, has less crime, fewer cars, healthier people and, of course, fewer injuries.

Join us for the July 7 waking hazards/gas leaks mapping event to help document and report these hazards to make it easier for the City of Boston to know where they need to make repairs. We will use resources provided by WalkBoston to map and report walk hazards.

Why are we mapping gas leaks?

Many gas pipelines are old or leak-prone and we, the consumers, pay the cost. As reported by Clean Water Action, natural gas companies collected nearly $40 million in 2010 from customers statewide for gas that never made it to our homes. In Boston alone, recent scans detected over 3000 gas leaks. These leaks also release methane into the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

By investing just two hours of our time to identify leaks in South Boston, we will have the knowledge to empower ourselves and our neighbors about this important neighborhood problem while raising pressure on the state and utility companies to take much-needed action. 

How the heck do you map gas leaks?

Boston University researcher Nathan Philips will provide training and equipment to detect leaks which will be mapped and shared with our representatives, utility companies, and the community.

Why are we doing these two projects at the same time?

We know everyone is very busy, especially on summer weekends. Both of walking and gas leaks concern our members, so we figured we might as well map both at the same time.

Want to join us? Interested? We would love to hear from you!

We need a rough headcount to plan ahead! Please email us to RSVP. Interested, but uncertain you can attend? It's ok to RSVP "maybe" and/or request information about similar events that are upcoming.

  

Event Details:
 When: Meet at 4:00 pm on Sunday, July 7, 2013.  We hit the streets at 4:30 pm, after a brief orientation. The mapping will go until 6:00 pm. 
 Where: Starts at the Distillery Building, 516 East 2nd St, South Boston.

As always, all are welcome at Planet Southie!