Action Alert: South Boston deserves safety for all pedestrians

Southie Walks Action Alert
Call our neighborhood officials and let them know: South Boston deserves safety for all pedestrians.

• Neighborhood Coordinator Eric Prentis: 617-635-3485
• City Councilor Bill Linehan: 617-635-3203
• Representative Nick Collins: 617-722-2080

Below is a photo of E 4th St at the Stop and Shop parking lot. The same thing happens on East Broadway at the Rite Aid lot where vehicles park over the lot line onto the sidewalk and into the path of pedestrians, strollers and kids -- without any barriers. Just look at the Rite Aid on Dot Ave to see what we in South Boston deserve -- fences, landscape, walkways and well marked direction exits. 

Conflict with pedestrians and vehicles is reaching crisis. More curb cuts and garage doors are crossing side walks (that have been narrowed by variance relief from lot line set backs) everywhere in South Boston.

The BRA and the ZBA apparently have ignored the city's recommendations in the Complete Streets document from the Transportation Dept. regarding sidewalk depth in many new projects.

Without adequate safety measures and attention to sidewalk design to protect pedestrians, the developers are not being held accountable. Businesses like Stop and Shop and Rite Aid have to make their lots safer and we need our elected officials support to insure that changes are made.
  

The above alert was submitted by Mary Cooney, a South Boston pedestrian advocate.

2/21 Update: A woman was in serious condition after being struck Thursday night by a car on Day Boulevard in South Boston. Details. When you call the above officials, please ask them to share and act on their ideas about how to prevent more tragic pedestrian incidents.

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.

le TOUR de SOUTHIE

Join Planet Southie Bikes for a casual bicycle ride around the neighborhood. Nicole Freedman, Director of Boston Bikes, will be our special guest for the ride. Nicole will share with us the City's plans for bicycle lanes that may be in the works for Southie residents, and we will also have the opportunity to share our thoughts about what its like to ride here and where we'd like to see improvements.

Cyclists of all abilities are encouraged to attend. Please keep in mind that we'll be sharing the road with other vehicles. Helmets & smiles mandatory.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 6:30pm
450 West Broadway - Parking lot

Facebook Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/544095912299557/

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Tanya Connolly

September 17th, 2012 Tanya Connolly was killed riding her bicycle at the intersection of West Broadway & A-Street in South Boston.  Her brother Karl would like to share his painful story of loss & absence.

Tanya Connolly

Dear Planet Southie Bikes,

Over seven months have passed, and it’s still so hard for me to talk about Tanya in an abstract way. Writing this letter only reinforces the fact that she is no longer with us.

Tanya and I were very close. We were 14 months apart in age. Together, we grew up in Ireland and moved to Boston in the early 1990s. As early adults we lived close to Dublin; a city full of life and energy, and later Tanya lived in London England for a period before moving to Boston. Tanya was a lively and energetic person; one who broke down barriers, treated everyone with respect, and would enter a place a stranger but leave with a whole new circle of friends. When people die, they are often described as a loving, caring, full of life, etc. etc. In the case of my sister this is not some desired fabrication - it is quite simply the truth.

On Monday September 17th 2012, I was in the car leaving work heading to school when I got a frantic call from my wife who moments before had learned about the crash. I pulled over and got in touch with the police officer who was standing by. He put it simply on the phone when I asked - "Is she dead?" - "Yes" he replied. Those are words you never want to hear. That moment rushed in a sense of complete and utter surrealism. How could someone you've always known, someone you've always loved, and someone you always expected to be there suddenly be gone?

Is Southie “Walkable” enough?

Author and city planner, Jeff Speck, says that Boston doesn’t need his help in planning walkable communities-(Boston is in the top 10 in the world according to Lonely Planet).

But, in Southie, are the sidewalks wide enough for the stroller? Are there enough street trees to keep you cool during the summer? Are benches ample on the main streets so you can sit for a minute if you need too/want too? Is there enough interesting pedestrian activity? Are the crosswalks blocked by cars, parking lots bleeding into the sidewalk, and are garage doors obstructing visibility?

These are some of the questions the Planet Southie Walk Action Team wants to address. Come to the next meeting (3/28) to discuss plans for a Southie “Walkabiltiy Audit” to determine how comfortably and safely our streets and neighborhoods can be walked.

For more information, listen to this RadioBoston broadcast from December “Why Walkability Is Key To A City’s Vitality”