A Citizen's Wish List for Boston Transportation

Boston is making an effort to include the opinions of a broad range of citizens in its long-range transportation planning, according to an article by Nicole Dungca. The effort involved sending "a van to different areas of the city and held several events to gather feedback on transportation; more than 6,000 residents responded. Officials then boiled down the comments to formulate respondents' most important transportation goals."

"Boston residents want the city to eliminate fatal traffic crashes, make sure every household is within a 10-minute walk of public transportation, and ensure that MBTA trains and buses arrive on time at least 90 percent of the time," writes Dungca. Additional requests included a lower default speed limit as well as train stations with adjacent bus, shuttle, and bikeshare service.

Overall, Bostonians appear eager for major transit investment, some of which would require support from state agencies. "The plan also suggests relatively inexpensive improvements, such as repainting streets and placing planters to mark bike lanes on the street. Doing so can help slow drivers in corridors and intersections known for traffic accidents."