MY NAME IS SHARON DURKIN, CITY COUNCILOR FOR DISTRICT EIGHT AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION. TODAY IS FEBRUARY 20TH, 2025.
THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED . IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON.COM BACKSLASH CITY. DASH COUNCILOR DASH TV AND BROADCAST UNEXPENDED DE CHANNEL
EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 BY US CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C C C DOT PLAN D V AT BOSTON.COM AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE PUBLIC
RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS MAY BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY'VE SIGNED UP AND YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON RON
COBB AT RON ERWIN DOT COBB AT BOSTON DOT GOV FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET OH 396 MESSAGE AN ORDER
AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF BOSTON TO ACCEPT AND EXPAND $775,855 IN THE FORM OF A GRANT FOR THE 2025 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PROGRAM GRANT AWARDED BY THE
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PASS THROUGH THE BOSTON REGIONAL METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE BOSTON TRENT ARE TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT THIS
GRANT WILL FUND FUND WILL REPLACE WELL SORRY WILL FUND THE REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRIFICATION AND REPLACEMENT OF BLUE BIKE STATIONS AND REPURPOSE SINGLE SPACE PARKING METER POLES FOR
1600 WITH BICYCLE RACKS AND THEN DOCKET OH FOUR FOR EIGHT ORDER AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF BOSTON TO ACCEPT AND EXPAND
THE AMOUNT OF $14,400,000 IN I'M SORRY 1400 SORRY $14,400,000 IN THE FORM OF A GRANT FOR SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL AWARDED BY THE US
DOT NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION PASSED THROUGH THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT. THIS GRANT WILL FUND SYSTEMIC
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO TRAFFIC SIGNALS AT 50 LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY OF BOSTON. THESE MATTERS WERE SPONSORED BY ME AND MICHELLE WU AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON FEBRUARY 5TH AND FEBRUARY 12TH RESPECTIVELY.
TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILOR FLYNN AND WE HAVE THREE LETTERS OF ABSENCE FROM COUNCILOR AT LARGE ERIN MURPHY, DISTRICT COUNCILOR LIZ BREADON AND
COUNCIL PRESIDENT RUSSI LOUIJEUNE AND I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR PANEL. AMY CORDING THE DIRECTOR
OF ENGINEERING FOR THE BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT. KEN FOLTZ THE DIRECTOR OF BOSTON BLUE BIKE STREETS CABINET CITY OF BOSTON LOUISA GAG BIKE SHARE AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLANNER STS
CABINET CITY OF BOSTON. AND NOW I'D LIKE TO GIVE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE A CHANCE TO GIVE HIS OPENING STATEMENT. THANK YOU COUNCILOR DURKAN AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATOR
AND TEAM FOR BEING HERE. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES WE FACE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE.
I WANT TO SAY AT THE OUTSET THAT WHEN IT COMES TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY I TAKE A BACKSEAT TO NO ONE ON THIS ISSUE. I RECOMMENDED A 12 POINT
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PLAN IN 2020 18 AND HELD MANY CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS ON THIS ISSUE WHEN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PASSED THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW IN 2021.
I IMMEDIATELY CALL FOR BOSTON TO DEDICATE A PORTION OF ANY FEDERAL FUNDS SPECIFICALLY TO TRAFFIC CALMING INFRASTRUCTURE. I HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING THAT THE
CITY DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. I WANT TO PUT RAISED CROSSWALK SPEED HUMPS PEDESTRIAN ISLANDS WITH RAPID FLASH BEACON AT
STRATEGIC LOCATION OF HIGH FOOT TRAFFIC ON MAIN STREETS, COMMERCIAL ROADS AND HIGH TRAFFIC CORRIDORS. THE CITY IN CHIEF FRANKLIN HODGE WILL NOT DO THEM.
HE CITES FIRST RESPONDERS BUT THE FIRE COMMISSIONER TOLD US AND PUBLIC SAFETY HEARINGS THAT THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE. AND WE SEE OTHER CITIES AND
TOWNS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY DOING THIS JUST DRIVE THROUGH QUINCY AND YOU WILL SEE RAISED CROSSWALKS THAT PRIORITIZE PEDESTRIANS IN A COMMERCIAL SHOPPING DISTRICT.
SO THE CITY'S SAFETY SURGE PUT AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF SPEED HUMPS ON SIDE STREETS. THEN THEY IMPLEMENTED A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH OF ROAD DIET AND BIKE LANE ON MAIN
STREETS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY TAKE AWAY ROAD SPACE FOR FIRST RESPONDERS IN AN EMERGENCY IN A SNOWSTORM TO GET THROUGH TRAFFIC WITH SMALL BUSINESSES TO UNLOAD PRODUCT EVERY DAY.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE WITH THE LONGSTANDING PRACTICES OF HOLDING HEARINGS WITH GRANTS OVER $100,000. THAT HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN MY POSITION.
EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES THAT I HAVE CHAMPIONED FOR YEARS SUCH AS THE $11 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR URBAN TREE CANOPY, I CURRENTLY HAVE A HEARING ORDER ON URBAN TREE CANOPY IN DISTRICT CODE AS
NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE SOUTH BOSTON AND CHINATOWN ARE WELL BELOW CITY AVERAGES. BUT $14 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT WARRANTS A CITY COUNCIL TO ENGAGE WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION AND RESIDENTS TO ENSURE FUNDS PRIORITIZE TRAFFIC CALMING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPRESSED IN SAFETY. I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN WHETHER THE $775,000 GRANT FOR
REPLACEMENT IN ELECTRIC ELECTRIFICATION OF BULL BIKE STATIONS WILL IMPACT THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPOTS. OVERHEARING A LOT OF THAT CALLS FOR A LICENSE, REGISTRATION AND
INSURANCE FOR ALL ROAD USERS INCLUDING ELECTRIC BIKES AS THEY CAN GO TO 20 TO 30 MILES PER HOUR. THE ADMINISTRATION JUST ANNOUNCED REGULATIONS ON THIRD
PARTY DELIVERY ELECTRIFYING A BIKE. BLUE BIKES COULD CAUSE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WE HAVE NOW. WE HAVE NOW WHAT DEVICES OVER 25 MILES AN HOUR GOING THROUGH STOP SIGNS RED LINES IN THE
WRONG WAY ONE WAY STREETS SECOND IN SOUTH BOSTON, CHINATOWN, BAY VILLAGE AND PARTS OF THE SOUTH END DYING CONSISTENTLY FROM MY CONSISTENT SENSE THAT WE ARE IN A PARKING
CRISIS. WE CAN'T TELL YOUNG FAMILIES PARENTS THAT ARE TAKING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL ARE ACTIVITIES TO ABANDONED ABANDONED HAVING A CAR. AS OUR CITY GROWS IT IS
IMPORTANT THAT FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OUR SENIORS, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, THOSE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO RIDE A BIKE CAN STILL LIVE HERE WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT PROGRESS WAS MADE TO REPLACE CONCURRENT PHASING TRAFFIC SIGNALS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON IN 2019 TO PEDESTRIANS WAS STRUCK BY A VAN
AT THE INTERSECTION OF MELCHOR AND SUMMER STREET AT THE SITE OF A CONCURRENT PEDESTRIAN FACING TRAFFIC SIGNAL. ONE OF THEM PASSED AWAY DUE TO HER INJURIES.
I ALSO BELIEVE THERE WAS A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN ROSLINDALE OR IN WEST ROXBURY. I CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IT IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER TO HAVE CARS AND PEDESTRIANS HAVE A
RIGHT TURN AND GREEN ARROW IN A PEDESTRIAN WALK SIGN AT THE SAME TIME. ONCE AGAIN I'M ASKING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE THIS CRITICAL CHANGE NOW. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN.
THIS AFTERNOON WE'LL BE REVIEWING TWO IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION GRANTS THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE IMMENSELY TO SAFETY ,MULTI-MODAL MOBILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN BOSTON. SPECIFICALLY, THESE FUNDS WILL
UNDERWRITE UPGRADES TO OUR TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYSTEM AND CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE ARE TWO DOMAINS THAT ENHANCE THE MEANS METHODS AND MOBILITY EXPERIENCE FOR ALL BOSTONIANS AND ENSURING OUR STREETS WORK BETTER FOR
EVERYONE WHETHER WE'RE WALKING, BIKING OR DRIVING THE THE THE GRANT THAT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND WILL SUPPORT BTP AND IMPLEMENTING
UPGRADES IN LINE WITH BOSTON SIGNAL OPERATIONS DESIGN POLICY WHICH EMPHASIZE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY BY INCREASING CROSSING TIMES AND REDUCING HIGH RISK TURNS. THIS THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE
TARGETED AT KEY INTERSECTIONS PARTICULARLY THOSE IN BOSTON'S HIGH CRASH NETWORK WHERE BOSTON'S DATA SHOWS GREW THE GREATEST NEED FOR INTERVENTION. THESE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL REDUCE
DANGEROUS CONFLICTS BETWEEN PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS AND DRIVERS FOCUS ON AREAS OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS INCLUDING SENIORS, LOW INCOME RESIDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN
EXPERIENCE ENCOURAGING WALKING AND CONTRIBUTING TO BETTER PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES AND ADVANCE BOSTON'S VISION ZERO COMMITMENT TO ELIMINATING FATAL AND SERIOUS TRAFFIC TRASH OFFICERS AS SORRY TRASH CRASHES
BY 2030. BOSTON HAS ALREADY MADE INVESTMENTS IN SIGNAL MANAGEMENT INCLUDING THE EXPANSION OF OUR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER WHICH ENABLES REAL TIME COORDINATION OF SIGNALS NATIONWIDE.
WITH THIS SAFE STREETS AND AND ROADS FOR ALL GRANT WE CAN MOVE SWIFTLY TO IMPLEMENT CRITICAL SAFETY MEASURES INCLUDING CRASH REDUCING CRASHES AND MAKING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFER AND MORE
WELCOMING FOR ALL. AND SO I'M GRATEFUL AS WELL TO LISA WHO I WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH ON THE BLUE BIKES PROGRAM
AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE PLACE THESE FOR THEIR GREATEST USE. SO EXCITED TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT GRANT AS WELL. AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE
COUNCILOR ENRIQUE PHAN AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED AN ABSENCE LETTER FROM COUNCILOR BRIAN WORRELL. COUNCILOR COUNCILOR PATTON WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO AN OPENING STATEMENT? SURE.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU TO THE TEAM FOR BEING HERE FOR THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. TRANSPORTATION SAFETY HAS BEEN AT THE TOP OF MY PRIORITY SINCE JOINING THE OFFICE AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF MY CONSTITUENTS
HAVE JUST A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN ALL ALWAYS REACHING OUT TO US ABOUT WHAT THE CITY IS DOING. SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME THERE ARE SOME FUNDS COMING IN TO MAKE INTERSECTIONS SAFER IN OUR CITY. SO I'M JUST HERE TO LEARN AND
ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE THOSE INTERSECTIONS ARE. SO THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR PIPPEN. SO NOW WE'LL GO TO THE PANEL STARTING I GUESS WITH KIM AND
THEN AND THEN WE'LL JUST GO DOWN THE LINE. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. ON. YES. OKAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILORS FOR YOUR INVITATION
TO TESTIFY TODAY. SO I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF DOCKET NUMBER 0396 WHICH IS THE ORDER TO ACCEPT AND EXTEND THE FUNDING FROM THE MPO
COMMUNITY CONNECTION GRANT PROGRAM. AND THIS IS IN TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS TO REPLACE EXISTING BIKE SHARE STATIONS THAT HAVE
REACHED THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE AND THEN ALSO TO ELECTRIFY A COUPLE OF STATIONS. SO I'M JUST GOING TO PROVIDE A VERY BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT THE GRANT FUNDING WILL BE UTILIZED FOR BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION IF THAT WOULD BE USEFUL. SO THIS GRANT WILL SUPPORT THREE PROJECTS WHICH WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY MY TEAM. FIRST OF ALL WE WILL REPLACE BLUE BIKE STATIONS THAT HAVE
REACHED THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE. BIKE SHARE HAS BEEN OPERATING IN BOSTON FOR MORE THAN 14 YEARS. AND SO TO ENSURE THAT THE SYSTEM REMAINS IN A GOOD STATE
OF REPAIR AND MAKE SURE THAT THE EQUIPMENT REMAINS RELIABLE AND THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING THE ESTHETIC IMPACT ON THE PUBLIC REALM, WE REPLACE STATIONS AFTER APPROXIMATELY TEN YEARS.
SO THIS GRANT FUNDING WOULD SUPPORT THE REPLACEMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 1010 TO 12 EXISTING STATIONS DEPENDING ON THE FULL RANGE OF THE EQUIPMENT
THAT'S NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SO THEN SECONDLY WE ARE PILOTING THE ELECTRIFICATION OF TWO BLUE BIKE STATIONS. AND THIS WILL ALLOW THE E-BIKES THAT ARE IN THE BIKESHARE
SYSTEM TO BE CHARGED IN THE DOCKS RATHER THAN RELYING ON BATTERY SWAPPING AS WE DO RIGHT NOW. SO WE LAUNCHED E-BIKES INTO BIKESHARE JUST A LITTLE OVER A
YEAR AGO AND THEY HAVE PROVEN TREMENDOUSLY POPULAR. IN 2024 THEY MADE UP ABOUT 25% OF TRIPS IN THE SYSTEM BUT THAT'S DESPITE MAKING UP A LITTLE LESS THAN 15% OF OUR
TOTAL FLEET. SO TO KEEP THE E-BIKES FUNCTIONING CURRENTLY OUR OPERATOR HAS STAFF THAT TRAVEL TO THE BIKES AND SWAP OUT THE DISCHARGE BATTERIES WITH FRESH
ONES. WE KNOW FROM OTHER SYSTEMS THAT IF WE ELECTRIFY A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF STATIONS ABOUT 30 OF OUR BUSIEST STATIONS WE
CAN ALL BUT ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR BATTERY SWAPPING AND THAT'S BECAUSE SO MANY TRIPS COME THROUGH THOSE HIGHLY UTILIZED STATIONS THAT THE AVERAGE BIKE
OVER ITS 35 OR SO MILE RANGE IS GOING TO LIKELY VISIT ONE OF THOSE STATIONS AND THEN BE ABLE TO GET RECHARGED. BUT ELECTRIFIED STATIONS ARE EXPENSIVE.
THEY COST A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE STANDARD STATIONS AND THERE'S ALSO DESIGN AND ENGINEERING COSTS THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE WITH THE TRADITIONAL STATIONS. SO BEFORE WE DECIDE THAT IT
MAKES SENSE TO INVEST AT A LARGER SCALE, WE WANT TO TRY THIS OUT. SO THE PROPOSAL TO THE MPO WAS TO ELECTRIFY TWO STATIONS AND REALLY LEARN WHAT IT COSTS AND
WHAT IT TAKES FROM SORT OF THE PERMITTING AND THE WORKFLOW POINT OF VIEW. AND THEN THIRD ARE AS OUR COLLEAGUES IN BETSY OPERATIONS ARE MODERNIZING ALL OF THE CITY'S PARKING METERS WITH
MULTI SPACED METERS. OUR TEAM IS GOING TO CONVERT AS MANY OF THE EXISTING PARKING METER POLES AS ARE FEASIBLE UP INTO BIKE PARKING RACKS.
SO IT'S THE GRANT WOULD BE USED TO PURCHASE SOME SLEEVES THAT CAN BASICALLY SLIDE RIGHT OVER AN EXISTING PARKING METER POLE AND BE ATTACHED SECURELY. IT'S JUST A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT
APPROACH TO EXPANDING BART BIKE PARKING AND IT WOULD BE IN OUR BUSY COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS WHICH IS WHERE THERE'S THE HIGHEST NEED FOR EXPANSION OF OUR BIKE PARKING.
THE TOTAL GRANT FROM THE MPO IS $775,855. IT DOES REQUIRE MUNICIPAL MATCHING FUNDS OF 193 $963.
THE MATCHING FUNDS WILL BE DRAWN EXCLUSIVELY FROM EXISTING FUNDING THAT WE HAVE. THERE ARE EXISTING BUDGETS SO IT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION OR
APPROPRIATION. THANK YOU. AND SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS GO DOWN THE LINE AND IF YOU EACH WANT TO GIVE YOUR OPENING STATEMENT AND THEN BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE THREE OF OUR
COLLEAGUES HERE I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO IS THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS ON EITHER GRANT. SO GO AHEAD LUISA. OH, SORRY. GO AHEAD.
I'M HERE FOR THE SORRY FOR THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL GRANT. IT'S $14.4 MILLION LARGELY TO HELP US BRING OUR TRAFFIC
SIGNAL SYSTEM INTO CONFORMANCE WITH OUR NEW UPDATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLICY. BCD RECENTLY UPDATED ITS TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLICY.
THE MAIN POINTS OF IT ARE TO ALLOW FOR MORE PEDESTRIAN TO EVALUATE AND IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AND TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TURNING CONFLICTS
THAT WE SEE AT OUR SIGNAL AIS INTERSECTIONS. SO WE CHANGED A BUNCH OF OUR THRESHOLDS AND HOW WE WILL EVALUATE INTERSECTIONS TO INCLUDE A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN
METRICS IN ADDITION TO VEHICULAR ONES. AND SO THIS GRANT WILL BE TO TAKE STOCK OF OUR SIGNAL SYSTEM
WHERE WE CONFORM TO OUR POLICY, WHERE WE DON'T EVALUATE WHAT UPGRADES WE CAN BE MADE WITH THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE TO EVALUATE WHAT AREAS WE WOULD NEED TO CHANGE OUT OUR
EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO EVALUATE THINGS LIKE NO TURN ON REDS TO EVALUATE CONNECTING OUR TRAFFIC
SIGNALS. MOST OF OUR SIGNALS ARE CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO CITY HALL THROUGH THE CENTRAL COMPUTER SYSTEM AND WE CAN SEE AND CONTROL THEM FROM HERE.
AND SO A PORTION OF OUR ABILITY TO CONTROL SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE OFFLINE. BUT YEAH, IT'S LARGELY TO GO THROUGH OUR SIGNAL POLICY AND DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO BRING
AS MANY LOCATIONS AS POSSIBLE INTO CONFORMANCE IS NOT MEANT TO BE EVALUATING A SPECIFIC INTERSECTION AND DOING A TIMING AND ALL OF THAT IS IS SUPPOSED
TO BE CITYWIDE US ADDRESSING ALL OF THE THE SMALLER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND THEN THE STUFF THAT WE CANNOT DO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE INVENTORYING ALL OF THAT AND FINDING
APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS TO GET THEM EVALUATED, UPDATED, RECONSTRUCTED, RETIRED WHATEVER IT MAY ENTAIL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I I'M JUST GETTING MY COLLEAGUES THE MAP OF WHAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN. I'VE JUST LIKE WHERE THE ZONES ARE THAT YOU ARE ALL CONSIDERING. YEAH. SO I THINK THAT OUR WAY WE'RE
GOING TO BEGIN LARGELY WITH OUR HIGH PRESSURE NETWORK BECAUSE THOSE ARE WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS OUR OUR BIGGEST SAFETY ISSUES. BUT WITHIN THAT WE WILL BE
DOING EVALUATION OF AS ALL OF OUR CITY SIGNALS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COMPONENTS WE'RE MISSING AND NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN OTHER PLACES. SO IT'LL BE ORGANIZING OUR WORK AS WELL AS IMPLEMENTING SOME OF IT.
I THINK THAT WILL DIRECT THE MOST OF RIGHT WILL THEN PRIORITIZE ALL OF THESE THINGS AND WITH THE PRIORITIES BEING ABOUT RIGHT HIGH PRESSURE
NETWORK YOUR PROXIMITY TO ELDERLY SCHOOLS, TRANSIT ETC. AND THEN WE WILL START ADDRESSING THE LIST AS AS AS BEST AS WE CAN AND USING THIS
TO WRITE GUIDE FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS TO ADDRESS THINGS THAT ARE NOT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO UNDER THE GRANT. OKAY. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IN TERMS
OF HOW MUCH OF THIS MONEY GOES TO THE STUDY OF THESE INTERSECTIONS OR IS THAT WORK ALREADY BEEN DONE SO IT'S IT WORK IS RIGHT LIKE THERE'S WE
HAVE CERTAIN THE FIRST THING THAT WE'LL HAVE IS A IS A DESIGN CONTRACT SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN THE DATA COLLECTION THE EVALUATION OF ALL OF THESE
LOCATIONS IN KIND OF PUTTING THEM INTO BUCKETS OF WHAT TYPE OF WORK THAT THEY ENTAIL. IS IT IS IT RUNNING FIBER OPTIC? IS IT DO WE NEED NEW EQUIPMENT? DO WE NEED TO MAKE GEOMETRIC
CHANGES? DO WE NEED TO BUY NEW MAST ARMS? IT CAN RUN THE AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE AN IDEA OF THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE AND WHAT EACH
THING WILL COST IT. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL TRY TO MAKE IT AS MUCH MOVE THROUGH HERE AS POSSIBLE AND ANYTHING ELSE WILL HAVE TO FALL INTO A SEPARATE CAPITAL PLANNING PROGRAM.
GOT IT. SO SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE START OF OF SOME THINGS THAT WE'LL NEED OTHER RESOURCES TO FINISH. YEAH. WE'RE GOING TO DO IS TACKLE AS MUCH AS WE CAN UNDER THE GRANT
OBVIOUSLY CERTAIN THINGS LIKE IF WE NEED TO OVERHAUL AN ENTIRE INTERSECTION AND START MOVING CURVES WE GO WE GET PUBLIC WORKS, WE DO A WHOLE A LARGER EVALUATION AND THAT
WOULD KIND OF FALL INTO A STANDALONE PROJECT. BUT IF IT IS SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN ADDRESS THE ISSUES THROUGH RIGHT TIMING, PHASING OR JUST THE STUFF THEN IT MIGHT JUST NEED EQUIPMENT.
AND SO WHILST THIS HAS 50 LOCATIONS IT WILL LIKELY BE A LOT MORE THAT ARE ULTIMATELY TOUCHED BUT 50 IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING INTO FULL CONFORMANCE AND RIGHT BUT ALONG
THE WAY RIGHT IF WE GO AND PUT NO TURN ON RED SIGNS AT ALL OF THE LOCATIONS THAT ARE ONLY NON-COMPLIANT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE THAT SIGN RIGHT THERE WILL BE MORE INTERSECTIONS THAT GOT A LIGHTER TOUCH, RIGHT?
SOME SIGNAGE CHANGES, STRIPING CHANGES SO WE'LL TOUCH A LOT MORE THAN THIS. BUT AS FAR AS MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR TAC, WE'RE TRYING TO GET 50 OF OUR PROBLEM PLACES TO CONFORMANCE BUT YEAH
THIS IS NO PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTION IN OR CHANGING CURB LINES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THIS IS PURELY FROM THE SIGNALING SYSTEM, THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE, THE FIBER OPTICS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE.
GOT IT. AND THERE IS ON BOYLSTON STREET IN THE FENWAY ONE INTERSECTION THAT I GET A LOT OF FLAK ABOUT AND I'VE STOOD THERE MYSELF AND WAITED OVER 2 MINUTES TO JUST
CROSS THE STREET. I KNOW THAT IT'S AN IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, POINT OF YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE THROUGH THE CITY. BUT I THINK WE ALL AND ESPECIALLY DISTRICT COUNCILORS ALL HAVE IT'S NOT A SURPRISE TO
ME THAT IT'S ALL DISTRICT COUNCILORS HERE BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE SORT OF THESE POINTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT PEOPLE SORT OF PINPOINT AND THE OTHER THAT I KNOW COUNCILOR CARTER
AND I SHARE IS NORTH WASHINGTON STREET AND I KNOW THAT THAT IS ON THE MAP AS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS SUPPORT. BUT I WOULD SAY IN TERMS OF THAT INTERSECTION OUTSIDE OF FENWAY HOUSE, THAT'S
PROBABLY A LOW TOUCH ONE WHERE YOU COULD PROBABLY JUST CHANGE THE TIMING AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE BETTER. AND I THOUGHT NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE THIS WAS MY PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO TO GIVE YOU THAT ONE. WE'LL TAKE A LOOK. YEAH.
YEAH, I WENT TO AN EVENT AT THE AT A BUILDING THAT'S RIGHT THERE THE HARLOW BUILDING AND THERE WAS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY WHO DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT BOSTON HAD A CITY
COUNCIL BUT THEY KNEW THAT THEY HATED THAT INTERSECTION. SO PEOPLE FEEL REALLY STRONGLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOW THEY ALL WORK. I DO KNOW THERE HAS BEEN SOME
CHANGES ALSO ALONG CAMBRIDGE STREET AND THE WEST END PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE MORTGAGE CONSTRUCTION OF A THERE USED TO BE A SCRAMBLE THERE THAT DISAPPEARED THAT
WHEN I WENT TO THE BEACON HILL TRAFFIC AND PARKING COMMITTEE THEY WERE VERY INCENSED ABOUT OF IT'S LIKE BLOSSOM IN CAMBRIDGE SO I'D PUT THAT ON YOUR LIST AS WELL. WE ARE ACTIVELY DISCUSSING BOSTON AND CAMBRIDGE THAT'S I
THINK KIND OF AN ONGOING THING WITH US BOTH AS IT TIES INTO THE PHASED ROLLOUT FUTURE SIGNALIZATION OF BOSTON PARKMAN AND A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS BUT
YEAH I THINK THAT WE YEAH WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THAT WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO COME TO THAT CORNER HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT WHICH I FEEL LIKE IS IS WHAT IS CHANGING HOW HOW THAT FUNCTIONS
BUT YEAH THAT'S AN ACTIVE DISCUSSION AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT. YEAH THE HISTORY I ALWAYS GET IS YOU KNOW NEIGHBORS COMING TO ME SAYING OH WE FOUGHT FOR THIS CHANGE AND NOW IT WAS ROLLED BACK BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHY.
SO JUST ANY COMMUNICATION THAT YOU CAN HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY OR WITH THE BEACON HILL CIVIC ASSOCIATION TRAFFIC AND PARKING COMMITTEE WHICH IS NOW I MEAN IT IS A HOT AND POPPING PLACE.
I WAS THERE THERE WAS LIKE 20 NEIGHBORS ALL REALLY ENGAGED AND TALKING ABOUT SPEED HOMES, TALKING ABOUT BLUE BIKES, TALKING ABOUT ALL SORTS OF THINGS AND IT WAS A CONTRACTOR PARKING WHICH IS MY
HEARING ORDER ON THAT CAME OUT OF THAT CONVERSATION. BUT THAT WAS ONE THAT CAME UP AND JUST IN A PASS VERSION OF THAT COMMITTEE HAD FOUGHT FOR SOME CHANGES THERE AND THEN
I KNOW SOME OF THOSE HAVE BEEN ROLLED BACK BUT I KNOW WE'RE ALSO IN AN ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION ZONE. I ACTUALLY LOOK DOWN MY STREET AND I SEE THE PROGRESS ON THE REAGAN BUILDING EVERY DAY.
SO SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK AND NOT ADVOCATING FOR ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR OTHER THAN JUST COMMUNICATION AND AS WE CHANGE DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE OFTENTIMES COMMUNITY MEMBERS WOULD SAY OH, THIS IS
JUST FOR CONSTRUCTION. WELL THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKE SO THAT'S PART OF IF I KNOW THEN I CAN DO THAT TOO AS WELL. SO BUT I WANT TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO ASK
ANY QUESTIONS. OBVIOUSLY I'M IN SUPPORT. I HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL. I'M VERY IN SUPPORT OF ACCEPTING ANY FEDERAL MONEY AS SOON AS WE HAVE IT ON OUR
DOCKET AND I THINK THAT THESE GRANTS ARE ESSENTIAL TOWARDS MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY OF BOSTON CAN CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER.
SO I'M EXCITED TO BRING THESE FORWARD AT OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING AND EXCITED FOR THE CONVERSATION THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I WILL HAVE. SO NEXT WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR FLYNN. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
MADAM CHAIR, BEFORE I BEGIN, COULD I ASK WHY CHIEF FRANKLYN HODGE IS NOT HERE TESTIFYING AS THE CHAIR? THE FOLKS WHO CAME ARE THE PEOPLE I REQUESTED TO BE HERE.
THEY HAVE THE MOST ON THE GROUND KNOWLEDGE OF THESE PARTICULAR SUBJECTS. OKAY. COULD I ASK AGAIN WHY CHIEF FRANKLIN HODGE WAS NOT HERE? HE WAS NOT INVITED TO ATTEND.
THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT AS THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE ARE INVITED TO APPEAR. THANK YOU. COULD I INFORM THE ADMINISTRATION THAT ON BOYLSTON
STREET IN THE BACK BAY I REPRESENT THAT AREA. I'VE REPRESENTED THAT AREA FOR GOING ON EIGHT YEARS. I'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD FOR EIGHT YEARS LONGER THAN LONGER THAN ANYONE . BUT THERE WAS A MAJOR DECISION ABOUT BOYLSTON STREET IN THE BUSTLING AND I WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THAT.
I GOT THE MAYOR KNOW THAT I DO REPRESENT BOYLSTON STREET IN THE BACK BAY AND I GLAD OTHERS OTHER PEOPLE KNOW BUT CAN YOU JUST PUT IT IN YOUR RECORDS
THAT THAT IS IN MY DISTRICT BOYLSTON STREET IN THE IN THE BACK BAY? ABSOLUTELY. WELL, I GUESS IF WE'RE PUTTING IT FOR THE RECORD IT'S EXCUSE ME MEMBERSHIP MADAM CHAIR, CAN I CAN I CAN I FINISH MY
QUESTIONING? I JUST SAY THAT MADAM CHAIR. I DO, MADAM CHIP, MAY I FINISH MY QUESTION? I DO NEED TO SPEAK INTO THE RECORD, MADAM. MADAM CHAIR. MADAM. MADAM CHAIR CONNECTING BOYLSTON STREET.
CAN I FINISH MY QUESTION? SURE. I MEAN I AM THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE SO I DO DEMAND SOME RESPECT. GO AHEAD, MADAM CHAIR.
ARE YOU GOING TO CUT ME OFF IF I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION? GO AHEAD. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT
BOYLSTON STREET IN THE BACK BAY IS IN DISTRICT TWO. I'VE REPRESENTED THAT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND RESIDENTS WERE YOU KNOW, I WAS
WORKING WITH RESIDENTS FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO HAVE THAT BUSTLING TAKEN OUT SO I DO NEED TO BE PART OF THAT
CONVERSATION GOING FORWARD. I JUST WANT TO BE JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ON THAT. MY QUESTION IS DOES WILL BOSTON
TRANSPORTATION USE THIS GRANT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CONCURRENT TRAFFIC SIGNALS? YEAH. I MEAN I THINK A PART OF A HUGE
PART OF THIS WILL BE ABOUT PEDESTRIAN CROSSING TIMES AND REEVALUATING HOW THEY'RE DONE AT EACH INTERSECTION. SO YEAH, THAT IS 100% A PART OF THIS.
SO THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO ABOLISH THE PRACTICE OF CONCURRENT TRAFFIC SIGNALING JUST SO THE PUBLIC IS CLEAR THAT IF A CAR IS DRIVING
AND SAY THEY'RE TAKING A RIDE ON SUMMER STREET ON TO MELCHER STREET AND A PERSON A PEDESTRIAN IS WALKING ACROSS SUMMER STREET, THEY BOTH WOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY AT THE SAME TIME.
YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, AMY RIGHT? YES. OKAY. YEAH. FOR EXCLUSIVE SIGNALING. YES. WELL I ALSO AT SUMMER AND MELCHER NOW BUT YES ALSO THAT IS THE INTENT BEHIND EXCLUSIVE
SIGNALING THAT THERE IS NOT A TURN CONFLICT AND THAT THE PAST IN THIS ISSUE THERE'S THIS JURISDICTIONS AND INTERSECTIONS LIKE THAT THROUGHOUT THE CITY
BUT I WOULD I DON'T THINK I WOULD SUPPORT THIS UNLESS I GOT A COMMITMENT THAT THAT PRACTICE ENDS. I KNOW YOU I KNOW YOU'RE STUDYING IT BUT THE CITY
COUNCIL WAS CLEAR IN THEIR UNANIMOUS SUPPORT OF OF MY VESSEL RESOLUTION THAT I PUT FORWARD THAT THAT IS THAT IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN BOTH
A VEHICLE AND A PEDESTRIAN HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. I THINK IT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER AND I COULD NOT TAKE THAT CHANCE OF SUPPORTING
SOMETHING IF I DID NOT GET A COMMITMENT THAT THAT PRACTICE WILL END. BUT I KNOW YOU'RE STUDYING IT BUT WHAT WILL THAT MORE THAT PRACTICE END?
ALL RIGHT SO I MEAN I THINK THAT RIGHT I THINK WE'LL COME BACK HERE TO DISCUSS CONCURRENT AND EXCLUSIVE SIGNALING WITH YOU AT ANOTHER TIME. RIGHT NOW WE'RE THE OUR BRAND
IS TO CONFORM TO OUR OUR TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLICY WHICH WE RECENTLY UPDATED WHICH ALLOWS FOR A VARIETY OF TYPES OF SIGNALING. BUT A LOT OF WHAT WAS CHANGED
WAS THE THRESHOLDS THAT WILL GET US TO BOTH CAN EXCLUSIVE SIGNALING AND ALSO LEADING PEDESTRIAN INTERVALS FOR PEDESTRIANS.
SO THERE ALL OF THAT IS CONSIDERED IN HERE. WELL I CAN ONLY COMMIT TO FOLLOWING BEATTIE'S SIGNALING POLICY AND SO I THINK THAT THAT
WOULD BE A CHANGE TO OUR TRAFFIC SIGNAL. WHOSE WHOSE DECISION WOULD THAT BE TO TO MAKE THAT CHANGE UNILATERALLY. RIGHT. WELL I MEAN OVER THE BGT THE
STREETS DEPARTMENT WOULD THE CHEAPEST RATES YEAH WELL I MEAN WE WE DID A KIND OF ROBUST EVALUATION AND PRIOR TO UPDATING OUR SIGNALING POLICY
THAT INVOLVED A LOT OF OUTREACH IN DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE AND SO THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW THIS GOES IS WE WE FIGURE OUT THE THE PORTIONS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR SIGNAL POLICY THAT WE
ARE LOOKING TO CHANGE HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO ENHANCE THEM, WHAT WE WOULD NEED FOR DATA COLLECTION IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND HOW WE WOULD CONSIDER THOSE TRADE OFFS
WITHIN OUR POLICY AND THAT'S WHAT WE YEAH, WHAT WE GOT TO TODAY. BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT A PORTION OF THIS GRANT AND ANY EVALUATION OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS
THAT WE DO INVOLVE IS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL TIME FOR PEDESTRIANS AND YOU KNOW IN MOST INSTANCES MORE PROTECTED TIME FOR FOLKS
YEAH I WANT TO BE CLEAR I'M I WANT TO SEE THAT PRACTICE AND IMMEDIATELY I THINK MY COLLEAGUES ALSO WANT TO SEE THAT PRACTICE AND IMMEDIATELY
WE TOOK A VOTE ON IT. I SENT THE CHIEF OF STREETS A A MEMO THAT WE TOOK A VOTE ON THIS AND WE WANT THIS PRACTICE TO END BASED ON PUBLIC SAFETY,
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. BUT I THINK I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT THIS PRACTICE IS VERY UNSAFE ESPECIALLY FOR PEDESTRIANS THAT
ARE WALKING THE STREET THAT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY AND THEN THE AUTOMOBILE IS ALSO MAKING THE TURN WHERE THE PERSON IS
WALKING ACROSS THE STREET. I COULD NOT I SPEAK FOR MYSELF I COULD NOT SUPPORT THIS UNLESS I GOT A A WRITTEN COMMITMENT
FROM CITY OFFICIALS THAT THIS PRACTICE WILL END IN 15 DAYS OR 30 DAYS. DO YOU THINK THAT IS LIKELY BEFORE THE VOTE WEDNESDAY? NO.
OKAY, I WILL BE I'LL BE I'LL I'LL BE VOTING NO ON THAT AND AND COUNCILOR THE VOTE IS ON ACCEPTING $14.5 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NOT ON
CONCURRENT TRAFFIC SIGNALS. MADAM CHAIR, CAN I CONTINUE MY QUESTIONING? YES.
COULD I GET A BREAK OF THE BLUE BIKES PROPOSALS AND DISTRICT TWO SEAT? JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU MEAN THAT
WOULD BE SUPPORTED BY THIS GRANT? YEAH. SO I HAVE THE STATIONS WHICH WE ARE PLANNING TO REPLACE.
I HAVE A LIST OF THEM HERE AND I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT IN IN WRITING TO YOU. I DON'T HAVE THEM BROKEN OUT BY DISTRICT HERE BUT I'M HAPPY TO READ THROUGH THEM BY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S A RELATIVELY SHORT LIST.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU. GREAT. SO THERE'S TWO IN EAST BOSTON AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. COULD BE MORE ONE IN ALLSTON.
ONE IN THE FENWAY ROXBURY FENWAY. ROXBURY. THE SEAPORT. SOUTH BOSTON, WEST BROADWAY AND
ST. THE SEAPORT WAS LONG ON D. FRANKLIN PARK ZOO. SO IT'S IN ROXBURY CONGRESS CONGRESSMAN NORTHERN AVENUE SO
THAT'S ONE SEAPORT BRIGHTON CENTER AND BRIGHTON BUNKER HILL COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN CHARLESTOWN, WASHINGTON AT EGREMONT ROAD AS ROSLINDALE.
BRIAN BRIGHTON OH SORRY. YES. BRIGHTON GOVERNMENT CENTER. WE ALL KNOW WHERE THAT IS. SO IN YOUR DISTRICT DEERFIELD AT COMMONWEALTH HAVE IS RIGHT
AT KENMORE THINK BLOCK IS IN THE SOUTH END SEVEN HELPS YOU STOP IN DORCHESTER TROY BOSTON IN THE SOUTH END AND OAKS
SQUARE IN BRIGHTON THE ONE ONE QUESTION AND CHALLENGE I HAVE IN SUPPORTING THIS IS ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH BOSTON ON WEST BROADWAY I DO KNOW THAT
BLUE BAY STATIONS ARE ON THE SIDEWALK BUT THEY TAKE UP A PORTION OF THE SIDEWALK AND I ALSO OBSERVE ELDERLY PEOPLE AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
MAKING IT A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING FOR THEM TO NAVIGATE THE WALKING DOWN THE SIDEWALK THAT'S A MAJOR CONCERN I HAVE.
I CAN'T I CAN'T SUPPORT SOMETHING IF I BELIEVE ACCESS FOR PERSONS WAS DISABILITIES IS IMPACTED THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I COULD NOT DO THEN THAT'S ONE
QUESTION AND THEN MAYBE THE FINAL ONE. ARE YOU TAKING OUT ANY PARKING SPOTS BASED ON POTENTIAL NEWPORT NEWPORT BIKE STATIONS?
SO ALL OF THE STATIONS THAT THAT I JUST READ OUT THESE ARE EXISTING STATIONS AND THE GRANT FUNDING WOULD BE USED TO JUST SIMPLY REPLACE THE STATIONS IN THEIR CURRENT CONFIGURATION AND
LOCATION. SO I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WERE MAYBE A COUPLE OF STATIONS HERE THAT ARE ON STREET BUT AGAIN THESE ARE EXISTING STATIONS. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THE
ONES IN DISTRICT TWO WERE BUT I WOULD WANT TO REVIEW THIS AND CONFIRM THAT FOR YOU BUT IT WOULD NOT BE TAKING ANY ADDITIONAL SPACES TO JUST RESPOND BRIEFLY TO THE QUESTION
ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY ON SIDEWALKS. WE ALWAYS MAINTAIN OUR STANDARD IS TO MAINTAIN SIX FEET
OF CLEARANCE, BE BEYOND THE REAR TIRES OF THE BIKES OR THE BACK OF THE STATION AND ANY OBSTACLE OCCASIONALLY THERE WILL BE A SMALL YOU KNOW, MORE
OF A PINCH POINT BUT WE REALLY DON'T EVER HAVE THAT PINCH POINT BE LESS THAN FIVE FEET. SO THAT'S OUR STANDARD FOR STATIONS THAT ARE ON SIDEWALK
LOCATIONS SO WELL ABOVE THE ADA REQUIREMENTS AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE THE BUILDING KNOW I'M A STICKLER FOR ACCESS FOR PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES. THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE FOR ME AND I DON'T LIKE TO SEE US IMPACT ACCESS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
I SEE YOUNG PARENTS WITH THEIR LITTLE KIDS IN BABY CARRIAGES. I SEE ELDERLY TO AND THEY ARE NAVIGATING THE SIDEWALKS BASED ON THE BLUE BIKES BEING IN
THERE AND THEY HAVE ASKED ME TO RAISE QUESTIONS WHICH I HAVE REPEATEDLY BEEN. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
I'LL WAIT TILL THE NEXT ROUND. THANK YOU COUNCILOR PIVEN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND EXPLAINING THE THE TWO GRANTS THAT WE HAVE
IN FRONT OF US. I AM ONE TO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ACCEPT GRANTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SIMPLY BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM ARE A THREAT OF BEING FROZEN TO COME TO THE CITY OF BOSTON AND I
THINK THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ANY OPPORTUNITY WE CAN BEFORE THAT EVEN BECAUSE EVEN IF A GRANT WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT IF THIS GRANT DOESN'T BECOME A
REALITY IN THE NEAR FUTURE IN REGARDS TO THE $14.5 MILLION GRANT I DID WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT SOME INTERSECTIONS IN MY DISTRICT THAT I DO BELIEVE
WE NEED SOME ATTENTION. WASHINGTON STREET AND INDIAN PARKWAY SO BORDER CROSSING ON WEST ROXBURY WASHINGTON STREET BEAT STREET MALL WORTH INTERSECTION FAIRWAY STREET AND
BLUE OVAL OUT RIGHT IN MATTAPAN SQUARE AND THE COMMONS HIGHWAY AMERICAN LEGION IN CANTERBURY STREET INTERSECTION IN ROSLINDALE WHERE THE FIRE
STATION IS. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE BECAUSE THOSE ARE SOME OF THE INTERSECTIONS THAT WE HEAR FROM THE MOST FROM OUR RESIDENTS THAT THEY JUST FEEL UNSAFE WHEN THEY'RE CROSSING AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ALSO HAVE A
HIGHER RATE OF ACCIDENTS REPORTED BY THE POLICE. I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ALVA LA WHO HAS LITERALLY COME TO OUR DISTRICT WHEN A RESIDENT HAD SAID THE BEST
EXAMPLE IS WHEN YOU'RE AT THE BLAKE ESTATES IN HYDE PARK AND TURN ACROSS THE STREET OVER TO THE SHORES OF THE THE ELDERS THERE WHO THEY THOUGHT THEY NEEDED MORE TIME TO CROSS THE STREET AND IT WAS TRUE AND OLIVER LAW ACTUALLY ADDED MORE
TIME ON THE CROSSWALK AND NOW THEY FEEL SAFER CROSSING THE STREET. SO I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR ALLIES. GREAT. HE IS ON TOP OF IT. I'M BOUND TO HEAR THAT NONE OF THE BLUE BIKE STATIONS FOR DISTRICT FIVE ARE GETTING SOME
OF THESE GRANTS BUT THAT'S OKAY . I HOPE THAT THEY GET IMPROVED IN THE NEXT ROUND. I'M JUST WANT TO BELIEVE THAT IF THERE'S ANY MONEY COMING DOWN THE LINE FOR US TO MAKE TRANSPORTATION SAFER FOR
PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS, DRIVERS, WHOEVER THEY YOU ARE USING THE STREETS OF BOSTON WE SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. I I'M HERE I WAS HERE TO VOICE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALSO LEARN MORE SO THAT'S WHAT I GOT
TODAY SO I'LL BE VOTING IN SUPPORT OF WHEN I WAS BROUGHT TO THE MEETING. THANK YOU. JUST TO ADDRESS BRIEFLY DISTRICT FIVE BECAUSE THE
REPLACEMENT STATIONS ARE WE ARE REPLACING OUR OLDEST STATIONS OR THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR TEN YEARS OR SO THE PARTS OF THE CITY THAT ARE A
LITTLE FURTHER FROM THE CENTER WE GOT TWO MORE RECENTLY SO THE EQUIPMENT HASN'T QUITE AGED OUT YET BUT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ENTIRETY OF THE SYSTEM
THAT WE OWN AND YOU KNOW MAKING SURE THAT IF THERE ARE ANY STATIONS THAT ARE FALLING INTO DISREPAIR THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REPLACE THOSE AND ADDRESS THOSE. SO CERTAINLY IF YOU SEE ANY
ISSUES IN YOUR DISTRICT, WE WELCOME YOU ARE SHARING THAT FEEDBACK WITH US. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILOR BEN AND I I'M REALLY
SUPPORTIVE OF THIS BLUE BIKES GRANT AND GETTING THESE FIXED BECAUSE AND GETTING THESE UPGRADED BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP TEN STATIONS WE HAVE SIX OF THEM IN OUR DISTRICT
SEVEN IF YOU COUNT LIKE THE EDGE OF OUR DISTRICT. SO I KNOW THAT THE STUDENTS THAT TRAVERSE THROUGH THE CITY AND ALSO TOURISTS THAT WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO QUICK TRIPS THOSE
ARE SORT OF SOME OF THE TOP POPULATIONS OF FOLKS WHO ARE USING THIS EVERY DAY AND THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO WANT TO GET AROUND DISTRICT EIGHT SAFELY.
AND I APPRECIATE JUST SORT OF LOOKING AT LOOKING AT THIS DATA AND LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE TOP STATIONS KNOWING THAT THERE IS A GREATER NEED
FOR CERTAIN STATIONS IN SPECIFICALLY MY AREA AND I KNOW LOUIS SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO LIKE FIND THOSE LOCATIONS AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE RIGHT FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT WE JUST WANTED TO SHOW MY
STRONG SUPPORT OFTENTIMES LIVING ON THE SECOND FLOOR I DON'T FEEL LIKE BRINGING MY BIKE DOWN. I HAVE LIKE YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE BIKES THAT HAS QUICK
REMOVAL TIRES, QUICK REMOVAL. SO I AM ALWAYS SCARED TO PARK MY BIKE ON THE STREET AND JUST HAVING ACCESS TO BLUE BIKES AND HAVING ACCESS TO THE ABILITY TO
GET QUICKLY ON YOUR WAY. I DO REALLY WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE USING A HELMET AND I KNOW I THINK THE CITY COULD BE PROBABLY DOING MORE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN INCENTIVIZE
PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONAL HELMET. I, I REALLY WORRY ABOUT PEOPLE SOMETIMES WHEN THEY'RE I SEE THEM ON THE WITHOUT A HELMET SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S
ANYTHING THAT THE CITY IS DOING TO AS WE'RE UPGRADING THE OLDEST STATIONS JUST INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO TO TRAVEL SAFELY.
SO A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING FIRST OF ALL OUR TEAM SO NOT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PROVISION OF HELMETS BUT TO PROMOTE BIKE SAFETY
GENERALLY OUR TEAM IN ADDITION TO MANAGING BIKE SHARE AND BIKE PROGRAM BIKE PARKING WE ALSO RUN A WHOLE SUITE OF BIKE SAFETY PROGRAMING SO WE TEACH
ADULTS LEARN HOW TO RIDE LITERALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO PEDAL AT ALL ON UP TO PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING TO BUILD THEIR SKILLS
AND CONFIDENCE TO TO RIDE ON THE STREET, WE DO NEED TO DO ONE THAT AT LEAST STARTS OR ENDS IN DISTRICT EIGHT. AND I KNOW LISA AND I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I DO THINK MY DISTRICT IS KIND OF PERFECT FROM LIKE MISSION
HAMLETS THE WEST END TO SORT OF HAVE SOME SORT OF RIDE SO MAYBE WE CAN ORGANIZE THAT TOGETHER. YEAH, FANTASTIC. AND WE HAVE DONE WE'VE DONE OUR BASIC SKILLS CLINICS ON CITY
HALL PLAZA AND SO YOU KNOW MAYBE WE CAN DO ONE THAT STARTS AND ENDS HERE AND HEADS OUT THAT DIRECTION OR SOMETHING. SO BUT AS PART OF THOSE CLINICS
WE ALWAYS EMPHASIZE SAFETY SKILLS GENERALLY AND SAFETY PRACTICES INCLUDING WEARING A HELMET AND HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR HELMET IS FITTED
PROPERLY AND FAST AND THAT'S CERTAINLY AN ISSUE FOR PEOPLE SOMETIMES WE ALSO RUN PROGRAMS IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS SO WE HAVE A TEAM OF INSTRUCTORS
THOSE WHO DURING THE SPRING AND THE FALL ARE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL GO TO A SCHOOL FOR TWO OR THREE WEEKS AT A TIME AND DO BRING A FLEET OF BIKES AND DO
ON BIKE PROGRAMING USUALLY DURING GYM TIME AND AGAIN THAT'S REALLY FOCUSED ON SAFE RIDING SKILLS. WELL AND I JUST HAD AN IDEA
BECAUSE I KNOW IF YOU'RE YOU KNOW THE RED SOX OFTEN DO THEIR HAT DAY WHERE THEY GIVE YOU KNOW RED SOX HATS TO KIDS I WAS CURIOUS IF MAYBE THERE'S SOME INSTITUTION THAT WOULD WANT TO
DO A BIKE YOU KNOW LIKE A BIKE HELMET DAY WHERE IT'S LIKE YOU KNOW I THINK WE DO NEED TO THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT HOW WE'RE GETTING EVERYONE WHAT BOTH THE AWARENESS PIECE OF IT BUT ALSO YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE
HAVE HAD SOME INCIDENCES IN OUR DISTRICT WHERE YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE OFF OF YOUR BIKE AND ONTO THE GROUND BUT THAT DOES HAPPEN AND SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT ESPECIALLY IN THIS WEATHER THAT
WE'VE BEEN HAVING THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO STAY SAFE. BUT I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING DONE IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND THE CITY CAN'T DO IT ALL. SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE
CAN PARTNER WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE MINDED TO TO YOU KNOW MAKE HELMETS MORE READILY AVAILABLE I THINK IS IMPORTANT. THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION
DOES HAVE A GRANT PROGRAM. I THINK IT'S ACTIVE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FROM COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO GET HELMETS TO
BE ABLE TO GIVE AWAY TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SO I'M I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP AND PROVIDE THAT OR CONNECT YOU TO THEM IF YOU KNOW COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS IN YOUR DISTRICT OR OTHER COUNCILORS DISTRICTS WHO YOU KNOW WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY SO THE LAST THING THAT WE DO WITH RESPECT TO IS THROUGH BLUE
BIKES. WELL I GUESS SO A COUPLE OF THINGS BLUE BIKES ARE OPERATOR IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE
HELMETS FOR SALE BUT AT A DISCOUNTED COST TO MEMBERS. BUT IT DOESN'T YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MEMBER ACTUALLY BUT THROUGH THE BLUE BIKES WEBSITE SO THAT'S A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION AND WE WILL ENSURE
IN OUR NEXT CONTRACT THAT THAT PROVISION CONTINUES TO BE A REQUIREMENT AND THEN WE DO HAVE HELMETS AVAILABLE. WE DON'T REALLY PUBLICIZE THIS
WIDELY BUT BECAUSE WE SUPPORT INCOME ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS IN BECOMING MEMBERS OF BIKE SHARE FOR $5 A YEAR, ANYBODY WHO COMES INTO CITY HALL AND YOU
KNOW AS PART OF THAT PROGRAM WOULD LIKE A HELMET WE CAN PROVIDE THEM ONE DON'T SEND US A FLOOD OF PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE WE DON'T KEEP A VERY BIG STOCK OF THEM BUT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO TO MAKE SURE
THAT PEOPLE WHO NEED HELMETS WHO ARE BECOMING, YOU KNOW, JOINING OUR INCOME ELIGIBLE PROGRAM HAVE ACCESS TO THEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S ALL REALLY HELPFUL AND I
JUST YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE EXPANDING ACCESS TO DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND AS WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TRAVELING IN DIFFERENT WAYS OR MAKING IT SAFER FOR PEOPLE WHO
ALREADY DO, THAT'S JUST BEEN AT THE TOP OF MY MIND. SO THANKS FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION. SO NEXT WE'LL GO TO I GUESS IF YOU HAVE A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS I THINK
COUNCILOR FLYNN DOES GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. WHAT IS THE LIABILITY FOR THE CITY WITH ELECTRIC BIKES ESPECIALLY ELECTRIC BIKES THAT
CAN 20 OR 25 MILES AN HOUR, 30 MILES AN HOUR? IS THERE ANY LIABILITY IF THERE'S ANY TYPE OF INJURY? SO ARE YOU SPEAKING ABOUT THE
THE BIKES THAT ARE WITHIN OUR SYSTEM? THAT'S CORRECT. SO THE E-BIKES THAT ARE PROVIDED AS PART OF THE BIKE
SHARE SYSTEM ARE CAPPED AT 18 MILES PER HOUR. THAT'S IT. IF THE RIDER NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT A RIDER COULDN'T PEDAL FASTER THAN THAT. BUT ONCE THE BIKE REACHES 18 MILES AN HOUR THE ELECTRICAL
ASSIST WILL SHUT OFF SO THEY'RE NO LONGER GETTING THAT THAT BOOST THE ALL USERS ARE
REQUIRED TO SIGN A YOU KNOW, A USER AGREEMENT BASICALLY YOU KNOW, ACCEPTING THEIR LIABILITY
AND SO YOU KNOW FOR RIDING THE BIKE SAFELY AND SO THAT HAPPY TO SHARE THAT USER AGREEMENT IF THAT'S HELPFUL SO YOU WE ARE
THE OWNERS OF THE EQUIPMENT BUT ARE ARE WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH LYFT BIKES AND SCOOTERS THAT IS OUR OPERATOR SO WE HAVE SOME
SORT OF JOINT LIABILITY IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BIKES FALLS ON THEM. WE AS THE OWNERS HAVE I SUPPOSE SOME LIABILITY THERE AS WELL.
HAVE WE EVER BEEN SUED IN COURT OR OUT OF COURT SETTLED OUT OF COURT ON ANY ANY ISSUE RELATING TO SOMEONE INJURED? THAT TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO.
SAME WITH ALL BIKES. SO I WAS SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO BLUE BIKES ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER BIKE RELATED
ISSUES IN WHICH WE'VE BEEN SUED BUT CERTAINLY WITH RESPECT TO BLUE BIKES FOR THE DURATION OF TIME THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR THE CITY I AM NOT AWARE OF EVER HAVING BEEN SUED.
OKAY. I ALSO SUPPORT ENSURING ANYONE THAT DOES USE ONE OF THESE BIKES BICYCLE ELECTRIC BIKES. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE
REQUIRED TO WEAR A HELMET. I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL. I ALSO BELIEVE WE SHOULD THEY SHOULD BE HAVE SOME TYPE OF REGISTRATION.
THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF INSURANCE, SOME TYPE OF SYSTEM WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHO IS USING THESE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION IF
THERE IS AN ACCIDENT. BUT DOES THE CITY SUPPORT ENSURING THAT PEOPLE THAT USE A E-BIKE OR WILL BIKE FROM FROM A
CITY FROM THE CITY THAT THEY WOULD BE IN COMPLIANCE IN TERMS OF REGISTERED LICENSED AND HAVE INSURANCE? IS THAT SOMETHING THE CITY
SUPPORTS? I AM NOT AWARE OF POLICY POSITION ON ON THAT SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT. I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO BRING
THAT BACK TO OUR LEADERSHIP AND AND SEE IF WE CAN PROVIDE ANY MORE DETAILS ON THAT. OKAY. UM CAN YOU TELL ME THESE THE
STATUS OF THE PROPOSED LOCATION TENTATIVE LOCATION FOR A BULL BIKE STATION AT METLIFE ON A PARK WHICH SO THAT WAS A
POTENTIAL SITE THAT WE PROPOSED AS PART OF OUR EXPANSION PROJECT. SO WE WRAPPED UP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR THAT IN EARLY DECEMBER AND BASED ON COMMUNITY
INPUT AND INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS ELECTED OFFICIALS WE WILL NOT BE INSTALLING A STATION AT THIS TIME ON THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF MEDAL OF HONOR PARK THANK YOU.
I WAS, I WAS CLEAR PUBLICLY ABOUT MY POSITION ON MEDAL OF HONOR PARK THAT I WAS AGAINST FULL BIKE STATION THERE
AS AS MANY PEOPLE KNOW AND IT'S THE FIRST VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL IN THE COUNTRY AND IT WAS IT WAS NOT THE APPROPRIATE
SITE FOR THAT TYPE OF STATION. SO I WANT TO THANK THE VETERANS OF SOUTH BOSTON AND THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTH BOSTON WHO WEIGHED IN AND SURE THAT THE
VETERANS COMMUNITY WOULD BE RESPECTED.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME THE REPURPOSING SINGLE SPACE PARKING METER POLES FOR 1600 WITH BICYCLE RACKS? CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT YOU
MEAN BY THAT? SURE. SO THE CITY OF THE IN THE BTD THEY'RE MODERNIZING OUR PARKING METERS AND THAT MEANS REPLACING
ALL OF THE EXISTING PARKING METERS WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SOME KIOSKS AND THEN SOME METERS THAT ARE ON POLES AND MANY
OF THOSE POLES WON'T BE REQUIRED FOR PARKING METERS ONCE THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETE. AND SO WE HAVE SECURED THIS GRANT FUNDING TO CONVERT SOME
OF THOSE PARKING METER POLES INTO BIKE RACKS. SO AS KIM MENTIONED, YOU CAN BUY THESE SLEEVES THAT SLIDE OVER THE POLES ONCE YOU REMOVE THE METERS AND THEN YOU HAVE
LIKE SCREWS THAT ARE SECURE THAT ATTACH THE SLEEVES TO THE POLES AND CONVERT THEM INTO BIKE RACKS. THANK YOU. I KNOW OBVIOUSLY WE WE HAD TO
MAKE A MAJOR CHANGE ON BOYLSTON STREET WITH THE BUS LANE. I KNOW THERE NEEDS TO BE CHANGES ON STATE STREET AS WELL
THAT WAS MAJOR CHANGES ON SUMMER STREET AS WELL. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WITH THIS GRANT IT'LL SUPPORT BLUE
BIKE ACCESS BUT BUT THEN ALSO DOES THE 14 OR $15 MILLION MEAN THAT WE'RE BUILDING MORE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR BIKE LANES NOW?
IS THAT GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN THE $50 MILLION? SO IN THIS ONE THIS IS ABOUT TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND TRAFFIC SIGNAL ROAMING SO IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BIKE LANES. OKAY.
BUT THE ONE THE GRANT THAT WE APPROVED WEDNESDAY FOR BULL BIKES, WILL THAT MEAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO BUILD OUT MORE
MORE BIKE LANES REGARDLESS OF IF IT'S THIS FUNDING OR ANOTHER FUNDING, DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE GOING TO BUILD OUT MORE BIKE LANES IN THE CITY BECAUSE WE'RE ADDING MORE ACCESS FOR
PEOPLE TO USE BIKES? DOES THAT MEAN THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER PUSH BY THE CHIEF OF STREETS TO IMPLEMENT BIKE LANES? I DON'T KNOW OF ANY SPECIFIC PUSH. I MEAN THIS IS FOR REPLACING
BLUE BIKE STATIONS AND THIS IS JUST PURELY TRAFFIC SIGNALING. I THINK THAT THOSE ARE MORE CORRIDOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WHERE WE TEND TO
ADD LANES OR RIDE DIFFERENT MODAL YOU KNOW THAT TRADE OFF SO THAT'S WOULD HAPPEN MORE IN A IN A CAPITAL PROJECT OKAY AND
I HIGHLIGHTED I KNOW A SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL BREAUX WAS KIND OF REVIEWING A LOT OF THE MAJOR MISTAKES THAT WERE MADE IN THE PAST ON
INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES. ARE WE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THE DISASTER OR OF STATE STREET AND ADD THAT TO THE LIST?
RESIDENTS ARE COMPLAINING AND BUSINESSES ARE COMPLAINING. I FEEL SAFE. STATE STREET IS NOT SAFE WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES THERE. IT'S IT'S IT'S KIND OF AN
EMBARRASSMENT YEAH AND THAT'S A CAPITAL PROJECT THAT IS UNDERGOING ITS OWN RIGHT REVIEW APPROVAL AND AND ALL OF THAT STUFF PRIOR TO IT MOVING TO CONSTRUCTION BUT THAT IS ITS
OWN PROJECT WITH ITS OWN FUNDING SOURCE BETWEEN OFF STATE STREET WILL BE CONSIDERED IT WON'T BE CONSIDERED UNDER THIS GRANT BECAUSE IT'S IN A DIFFERENT CAPITAL PROJECT BY
RIGHT LIKE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT STATE STREET IS IS SOMETHING THAT'S RIGHT LEADING UP TO ITS CONSTRUCTION BUT WE WON'T EVALUATE ANYTHING THAT IS
IN AN EXISTING CAPITAL PLAN OR PROJECT TO GO THROUGH ITS OWN DESIGN PROCESS. THIS IS MORE ABOUT SIGNALING EQUIPMENT AND SEEING WHAT WE
CAN DO WITH WHAT WE HAVE OUT THERE TO MAKE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS NOW THAT WE'VE GIVEN OURSELVES MORE FLEXIBILITY IN OUR POLICY. OKAY. I THINK I THINK A MAJOR A MAJOR
PART OF THIS SHOULD BE THE ISSUE THAT I HIGHLIGHTED HIGHLIGHTED ON CONCURRENT FACING TRAFFIC SIGNALS. I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT IF IF
THE TRANSPORTATION TEAM LISTENED TO THE CITY COUNCILORS LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS OF BOSTON AND AGREED WITH US THAT THAT'S A MAJOR SAFETY
PROBLEM AND IT'S IT'S WORTH REVIEWING THAT NOW AND MAKING THAT CHANGE MAYBE MONDAY MAYBE TUESDAY BEFORE WE EVEN VOTE ON IT BECAUSE I DON'T I DON'T KNOW
IF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD SINCE THEY VOTED TO TO OUTLAW THIS PRACTICE. I DON'T I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS WITHOUT THAT MAJOR CHANGE IN THEM.
BUT YEAH AND I THINK WE'D LIKE TO COME BACK TO TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH YOU. I THINK THAT IN MOST LIKE CONCURRENT SIGNALING IS NOT DONE EXCLUSIVELY FOR TRAFFIC.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN CONSIDERATIONS IN THERE AS WELL AS TO WHERE WE IMPLEMENT THAT VERSUS WHERE WE DON'T IMPLEMENT THAT AND THE THRESHOLDS FOR IT.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT WE'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THE GENERAL PURPOSE BETWEEN THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SIGNALING HOW IT OPERATES, HOW IT OPERATES IN EVERY CITY. YOU KNOW ON THE EAST COAST.
WHY IS WHY IS THE CHIEF OF STREETS ADAMANT ON KEEPING THAT KEEPING THAT TYPE OF SIGNALING IN BOSTON I'M I DON'T THINK IT'S WELL I MEAN I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S PARTICULARLY THE CHIEF
OF STREETS I THINK THAT THIS HAS IT'S THAT WE DON'T HAVE A GREAT ONE SIZE FITS ALL FOR ALL INTERSECTIONS IF YOU LOOK AT OUR HIGH PRESSURE NETWORK ALMOST HALF OF THE LOCATIONS ON OUR HIGH PRESSURE NETWORK ARE AT EXCLUSIVE INTERSECTIONS.
SO PUTTING MAKING AN INTERSECTION EXCLUSIVE IS NOT RIGHT AND YOU KNOW, A MAGIC BULLET FOR FOR SAFETY ISSUES. IT'S ABOUT GETTING THE RIGHT BALANCE.
WE CAN PUT SOME THINGS IN EXCLUSIVE THAT WILL CAUSE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE MINUTES OF WAIT TIME FOR A PEDESTRIAN COMPLY WITH AND THEN WE GET PEOPLE
CROSSING WHEN THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO AND THEN TECHNICALLY THE CAR IS IS IS DOING THE CORRECT THING. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED HERE. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF I THINK NATIONAL STUDIES AND RIGHT
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS TOPIC THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW ALL OF THE PIECES OF IT RATHER THAN RIGHT TO THE JUST
THE THERE'S THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME INHERENT THINGS THAT YOU GET WITH EXCLUSIVE SIGNALING BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN AND CAN HAPPEN AS A
RESULT OF THAT THAT RIGHT LIKE I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TO UNDERSTAND SO THAT WE'RE STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE OF HOW WE DO WELL I AGREE PUBLIC PUBLIC EDUCATION WOULD
ALSO BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT AND THAT'LL BE A CRITICAL PART IF WE IF WE ENDED THAT PRACTICE. I WORK AT A STREET ON HIGH
STREET IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH HIGH STREET IS IN YOU HEADING ON HIGH STREET NEAR A STATION AND YOU'RE ABOUT TO TAKE A RIDE ON CONGRESS STREET. HAVE YOU HAVE YOU BEEN ON THAT
STREET WHERE ABSOLUTELY YEAH. SO IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN A VEHICLE AND YOU'RE ABOUT TO TAKE A RIGHT ON HIGH STREET ONTO CONGRESS STREET AND THE PEOPLE ARE CROSSING THE STREET
WHERE YOU'RE ABOUT TO TAKE THE RIGHT TURN, IT'S VERY DANGEROUS AND I SEE SO MANY TIMES PEOPLE ALMOST GETTING HIT IN THAT
INTERSECTION. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT IT AND I WANT TO BE I WANT TO BE DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE IF I DIDN'T ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES I DON'T MEAN TO BE A STICKLER FOR
DETAILS BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS EXPECT OF ME IS TO ADDRESS THESE QUALITY OF LIFE PUBLIC SAFETY, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ISSUES. I KNOW THIS ISSUE PROBABLY
BETTER THAN ANYONE IN CITY HALL AND I THINK I THINK IT'S UNSAFE THAT WE STILL HAVE THAT SYSTEM HERE IN BOSTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN.
COUNCILOR PIPPEN, I HAD A QUESTION WHEN IT COMES TO APPROVING THESE GRANTS, DOES THAT NOT ALLOW US TO GIVE US TO ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A HEARING ABOUT CONCURRENT
BUT I'M CROSSING NO DOUBT THAT IT ABSOLUTELY DOES. I THINK THAT WE EXPECT IT RIGHT LIKE THAT WE EXPECT THAT TO COME. I THINK THAT IT'S A VERY KIND OF NUANCE THING THAT I THINK
THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO LAY OUT ALL OF HOW IT WORKS, HOW IT WORKS IN ALMOST EVERY CITY IN THE NATION AND RIGHT LIKE WHY RIGHT.
WHY THERE IS CONCURRENT SIGNALING WHY IT EXISTS WHERE IT DOES EXIST AND RIGHT. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE WENT TO FULLY EXCLUSIVE I THINK THAT
PART OF WHAT WE TRIED TO TACKLE IN OUR NEW SINGLE POLICY IS TO ELIMINATE THE LOCATIONS WHERE THERE ARE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WE HAVE LOTS OF TURNING VEHICLES AND THEN WE HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MAKE THAT
BUT WE HAVE LOTS OF OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE IF YOU THINK OF A HUGE STRAIGHTAWAY AND EVERYBODY'S GOING STRAIGHT LOTS OF PEDESTRIANS ALSO WANT TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT. THERE MIGHT BE VERY FEW TURNING VEHICLES IN TO HAUL SOMEBODY
THERE FOR YOU KNOW 90 SECONDS FOR IS IS I THINK THE TRADEOFF THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE RIGHT MIX OF WE HAVE LEADING PEDESTRIAN INTERVALS WHICH IS KIND OF A
MORE OF A HYBRID OPTION WHERE THE PEDESTRIAN WILL HAVE A HEAD START ACROSS THE INTERSECTION AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO I THINK WE'RE JUST TRYING TO STRIKE A BALANCE SO THAT RIGHT
IF WE MADE EVERYTHING EXCLUSIVE WE'D HEAR JUST AS MUCH FROM PEDESTRIANS AS WE WOULD FROM ANYBODY ELSE AS FAR AS SO I THINK WE JUST WANT TO LAY IT
ALL OUT AND SAY WHY THESE THINGS EXIST AND AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO GET THE RIGHT BLEND OF THINGS CITYWIDE. YEAH, I THINK THAT HAVING A HEARING THAT WOULD BE GREAT I
JUST FOR LEARNING PURPOSES TO GET UNDERSTANDING OF NOT ONLY CONCURRENT SIGNALING BUT ALTERNATIVES AS WELL I, I AGAIN I THINK WE SHOULD APPROVE THESE
THESE GRANTS AND THEN HAVE A HEARING ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND LIKE YEAH, SHOULD WE MAKE ANY DECISION ABOUT EXCLUSIVE SIGNALING THIS RIGHT WOULD BE LARGELY HOW WE ALL OF THIS STUFF WE WILL DO GRANT OR NO
GRANT BUT WE'LL JUST DO A MUCH SLOWER WITHOUT IT. OKAY THAT'S IT FOR ME. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AND OBVIOUSLY NO THANK YOU COUNSELOR PREBEN AND I HAVE
COMMITTED TO DOING OUR POLICY BRIEFING WITH THE SIGNALING TEAM SO I THINK WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND JUST GET MY COLLEAGUES AND ANY OF THEIR TEAMS TOGETHER JUST TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW SIGNALING WORKS, YOU KNOW, HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE. I THINK THAT'S ALL REALLY IMPORTANT. I THINK THERE IS IMMENSE CONSENSUS AMONG MY COLLEAGUES
THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE DELAYING FEDERAL FUNDING FROM BEING PAST GIVEN THE PRECARIOUS TIME WE WERE IN AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. CONSENSUS DOES NOT MEAN THAT
EVERYONE FEELS THE SAME AND BUT I DO THINK MY DUTY TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND TO THE CITY OF BOSTON IS A FIDUCIARY DUTY
AND ONE THAT I HOLD IN REALLY HIGH REGARD. IT'S A CORE PRIORITY AND MY JOB IS MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THE COVID 19 RECOVERY CHAIR
ALSO THAT WE NOT LET ANY MONEY THAT WAS ARPA RELATED GO UNUSED AND NOW AS THE CHAIR OF PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION AGAIN IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERY SINGLE
TRANSPORTATION DOLLAR WE GET FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS APPROVED EXPEDITIOUSLY SO I WILL BE MOVING TO APPROVE BOTH OF THESE GRANTS AT THE NEXT MEETING AND I WISH THAT I HAD
BEEN ABLE TO MOVE THESE WITHOUT A HEARING. I HAD PROMISED TO DO A POLICY BRIEFING ON SIGNALING AND I WILL I WILL DO THAT AS WELL. BUT I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS
IS WE'RE IN AN EXTRAORDINARY TIME AND EXTRAORDINARY TIMES CALL FOR US TO BE PROACTIVE AND AND THAT WE MAKE DECISIONS
BASED ON THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE CITY. AND BY THE WAY, MASSACHUSETTS AND BOSTON PAY MORE IN TAXES THAN MOST STATES.
SO THE IDEA THAT WE WOULDN'T BE GETTING BACK WHAT WE AS A CITY DESERVE WITH ALL OF THE TAX MONEY THAT THAT WE GIVE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT THAT'S OUR MONEY TO GET BACK FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO I UNDERSTAND THE NEED AND THE QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE MAY HAVE ABOUT AND OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES MAY HAVE BUT
THIS FEDERAL MONEY NEEDS TO COME THROUGH AND NEEDS TO BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE THAT IT IS INTENDED FOR. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING THESE BOTH AT THE NEXT MEETING
AND I SEE THAT NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP TO TESTIFY SO I APPRECIATE WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE HERE TO TESTIFY SO AND GIVEN
THAT WE'VE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK I'M PLANNING TO ADJOURN THIS HEARING THIS DOCKET ON
THIS HEARING ON DOCKETS 0396 AND 0448 IS ADJOURNED