Progress Report: Boston Strong on Street Safety, Slow to Reduce Emissions

Writing in Streetsblog Mass, Christian MilNeil describes the progress made by the city of Boston on its Go Boston 2030 plan, which “set goals for the city to reduce the number of car trips inside the city's limits by half and eliminate serious injuries and deaths from traffic violence by the end of this decade.”

A progress report from the LivableStreets Alliance expresses doubt that the city can meet its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles in half. “According to the city's most recent data, motor vehicles in the city were still pumping 1.9 million metric tons of greenhouse pollution into the atmosphere in 2019, the most recent year for which city-level data is available,” a “statistically insignificant” change from 2005 levels.

Boston made more significant strides in street safety, according to the report. “The city has actually met its 2017 target to reduce pedestrian and bicycle-related collisions by at least 30 percent, seven years ahead of schedule.” The report also praised the city’s “strong progress” on installing protected bike infrastructure and bringing public spaces into Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.

Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Boston's Chief of Streets, said in a press release that the city will “launch an official update of the Go Boston 2030 plan to re-focus the city's goals” and adjust to post-pandemic mobility patterns and needs.