Longwood Report
“[Longwood] doesn't work for cars, pedestrians, buses, or bikes and doesn't have a good connection to public transit . . . Who exactly does it work for?” - Roxbury resident
During 2017, Longwood Area Cyclists embarked on a year-long engagement campaign with LivableStreets Alliance, collecting over 1500 survey responses and having real-time discussions with commuters and EMT's in the Longwood Area.
Our report "Finding A Cure for the Longwood Area's Transportation Challenges" analyzes the survey results, providing important takeaways and three recommendations for future transportation planning. View the full report here.
Takeaways from the Survey
Improving transportation on Longwood’s streets requires a holistic approach, which is why LivableStreets and the Longwood Area Cyclists solicited feedback from commuters traveling by all modes. A special emphasis was placed on reaching out directly to EMT’s operating ambulances transporting patients to and from the Longwood Area’s many hospitals.
From the feedback provided by more than 1,500 commuters, the following challenges came into focus:
Takeaway 1: A lack of safe, connected biking and walking infrastructure
Takeaway 2: Congestion elevates patient stress
Takeaway 3: Lack of convenient transit drives people to cars
Recommendations
Based on past and ongoing planning initiatives and the challenges brought to light by our survey respondents, we support the following recommendations to quickly and effectively enact change:
Recommendation 1: Redesign Longwood’s streets . . . fast
Recommendation 2: Prioritize transit and emergency vehicles
Recommendation 3: Improve safety and access for people walking and biking
It’s clear that without an appropriate response from planning institutions responsible for managing the Longwood Area, the district’s ability to care for patients, lead cutting edge research, and educate will be greatly undermined. This is already a reality for too many traveling to the Longwood Area today.
Read More
- Download and share the full report.
- Comments or questions? Contact andrew@livablestreets.info