#mahouse

MaHouse, Strasbourg, France/Marc Fornes/THEVERYMANY

By Courtney Goldberg, Communications Manager

 Last Wednesday, shared commuters earned a huge win from the state legislature.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill to fund the Active Streets or Complete Streets program. The passage granted $50 million over 5 years to the program as part of the Transportation Bond Bill.

The Active Streets program makes it easier to walk, bike or take public transit across the Commonwealth. It was created in part to support a public health goal set by MassDOT—to triple the number of commuters who travel on foot or by bicycle by 2030.

 The program encourages cities and towns across the state to routinely include Complete Streets design elements and infrastructure in locally funded road projects. Support for this program included advocacy to improve both the public health and the local economies in cities and towns across Massachusetts. Biking and/or walking to work encourages commuters to visit local establishments, which helps to create and retain jobs and increase real estate values. Additionally, by taking your commute out of the car and into the fresh air with roads safely paved for walkers and bikers, residents’ quality if life will be improved.

 The Active Streets program garnered strong support among groups such as the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council who, among others, lobbied diligently for the program’s funding over the past year.

 The bill now moves to the State Senate for its approval. You can track the development of this legislation via Twitter using the Hashtag #ActiveSts. We will also post developments on our website.