“Imagine Boston 2030”: A Sustainable Plan to Improve Quality of Life

Guest Post

Recently, many big US cities have been making the headlines thanks to their redevelopments. Cities are progressing, and a big part of it focuses on the need for improving their infrastructure and becoming more sustainable. Boston, for example, has announced the Imagine Boston 2030 plan, which – as the name suggests – foresees a big change for Massachusetts’ capital.

Boston’s redevelopment will focus on improving the city’s urban and transportation sectors and is already in the works. Daring and creative, the plans are set to be completed in only 10 years, making the project an exciting venture for both the city and its residents. In fact, Boston decided to survey 15,000 residents with questions on what they would like to see improved in the city and how. The most popular answers focused on bettering the transport system and the waterfront.

In the last few years, Boston has seen some struggle on its transportation side, and is set on modernizing its machines, and extending its service to the areas outlying the city. In fact, INRIX – the index that studies traffic around the world and the congestion it causes – placed Boston 14th in the world in regard to traffic congestion, resulting also in a hazard for the environment. The study shows that residents spend 60 hours per year stuck in traffic, an increase of 2 hours compared to 2017. Furthermore, 30% of residents that live in the city’s outskirts also suffer the transportation mishaps due to the lack of connections to the city center. The statistics show that Boston’s public service is not enough anymore and that it must be extended. The Imagine Boston project plans to modernize the public transport system, and also extend the Orange Line to Roslindale Square, as well as the Green Line to Hyde Square. An increase in bus lanes is also in the plans, as well as a new bicycle lane.

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After the transportation system, residents also expressed their wish to see more ferry connections as well. For the waterfront, 1,700 people gave their opinions, and their ideas were incorporated in the various designs. The increased ferry trips will go on to connect Downtown and the Seaport, East Boston, and Charleston, and also feature more water taxis on both the Charles River and the Mystic River. And although transport was the main improvement residents wished to see, the waterfront will be a big part in modernizing Boston. With new homes, offices, public meeting points, the waterfront will most likely become a big attraction for both Bostonians and tourists.

With so many plans and improvements, Boston is also high on the list for the possibility of hosting Amazon’s new headquarters. Boston is said to be one of the first considered by Amazon and could represent a big addition to the city. With so many exciting news and redevelopments coming up, 2030 will be quite the year for Boston!

This article is contributed by Hanna Johnson. Hanna is a freelance writer and editor with more than 2 years experience and is passionate about infrastructure development, construction, and environmental matters.