The Revere Street TIP Project is for Everyone
Dear Editor,
Winthrop is fortunate to be on the receiving end of over $6 million in federal funds allocated through the Boston region’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to improve transportation infrastructure on Revere Street from Crest Ave to Winthrop Street. This half mile segment of road is actually a continuation of town’s last TIP project which improved Winthrop Street from Metcalf Square to McGee’s corner (at Revere St) and part of a larger pool of federal transportation dollars allocated to projects in 97 cities and towns throughout Greater Boston each year (learn more at bostonmpo.org/tip) As Winthrop’s most heavily trafficked roadway, and the only street that runs directly from one entrance of town to the other, the quality and design of Revere Street has an enormous impact on the quality and safety of transportation in our community.
Currently, traffic on Revere Street moves well above the 25 mph speed limit through an area with a large concentration of elderly residents, children, and schools. The wide travel lanes with few crosswalks incentivize this, resulting in an environment that is generally hostile to people on foot or in wheelchairs and unwelcoming to people on bikes. Buses make their way through general traffic but the people riding them face dangerous crossings to reach their stops and, with the exception of the inbound stops by Governors Park and Golden Drive, must wait on narrow sidewalks with no shelter or seating. As a result, we have a dangerous road that isolates the neighborhoods, schools, and businesses on either side from each other and generates the highest volume of crashes in town.
The Revere Street TIP project seeks to address this. By upgrading ADA facilities, narrowing travel lanes (which slows traffic), reducing distances to cross the street, striping bus stops and painting bike lanes, the new design will facilitate a new way of moving people on this street. The project’s engineers have created a design that makes walking, biking, and using transit safer without diminishing the ability to drive on this corridor. They have even addressed the ongoing challenge of turning right onto Kennedy Drive during school dropoff/dismissal times without compromising the safety of families walking or elderly trying to cross the street by designing a shared bike and right turn lane.
This type of multimodal design is reflective of what is known as “complete streets”, which is an approach to street design that accommodates the needs of all users, particularly those who are most vulnerable. The State of Massachusetts has embraced Complete Streets as a policy directive and the Town of Winthrop approved its own Complete Streets Policy in 2017. Incorporating complete streets is a requirement when using MassDOT funds through the TIP, and so the designs presented most recently to the Town Council by the consultant team are reflective of that.
What we will see on Revere when this project is completed is a place where people can move from point A to point B in a car, bus, bike, on foot or in a wheelchair, and where they can also sit (benches are critical for the senior population in particular) or gather (expanded curb space at Revere and Shirley St provides new pedestrian space while slowing turning vehicles). In short, Revere Street will become a street for everyone, and that’s as good for the community as it is for business. With the town’s most densely populated residential areas, including senior housing, lining the north side of the street, three schools within a quarter mile, and two of the town’s major retail centers (McGee’s Corner and Crest Ave) at either end, the benefits yielded are enormous, from cleaner air to safer streets to a more active, connected community.
Road construction is never fun or convenient, and this project will be no exception. But after what we’ve just been through with the Center and continue to experience on the segment of Revere Street heading out towards Short Beach, this will be nothing we can’t handle! And while change can be difficult- and the way Revere Street will look and function will indeed change- I encourage my fellow Winthrop residents to keep an open mind. Consider that streets with designated space for cars and designated space for bikes are not inherently more dangerous than streets that only designate space for cars. They are no more catering to the young professional in spandex than to the student in Converse sneakers or the grandparent with groceries. Complete streets are streets for everyone, and that is just what this TIP project supports.
Learning to share space that was once exclusive can feel jarring, but it’s what we must do to make our streets the truly public spaces that they are, and it’s how we build inclusive, accessible communities. The Revere Street TIP project isn’t about bike lanes, and it isn’t about any special interest. It’s about making Winthrop a better place for everyone, and that is something to make us all proud.
Julia Wallerce
Democratic Party Has Outstanding Women Candidates in This Year’s State Election
Dear Editor,
In the upcoming State Election, there are seven outstanding Democratic women on the ballot that the voters of Winthrop can elect. They are Maura Healey for Governor, Kim Driscoll for Lieutenant Governor, Andrea Campbell for Attorney General, Deb Goldberg for Treasurer, Diana DiZoglio for Auditor, Katherine Clark for Congress, and Lydia Edwards for State Senate.
Maura Healey has spent her career standing up for the people of Massachusetts and pursuing justice and equality. As Attorney General, Maura has taken on some of the most powerful institutions on behalf of the Commonwealth’s residents. She has protected student borrowers and homeowners from predatory lenders, sued Exxon Mobil for lying about climate change, and held Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family accountable for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic. Maura Healey is running for Governor to bring people together and expand economic opportunities for everyone in Massachusetts.
Kim Driscoll was elected Salem’s first woman Mayor in 2005 on a platform of professional, inclusive, and transparent government and she has been enthusiastically re-elected as Mayor every term since. Kim took office when Salem was in tough shape and turned its government around with efficiencies, and revitalized Salem’s downtown. Kim Driscoll knows how to get things done in government and she will be a great partner to Maura Healey as her Lieutenant Governor.
Andrea Campbell has dedicated her life to fighting for greater equity and opportunity. In 2015, Andrea successfully ran for the Boston City Council and in 2018, she was unanimously elected City Council President – the first Black woman to hold the title. Now, Andrea Campbell is running for Attorney General to be our voice, our advocate, our champion — for fundamental change and progress. To be an attorney general for justice for all. To be an attorney general for opportunity for all. Truly, to be an attorney general for all of us.
Deb Goldberg ran for State Treasurer in 2014 to give every woman, every man, and every family the financial power and skills they need to get ahead in today’s tough economy. Economic empowerment, economic security, and economic stability have been her personal mission and inspire her in everything she does. Since being elected, Deb has redefined the role of State Treasurer. promoting fiscal policies and programs to ensure opportunity for all. Deb Goldberg’s desire to bring commonsense business principles to benefit the public good comes from lessons she has learned her entire life.
Diana DiZoglio has served as a State Representative and State Senator for the past ten years where she has used her experience as a champion for the people of Massachusetts to advocate for transparency and accountability in our halls of power. Diana is running for State Auditor to make sure that no one – no matter their background, bank balance or zip code – receives different treatment on Beacon Hill. Diana DiZoglio will use her experience to fight for transparency and accountability in state government for the citizens of our state.
Katherine Clark ran for Congress in 2013 because she saw the issues facing women, children, and families and knew that we could build a stronger, more just country where everyone has a fair shot at a good life. Katherine has achieved remarkable success in Congress in the past ten years delivering results for people in her district and across the country. Every day, Katherine Clark uses her voice and position as Assistant Speaker to work on the issues families are talking about around their kitchen tables: ensuring voting rights for all Americans, addressing the climate crisis, achieving access to health care, and supporting a more equitable economy for women, kids, and communities of color.
State Senator Lydia Edwards is a career advocate, activist, and voice on behalf of society’s most vulnerable. Prior to being elected to the State Senate and Boston City Council, Lydia worked extensively in the legal field as a public interest attorney focusing on labor issues. As a City Councilor, Lydia Edwards pushed to protect Boston’s affordable housing stock, reduce airport pollution, expand water transportation, address traffic congestion, ensure community voice in major energy projects, rebuild public housing, and stop proposed highway expansion. As a State Senator, Lydia is continuing to fight for workers, renters, unions, immigrants, teachers, and others to make our Commonwealth more affordable, more inclusive, and more democratic.
Vote for seven women who make sense for Winthrop and Massachusetts!
Bill Schmidt