Lydia Edwards, East Boston resident and candidate for Boston City Council, released a transportation infrastructure policy proposal this week with recommendations to mitigate traffic congestion, parking issues, and public transportation deficiencies.
“As a resident of East Boston, I have a vested interest in increasing the quality of life of my neighbors who deal with the same traffic congestion and parking issues as I do on a daily basis,” Edwards said. “Our community deserves forward-thinking design, coordination and long term planning as we continue to grow and build in East Boston. I promise to be a strong advocate for creative, innovative solutions.”
Edwards’ ideas includes efforts to promote a multi-modal and sustainable transportation system while enhancing quality-of-life for residents, particularly seniors, family attendants or care workers, who are car-dependent. Edwards is proposing a parking pass pilot program for our seniors, who rely heavily on accessibility to home care nurses or family members. When the city makes it a burden to have visitors through residential parking restrictions, it ultimately hurts these long time community members the most. Given the findings of the pilot program, Boston can expand parking passes by looking at our sister cities to see how they have balanced on street parking with visitors.
In addition to the pilot parking pass program, Edwards’ transportation initiatives include transforming the community’s role in vetting transportation infrastructure plans for any new development in the district and advocating for a comprehensive water transportation service with accessibility to other transportation options. “We want to move people–not just cars. We also know that we have to focus not only on the potholes but also on the big picture design. Finally, we need to put the people’s voice in transportation planning. Too often, community is not at the table when decisions are made, but are forced to live with the results.”
Edwards, who has served as a board member for the Boston Center for Independent Living and whose candidacy is endorsed by OPEIU Local 453, which represents MBTA workers, is a strong supporter of public transportation and has committed to push for solutions to keep Boston’s transit network functional, sustainable, accessible and affordable for all residents.
In addition to improving district one’s transportation infrastructure, Edwards’ top priorities include ensuring pathways to homeownership for all residents, quality public schools for local families, and responsible community-driven development. The preliminary election for city council will be held on September 26th