Boston City Councilor District 1

Incumbents are indicated with *

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About the Candidate	1. How do you move around your community and get to where you need to go?	2. What is a particularly dangerous problem or location in your community for people walking, biking, taking transit, or for people with disabilities that you'd like to see addressed?	3. Why do you think people who care about walking, biking, transit, and mobility issues should vote for you?
Lydia Edwards	I travel most often by car or the MBTA Blue Line.	There are many. East Boston and Charlestown in particular face huge traffic congestion problems due to the Sumner Tunnel, redesign of Rutherford Ave, North Shore commuter congestion, Logan Airport and other sources. The North End receives an immense amount of tourist traffic, including huge Uber and Lyft utilization. Due to the serious volume of cars, sidewalk design along major roadways and the literal island status of East Boston, transportation can be slow, unsafe and the system is highly vulnerable, such that an outage on the Blue Line can strand the whole neighborhood for hours.	I have been a strong advocate for sustainable transportation and transit-oriented development, building the Red-Blue connector, expanding ferry service, promoting electric scooters, reforming our parking permit system

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Policy Proposals	1. How will you ensure implementation of the infrastructure changes needed to slow traffic on your community's streets, and improve crosswalks and intersections to make them safer for people who are walking and using mobility assistive devices?	2. How will you improve the reach, frequency, and quality of public transit in Boston?	3. How will you ensure fast-tracked implementation of a city-wide network of off-street paths and protected bike lanes on major thoroughfares and connecting streets that are safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities?
Lydia Edwards	I support funding for Neighborhood Slow Streets and actively participate in planning with residents and resident groups about the redesign of streets and signage in my district. Calls to BTD and Boston Public Works are frequent in my office. I've worked with and will continue to work with resident associations and advocates to make minor small changes to crosswalks, paving, signage and other issues as they emerge.	We need more resources and more accountability. I have testified multiple times at the FMCB and will continue to press for greater investment in the MBTA. I will also continue to support diversification of transit modes, primarily by participating in and hopefully expanding efforts to site water transportation or water transportation station for East Boston	I welcome conversation on this, but I feel that a metric for expansion that compares peer municipalities' response would be a good starting place.

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Additional Questions

Click on the categories below for the complete question asked. Click on any answer with a * for further explanation of the candidate's stance.

Do you support:	1. Vision Zero 1. Vision Zero is an approach which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries and has been adopted by Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, and many other cities across the country. Do you support the principles of Vision Zero policies and funding for their rapid implementation? click outside popup to close	2. State law allowing automated enforcement 2. One key strategy that has been proven to effectively reduce speeding, improve safety, and remove racial bias in traffic enforcement in other states and countries is automated enforcement (i.e. speed cameras and red light cameras). Do you support S.1376, An Act relative to automated enforcement, which if passed would authorize cities and towns in Massachusetts to opt into the use of automated enforcement? To see the full text of the bill, visit malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S1376 click outside popup to close	3. Bike Network Plan 3. Do you support the implementation of improved bike facilities identified in your community’s Bike Network Plan or do you support the creation of a Bike Network Plan if none already exists? click outside popup to close	4. Age-friendly walking conditions 4. Do you support creating age-friendly walking conditions in your community -- an issue raised by many seniors as critical to their ability to 'age in community'? If yes, how? click outside popup to close	(more below)
Lydia Edwards	Strongly Support	Somewhat Support* Lydia Edwards I support this legislation but would consider also enabling certain privacy protections. click outside popup to close	Somewhat Support	Strongly Support

Do you support:	5. Restriction of parking for bus-only lanes 5. Do you support the restriction of on-street parking during rush hour in order to create dedicated bus lanes on certain major thoroughfares where bus riders experience significant delays due to traffic congestion? click outside popup to close	6. New revenue sources 6. Do you support exploring new ways of raising revenue to provide Boston with more tools to improve conditions for people walking, using mobility assistive devices, biking, and using public transit (e.g. increasing the gas tax, implementing congestion pricing, increasing fees on Uber/Lyft)? If yes, please give examples that interest you. click outside popup to close	7. Dynamic parking meter pricing 7. Do you support the rollout of dynamic parking meter pricing in business districts, which would increase meter rates during periods of increased demand, to free up on-street parking and reduce cars "cruising" for open spaces? click outside popup to close	8. Traffic signal timing that prioritizes people walking 8. Boston has many traffic signals that do not work well for pedestrians. Do you support making signal timing safer, easier, and more convenient for people walking and using mobility assistive devices at all paces? click outside popup to close	(more below)
Lydia Edwards	Somewhat Support	Strongly Support* Lydia Edwards I support the Fair Share amendment, congestion pricing, fees on Uber and Lyft, raising Sumner Tunnel tolls to match MBTA fares and and am open to exploring click outside popup to close	Strongly Support	Strongly Support

Do you support:	9. Charging for residential parking permits 9. Do you support charging an annual fee for residential parking permits? click outside popup to close	10. Reducing/ eliminating MBTA fares 10. Do you support reducing or eliminating MBTA fares for people with low income? click outside popup to close	11. Ensuring large-scale developments are walkable, resilient, green, and connected 11. Do you support ensuring large-scale developments (including Sullivan Square, the Allston I-90 Interchange, and Suffolk Downs) incorporate the community's desire for walkability, connectivity, open space, and resiliency? click outside popup to close
Lydia Edwards	Strongly Support	Strongly Support	Strongly Support

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About the Candidate

1. How do you move around your community and get to where you need to go?

Lydia Edwards

I travel most often by car or the MBTA Blue Line.

2. What is a particularly dangerous problem or location in your community for people walking, biking, taking transit, or for people with disabilities that you’d like to see addressed?

Lydia Edwards

There are many. East Boston and Charlestown in particular face huge traffic congestion problems due to the Sumner Tunnel, redesign of Rutherford Ave, North Shore commuter congestion, Logan Airport and other sources. The North End receives an immense amount of tourist traffic, including huge Uber and Lyft utilization. Due to the serious volume of cars, sidewalk design along major roadways and the literal island status of East Boston, transportation can be slow, unsafe and the system is highly vulnerable, such that an outage on the Blue Line can strand the whole neighborhood for hours.

3. Why do you think people who care about walking, biking, transit, and mobility issues should vote for you?

Lydia Edwards

I have been a strong advocate for sustainable transportation and transit-oriented development, building the Red-Blue connector, expanding ferry service, promoting electric scooters, reforming our parking permit system

Policy Proposals

1. How will you ensure implementation of the infrastructure changes needed to slow traffic on your community’s streets, and improve crosswalks and intersections to make them safer for people who are walking and using mobility assistive devices?

Lydia Edwards

I support funding for Neighborhood Slow Streets and actively participate in planning with residents and resident groups about the redesign of streets and signage in my district. Calls to BTD and Boston Public Works are frequent in my office. I've worked with and will continue to work with resident associations and advocates to make minor small changes to crosswalks, paving, signage and other issues as they emerge.

2. How will you improve the reach, frequency, and quality of public transit in Boston?

Lydia Edwards

We need more resources and more accountability. I have testified multiple times at the FMCB and will continue to press for greater investment in the MBTA. I will also continue to support diversification of transit modes, primarily by participating in and hopefully expanding efforts to site water transportation or water transportation station for East Boston

3. How will you ensure fast-tracked implementation of a city-wide network of off-street paths and protected bike lanes on major thoroughfares and connecting streets that are safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities?

Lydia Edwards

I welcome conversation on this, but I feel that a metric for expansion that compares peer municipalities' response would be a good starting place.

Additional Questions

1. Vision Zero is an approach which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries and has been adopted by Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, and many other cities across the country. Do you support the principles of Vision Zero policies and funding for their rapid implementation?

Lydia Edwards

Strongly Support

2. One key strategy that has been proven to effectively reduce speeding, improve safety, and remove racial bias in traffic enforcement in other states and countries is automated enforcement (i.e. speed cameras and red light cameras). Do you support S.1376, An Act relative to automated enforcement, which if passed would authorize cities and towns in Massachusetts to opt into the use of automated enforcement? To see the full text of the bill, go here.

Lydia Edwards

Somewhat Support
I support this legislation but would consider also enabling certain privacy protections.

3. Do you support implementation of all of the Better Bike Corridors and other bike projects in the Go Boston 2030 Plan, and making sure all short-term projects are planned and implemented within three years, and long-term projects are implemented by or before 2030?

Lydia Edwards

Somewhat Support

4. Do you support creating age-friendly walking conditions in your community -- an issue raised by many seniors as critical to their ability to “age in community”? If yes, how?

Lydia Edwards

Strongly Support

5. Do you support the restriction of on-street parking during rush hour in order to create dedicated bus lanes on certain major thoroughfares where bus riders experience significant delays due to traffic congestion?

Lydia Edwards

Somewhat Support

6. Do you support exploring new ways of raising revenue to provide Boston with more tools to improve conditions for people walking, using mobility assistive devices, biking, and using public transit (e.g. increasing the gas tax, implementing congestion pricing, increasing fees on Uber/Lyft)? If yes, please give examples that interest you.

Lydia Edwards

Strongly Support
I support the Fair Share amendment, congestion pricing, fees on Uber and Lyft, raising Sumner Tunnel tolls to match MBTA fares and and am open to exploring

7. Do you support the rollout of dynamic parking meter pricing in business districts, which would increase meter rates during periods of increased demand, to free up on-street parking and reduce cars “cruising” for open spaces?

Lydia Edwards

Strongly Support

8. Boston has many traffic signals that do not work well for pedestrians. Do you support making signal timing safer, easier, and more convenient for people walking and using mobility assistive devices at all paces?

Lydia Edwards

Strongly Support

9. Do you support charging an annual fee for residential parking permits?

Lydia Edwards

Strongly Support

10. Do you support reducing or eliminating MBTA fares for people with low income?

Lydia Edwards

Strongly Support

11. Do you support ensuring large-scale developments (including Sullivan Square, the Allston I-90 Interchange, and Suffolk Downs) incorporate the community's desire for walkability, connectivity, open space, and resiliency?

Lydia Edwards

Strongly Support

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