Jump to:
Housing, Transportation, and Climate
Mobility/Housing Story
Policy Proposals
Additional Questions
Incumbents are indicated with *
Click on a question to read the candidate's answer.
Housing, Transportation, and Climate
Transportation, housing, and climate issues are currently siloed in City Hall. How do you see these issues connecting and how will you work to align them if elected?
Lydia Edwards
BPDA development review is the best avenue to review all 3 issues at the exact same time. However, this only occurs when a development project is 20,000 sq ft or over and triggers the Article 80 process. I'd like to institute a minimum square footage to allow for a better comprehensive review process and opportunities for BTD, BPDA, and the Environment or Smart Utilities teams for more meaningful feedback. City Councilor's and their staff are on the ground and understand the community dynamics. They should be invited to those conversations so we can have the ability to fight for our district.
Top
What is your mobility/housing story?
1a. Which of the following modes of transportation do you use regularly in Boston? (Check the top 3.)
Lydia Edwards
Car
Subway
Commuter rail
Bus
Bike (bike-share or personal bicycle)
Mobility device
Walking
Rideshare
Moped/motorcycle
Scooter
Carpool
Other
1b. What types of housing have you lived in or owned throughout your life? (Check all that apply.)
Lydia Edwards
Duplex/Triple-decker
4-to-6-unit building
Over-six-unit apartment building
As a renter
As a landlord
Home ownership
Housing insecure
Single-family home
Public housing / Section 8
Deed-restricted affordable
Urban
Suburban
Rural
Other
Top
Policy Proposals
1. While the MBTA controls bus service, the City of Boston controls the streets the buses operate on. How would you accelerate bus service and bus priority infrastructure?
Lydia Edwards
There is currently one bus lane installed in my district on North Washington Street, one proposed for the Rutherford Ave Sullivan Square corridor on the Everett side, and two in ideation in East Boston on Meridian and Bennington Street, respectively. I support the over-used-to-the-point-of-cliché idea that we should be moving people, not cars. Many individuals in my district utilize public transit to get to and from work or home. Those using public transit are often overlooked or historically excluded populations either immigrant or ELL, in service job positions, and making minimum wage. To add additional transportation burdens to their commute isn't just time, it's potentially money and their families livelihoods. I support any measure that prioritizes the expedient passage of my constituents, especially those working minimum wage jobs. I understand that the 92,93, 111, 116, 117 service these commuters and I will work with my state partners and colleagues in the BTD and BPDA to better prioritize their commute.
2. The MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) makes important decisions regarding MBTA service, projects, and programs. The FMCB is sunsetting in July and the MBTA will be without a dedicated governance board. Will you advocate for a new governance board and a seat on it for the City of Boston, and how?
Lydia Edwards
I will advocate for the City of Boston to have a seat on it. There are too many decisions without having the City at the table to best represent the interests of our City, and most importantly individuals who rely on public transit in our transit-desert communities. I will certainly advocate for a dedicated governance board as I believe the work is still incomplete and transit justice or access to reliable transit is an ongoing fight.
3. The City of Boston’s comprehensive transportation plan, Go Boston 2030, includes the implementation of 26 priority Better Bike Corridors and other bike projects. How will you ensure all short-term projects are implemented within three years, and long-term projects are implemented by or before 2030?
Lydia Edwards
No answer
4. Often street projects designed to improve safety involve removing on-street parking or reducing the number of vehicle travel lanes to make space for people walking and biking. How would you advance safety projects when there is active opposition to narrowing the roadway and removing parking?
Lydia Edwards
No answer
5. Boston’s inclusionary development policy (IDP) program requires that new developments of 10 units or more include at least 13% of the new units be affordable and income-restricted. There is conversation about increasing the IDP percentage; however, experience and research around the country has shown that setting an IDP percentage too high can actually reduce the total number of new affordable units built. Would you support a new 12 unit building where 50% of the units are affordable over a 60 unit building where 20% of the units are affordable? Why?
Lydia Edwards
I'm currently the Chair of the Housing and Community Development and the sponsor of a hearing order that requires the City of Boston to review our IDP policy. I've done extensive work on this and currently working with the coalition to push the City of Boston to do better and to do right by our residents who are struggling to stay in our City. There is a housing crisis and although I don't necessarily agree that we can built our way out it, we desperately need to build deed restricted housing for families who need it NOW. I support affordable housing that is actually affordable for the average Bostonian based on their income level (30%-100%), period.
6. Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030 determined that Boston needed 69,000 new homes by 2030. The last public update (Q4 2019) indicated that the city is likely behind schedule. The current lengthy permitting process in Boston is a well-known barrier to meeting this challenge. How would you reduce timelines and unnecessary costs to create more homes for people in neighborhoods across the city?
Lydia Edwards
No answer
7. What actions or policies that fall under existing municipal powers (i.e. do not require a home rule petition) do you support to help prevent displacement?
Lydia Edwards
As Chair of the Boston City Council’s Committee on Government Operations, I recommend passage of Docket #0238, an ordinance extending and enhancing protections for tenants facing displacement by condominium or cooperative conversion, this past March.
I sponsored this docket that ultimately strengthens existing protections afforded by the current ordinance in light of the rapid increase of small apartment buildings being converted to condominiums in Boston.
The ordinance increases relocation benefits for residents facing displacement, provides additional notice requirements, and establishes a condo conversion permit and notification system within the City of Boston’s Office of Housing Stability and Inspectional Services Department. In addition, the ordinance establishes a look back period of 12 months which will assist in determining whether the tenants are provided all of their rights and benefits in cases of a building clear out. The proposed language strengthens the current ordinance, closes loopholes, and further protects tenants from displacement during this citywide rental housing emergency.
8. In a new housing development where space is limited, and parking adds substantially to the cost, how would you prioritize space/think about tradeoffs (between more units, parking, open space, etc.)? What would you do in the face of community opposition to developments that seek to balance these priorities?
Lydia Edwards
No answer
Top
Additional Questions
The candidate has chosen an answer among these options; click on any button with shadow (like the Somewhat Support button below) to read the candidate's additional explanation:
Somewhat Support
candidate's explanation
Neither Support nor Oppose
1. The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition supports the removal of direct policing from Vision Zero goals, citing issues of safety and equity and a lack of effectiveness in improving safety. You can read about these issues in the Boston Vision Zero Progress Report and the Coalition Statement on Gov. Baker Administration’s Road Safety Legislation. Do you support removing police enforcement from Vision Zero?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
2. Police details are often required for construction projects and open streets events -- it would save money and create jobs if community members were allowed to do this work. Civilian flaggers were first authorized in 2008 to help fill these roles in Massachusetts; nevertheless, these projects and events are still primarily staffed by police on overtime, and detail requests often go unfilled entirely. Do you support reducing police involvement in streets-related projects and events?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
I helped co-sponsor an alternative policing hearing order with Councilor Michelle Wu that suggests using civilian flaggers for construction project details.
3. 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). If the State House passes automated enforcement legislation that allows cities & towns to opt-in to a speed or red light camera program, would you support your municipality using this tool?
Lydia Edwards
Neither Support nor Oppose
I need more information. As long as these mechanisms are not wrongly identifying individuals or can be used in a court of law, I would be supportive. Data has shown that facial recognition surveillance largely shows racial bias is more likely to misidentify people of color than Caucasians.
4. The Boston Transportation Department’s Neighborhood Slow Streets program has been very popular when implemented on smaller neighborhood-level streets, but many injuries from traffic crashes happen on busier arterial roads. Do you support traffic calming for high-crash intersections and roadways of arterials to prevent crashes and save lives, even when it means taking away parking or travel lanes?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
5. The Go Boston 2030 plan was released in 2017. Do you support updating the plan and working to advance the plan’s goals?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
6. Mode shift occurs when people get out of their cars and choose other ways of getting around. Do you support the City’s Go Boston 2030 goal of reducing car trips by 50% by 2030?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
7. Do you support reassessing the plans and viability of major capital projects, such as the Northern Avenue Bridge or the Rutherford Avenue redesign?
Lydia Edwards
Somewhat Support
8. How curb space is managed can impact many different city functions, including bus service, commercial delivery, and residential parking. When used effectively, curb space can speed up bus service with dedicated lanes, create safe biking infrastructure, and/or allow businesses to quickly and safely receive deliveries. Do you support conducting a city-wide parking study to evaluate how effectively curb space is being used?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
9. Do you support charging an annual fee for residential parking permits?
Lydia Edwards
Neither Support nor Oppose
I don't know if charging our way out of this problem will make a difference when the City is giving out more residential parking permits than there are street space in high density neighborhoods like East Boston, Charlestown, and the North End.
10. Do you support free bus service on the MBTA and a low-income fare option for other public transit options?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
11. Boston has many traffic signals that do not work well for pedestrians. Do you support making signal timing safer and more convenient for people crossing at all speeds, including those walking and using mobility assistive devices?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
And I would like them in English and Spanish, thank you very much.
12. 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 resilience?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
I pushed for better multi modal transit options for both Sullivan Square and Suffolk Downs that prioritized pedestrians over cars. I also pushed the developer to institute a bus system that would help mitigate and disincentive the usage of cars.
13. Do you support prioritizing and advancing the housing production goals outlined in the 2018 update to Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030?
Lydia Edwards
Somewhat Support
We need better standards for preserving, protecting and producing affordable housing. And we need better policy hooks to capture money to create new affordable housing that is actually affordable for a majority of Bostonians.
14. Lawsuits filed against two much needed, 100% affordable housing developments in Jamaica Plain have recently underscored how mandatory parking minimums can be weaponized within the legal system to significantly slow or prevent affordable housing. Do you support the proposal by Councilors Matt O’Malley and Kenzie Bok to update the zoning code to eliminate mandatory parking minimums for affordable housing?
Lydia Edwards
Neither Support nor Oppose
We can't ignore the real and lived experience of existing residents who are looking for spots at all hours of the day. We need to move towards a city that is less car-dependent but I don't think we are there yet.
15. Given the affordability crisis, many are critical of the perceived large amount of new “luxury” construction and would like to see more moderately priced housing options being built. Yet, the city’s zoning code mandates strict parking minimums for any new housing development, and parking is expensive (a single structured parking space adds an average of $50,000 in per-unit costs). This substantial cost often pushes otherwise moderately priced new housing into the “luxury” price range. In order to increase the amount of moderately priced homes in the city, would you support reducing mandatory parking minimums for all new development city-wide?
Lydia Edwards
Neither Support nor Oppose
The conversation is ongoing and there will be a hearing regarding this matter in the Council soon
16. The City of Boston has devoted significant resources and conducted extensive community processes to develop neighborhood-based plans (i.e. PLAN: JP/Rox, PLAN: South Boston Dorchester Ave). However, the city has failed to incorporate these plans into the zoning code, perpetuating a system of parcel-by-parcel discretion and diminishing public trust in the planning process. Do you support codifying these and future plans into the city’s zoning code within a reasonable time frame (six months of a plan’s release)?
Lydia Edwards
Somewhat Support
17. The City of Boston and Boston Housing Authority have recently launched a city project-based housing voucher program. Do you support continued funding for this program, and do you support expanding it to include additional funding and/or a mobile voucher program?
Lydia Edwards
Strongly Support
Top