Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

Free No Balance CharlieCards Available at City Hall Annex
Jan 30, 2020 – The City of Cambridge has partnered with the MBTA on their program to increase the availability of CharlieCards to residents who rely on public transportation.The City of Cambridge joins a growing list of organizations, cities, and towns partnering with the MBTA to increase access to CharlieCards.

“We’re pleased to see the continued expansion of this program, ensuring that more customers have access to lower fares through the re-loadable CharlieCard,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “Thank you to the City of Cambridge for partnering with us in this growing effort that ultimately allows the MBTA to be even more accessible for our riders.”

“Cambridge continuously strives to support sustainable and affordable options for people to get around our city,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “By partnering with the MBTA on this program, we’re increasing our residents’ access to the public transit system and the fare savings that come with using a CharlieCard. I hope this program will encourage more people to consider riding the T.”

Under the program, free no balance CharlieCards are now available at the Community Development Department, on the 3rd floor of the City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway.

Unlike CharlieTickets, CharlieCards are reusable plastic cards that can be routinely loaded with stored cash value or one-day, seven-day, or monthly passes. As a way to encourage use of CharlieCards, cardholders pay lower single-ride fares on bus and subway services than customers who pay cash or hold a CharlieTicket. CharlieCards also offer enhanced options for transfers over tickets and cash. Note: CharlieCards are not valid for use on the Commuter Rail though customers are encouraged to learn more about Commuter Rail fare products that include the mTicket.)

CharlieCard availability has historically been concentrated around major rapid-transit hubs. Similarly, fare vending machines are clustered around rapid-transit stations. Under this program, the MBTA continues to acknowledge that access to cards needs to increase, especially in communities with a higher reliance on buses.

The MBTA hopes to partner with nonprofit organizations or cities and towns to provide residents with CharlieCards, either blank or pre-loaded with a dollar amount for purchase. By providing easier access to CharlieCards, the T hopes to incentivize riders to use CharlieCards and fare vending machines throughout their travels, resulting in a savings of both time and money. Organizations and communities seeking to partner in this effort should contact MBTA Chief Customer Officer Danny Levy at DLevy@MBTA.com. For more information on CharlieCards, visit mbta.com/CharlieCard or connect with the T on Twitter @MBTA, Facebook /TheMBTA, or Instagram @theMBTA.

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Cannabis Litigation
Feb 14, 2020 – Today, the City Solicitor’s Office filed a Petition for Interlocutory Review to a Single Justice of the Appeals Court in the case Revolutionary Clinics II, Inc. v. the City of Cambridge. The plaintiff in that case has challenged the City’s Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance, specifically, the two year period in which only Economic Empowerment Applicants are eligible to receive a Cannabis Business Permit for a Cannabis Retail Store (the “two-year moratorium”). The City is seeking interlocutory relief from a Single Justice of the Appeals Court with regard to the Superior Court’s Jan 24, 2020 order on the Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction in this case (“Order”), which restrains and enjoins the City from enforcing the two-year moratorium and from taking any action to prevent the Plaintiff from immediately applying to convert its Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (“MTC”) to a co-located adult-use cannabis retail establishment and MTC. The City also filed a Notice of Appeal in the Superior Court preserving the City’s right to further appeal the Order to a panel of the Appeals Court. Additionally, the City filed an Emergency Motion for a Stay of the Court’s Order in the Superior Court. The Motion for a Stay requests that the Superior Court stay the Order pending the appeals.

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Steps to Starting Your Own Business Workshop Feb 24
Feb 14, 2020 – The City of Cambridge is holding a free workshop, Steps to Starting Your Own Business on Mon, Feb 24, from 5:30-7:30pm, at the City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway, 2nd floor, Cambridge.

Participants will learn about the steps to starting a business, the specifics of starting one in Cambridge, and the risks and rewards. The workshop will also provide an overview of available resources.

This workshop is a pre-requisite for the 10 Week Business Planning Program March 9 – May 18, on Mondays from 5:30-8:00pm. This 10-week course educates eligible Cambridge entrepreneurs about financing, marketing techniques, business plan development, and honing a business pitch. It provides participants with one-on-one assistance, expert advice, and networking opportunities. The course is free to eligible Cambridge residents and business owners. To check your eligibility and apply, visit CambridgeMA.gov/SmallBizCourse.

For more information, visit CambridgeMa.gov/business. To register, contact Rona Abrahams at 617-349-4637 or rabrahams@cambridgema.gov.

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Join us for Bike for Bites Winter Ride and Celebration!
Saturday, February 29, 8:30am-1:30pm     Meet at the Alewife T Station
Join the Cambridge Bicycle Committee for Bike for Bites, the first annual Winter Bike Ride and Winter Biking Celebration! Brave the cold for this winter ride while stopping at Cambridge cafes to warm up and taste their treats.

We will meet at the Alewife T Station at 8:30am and depart at 9:00am. The ride will end at Lamplighter Brewery at roughly 11:00am for a winter biking celebration and meet-up. Free Bluebikes passes will be provided for anyone without a bicycle!

Interested in winter biking, but not yet ready to hit the streets? Come by Lamplighter between 11:00am and 1:30pm to meet other winter bicyclists and exchange tips!

The ride will be cancelled in the event of poor weather.

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Cambridge Achieves 30 Percent Trash Reduction Milestone One Year Early
Feb 14, 2020 – In 2009, the City of Cambridge adopted a goal to reduce trash by 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, using 2008 as a baseline. Subsequently, the Department of Public Works (DPW) launched new programs and educational campaigns over the past decade to encourage residents to reconsider what they toss in the trash.

Today, Cambridge officials announced that the 30% trash reduction goal was achieved one year early. In 2019, the City of Cambridge reduced its trash reduction numbers by 32%, to 15.6 pounds per week per household, compared to 22.8 pounds per week per household in 2008.

“By adding new programs that encourage diverting items from the waste stream and enhancing our existing recycling programs, we’ve been able to achieve this ambitious goal ahead of schedule,” said Public Works Commissioner Owen O’Riordan. “I want to thank Cambridge residents and our Recycling Advisory Committee for their hard work in helping the city reduce the amount of trash we send to the landfill. It may take an extra minute or two to separate your items, but it’s worth the extra effort.”

Cambridge achieved this goal by improving curbside recycling, encouraging reduce and reuse practices, and enhancing opportunities to divert hard-to-recycle items such as electronics and textiles. Among the most impactful programs was Cambridge’s curbside compost program which expanded citywide in 2018 as part of recommendations from the city’s Zero Waste Master Plan. The compost program is accessible to more than 32,000 households in Cambridge. The curbside compost program has reduced trash by 7% and has substantially reduced the net greenhouse gas emissions of our waste programs. It also costs the city less money to dispose of food waste in the compost program than in the trash.

The Zero Waste Master Plan, which was developed to assist the City in achieving goals of reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions, also identified mattress recycling as a program that can help reduce trash. Launched in April 2019, the program has diverted more than 5,000 mattresses to date. Instead of going to a landfill, the mattresses are collected by UTEC (United Teen Equality Center), a nonprofit organization serving at-risk young adults, that picks up, deconstructs, and recycles mattresses. This new program reduced trash by 250,000 pounds in 2019.

Cambridge has also encouraged residents to utilize its Recycling Center, at 147 Hampshire Street, to drop off items that may be recycled, but cannot be collected curbside, such as electronics, plastic bags, and scrap metal.

“I’m incredibly proud of this achievement and the various efforts that DPW staff have deployed since 2009 that have contributed to the city meeting the 30% trash reduction goal ahead of schedule,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “This accomplishment highlights the city’s commitment to using data and evidence to drive strategic decisions to achieve goals set by the City Council. Without the help of our impassioned residents and the support of the City Council, this goal would not have been accomplished. I look forward to making strides outlined in our Zero Waste Master Plan to continue decreasing trash in Cambridge.”

“We’re thrilled that we could come together as a community to accomplish this goal,” said Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui. “Reducing waste is one of several ways Cambridge is working to help reduce our impact on climate change.”

Residents are encouraged to visit CambridgeMA.Gov/Recycle to learn more about how they may collaborate with the city on reducing trash. Stay tuned for opportunities coming this spring to help celebrate this milestone.

Cambridge Recycling Director Michael Orr inspects sorted recycling bales
with Kate Riley, Public Works Community Relations Manager

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Comment on DCR Mount Auburn St. Corridor Project
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is soliciting public comments on the Mount Auburn St. Corridor Project. Comments can be submitted online by visiting www.mass.gov/dcr/public-comments or by writing to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Office of Public Outreach, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114. Comments will be accepted through Tuesday, February 18, 2020.

For more information about the project, visit the project website at www.mass.gov/dcr/mt-auburn-corridor-study. If you have question or concerns or would like to subscribe to a DCR project-specific or general information listserv, please email mass.parks@state.ma.us or call 617-626-4973.

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City of Cambridge Tree Protection Ordinance Amendment Extended
Feb 13, 2020 – Effective Feb 10, 2019, the City Council has voted to extend the Tree Protection Ordinance Amendment requiring a permit to remove a “significant tree” on private property.

“Significant trees” have a trunk diameter of 8 inches or more (measured 4 feet above ground).

Permits will only be issued in the following circumstances:

• The tree is dead or dangerous;
• An emergency exists relative to public health, safety or welfare;
• Removal of the tree is necessary to complete a significant utility infrastructure project;
• Removing the tree may result in a healthier tree canopy;
• The tree poses a significant risk to an adjacent existing structure.

In each of these cases, a completed Permit Application Form and all associated documentation must be submitted to be considered for a permit. In the event a tree had to be removed due to an emergency situation prior to receiving a permit, an application must be submitted retroactively.

The extension of this ordinance amendment is valid until Dec 31, 2020 or until an additional amendment is put in place, whichever comes first.

For complete permit requirements, please visit the online permitting system.

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River Street Reconstruction – February 2020 Project Update
Work on the River Street Reconstruction and Carl Barron Plaza project continues in many areas.

Working group meeting postponed to March
Given that many of the project work items are still in progress, the project team has postponed the next working group meeting to March 24. This will allow the project team to make substantial progress on design work. The information for this meeting is as follows:
Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Doors open 5:45pm
Manning Apartments, 1st Floor Community Room, 237 Franklin Street

Public meeting planned for April
The project team is also working toward a public meeting in April to show the latest designs. This meeting will include corridor designs, traffic analysis, bus routings, and a few concepts for a redesigned Carl Barron Plaza. Stay tuned for updates on the topics and a save the date for this meeting.

Design updates – Carl Barron Plaza
Carl Barron Plaza is the public plaza space in front of Cambridge Savings Bank, Amazon, and the Holmes Building entrance. At the last meeting of the River Street Working Group in December, the working group came to consensus for looking at expanded plaza space. The main way to create a larger plaza is by changing bus routes and stop locations at the busway. The project team calls this new configuration the “Butterfly” design because of its butterfly shape. This design allows for more plaza space while keeping two well-used bus stops on the edges of an expanded plaza.

At the current time, the project team is creating a few distinct conceptual designs to bring to the public for comments. A specific design for the plaza is not yet selected.

To see some of the conceptual designs, view the slideshow from the last working group meeting.

Design updates – River Street corridor
Work to improve the design on the corridor continues. The project team is reviewing the River Street design at places where the street is narrow, evaluating daily use and maintenance. Some minor curb adjustments are expected.

At the same time, the project team is continuing to conduct detailed traffic analysis and modeling. This analysis and modeling will help the project team make sure that the new River Street will work for everybody no matter how they get around and will function to move people safely and efficiently.

The project team is also reviewing curbside access (loading, parking, etc.) along River Street. This review is to make sure that the River Street design meets curb access needs for people going to local businesses, residents, and visitors.

Exploring changes to bus routes and stop locations
We are discussing with the community and the MBTA shifting MBTA Route 64 from Magazine Street to River Street. Using River Street is a more direct route to Central Square. We are also discussing shifting Route 47 from Massachusetts Avenue to Green and Franklin Streets. Using Green and Franklin streets would allow for more plaza space at Carl Barron Plaza and make Route 47 more reliable.

The project team will share more information about these changes at upcoming project meetings. We are also planning to engage riders and the public in additional outreach efforts.

Work continues on public art on River Street
Ritsuko Taho is the artist for the River Street project. She is the original artist who created the “Multicultural Manifestos” artwork in Carl Barron Plaza. This artwork includes the “dream towers” and “dream wheels” in the plaza. The “Multicultural Manifestos” artwork will be removed from the plaza during the reconstruction process. The artist will then take elements of that work and create a new work that will be located in several places along the corridor. We hope to preview the new work at the next working group and public meeting.

Tell us how River Street works today on our questionnaire
The River Street Reconstruction project will renew infrastructure on and under River Street. This questionnaire’s goal is to hear what you feel and think about River Street today. By taking this questionnaire, you will help the project team think about how to design the street. We will also use your answers to compare what people think and feel before and after our reconstruction project.

This survey takes between 5 to 10 minutes. Take the River Street survey.

Project web page with meeting materials and other useful information.

For more information on this project or to be added to the project email list, please visit: cambridgema.gov/riverstreet. If you have any questions about this project or upcoming meetings, contact the River Street Reconstruction team by e-mail at riverstreet@cambridgema.gov. You may also contact Bill Deignan at wdeignan@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4632.

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Cambridge Black History Month Celebration February 26
Feb 10, 2020 – In celebration of Black History Month, the City of Cambridge Employees’ Committee on Diversity will hold a reception featuring art by local black artists, the unveiling of the 2020 Black History Month postage stamp, and a presentation by Dr. Manisha Sinha on black womens’ roles in the suffrage movement Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 5-7:30pm, at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.

The evening will also include remarks by Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Louis A. DePasquale.

Manisha Sinha is the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut and a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University for this academic year.

A leading authority on the history of slavery and abolition and the Civil War and Reconstruction, Dr. Sinha was born in India and received her Ph.D from Columbia University where her dissertation was nominated for the Bancroft prize. She is the author of The Counterrevolution of Slavery: Politics and Ideology in Antebellum South Carolina, which was named one of the 10 best books on slavery in Politico in 2015 and recently featured in The New York Times’ 1619 Project. She is also the author of The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition (2016) which won the Frederick Douglass Book Prize and was long listed for the National Book Award for Non Fiction. In 2016, she was named one of the top 25 women in higher education by the journal Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

This talk will illuminate the forgotten origins of the women’s suffrage movement in the abolition movement and reconsider the break between abolitionists and some feminists after the Civil War. It will show how the Reconstruction constitutional amendments opened a path to women’s suffrage and the Nineteenth Amendment. Despite black disfranchisement, the Nineteenth Amendment eventually paved the way for black women to emerge as the most progressive voting block in American politics.

[Event Flyer] [Event Program]

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Renew Your Resident Parking Permit for 2020 Now to Avoid Delays Later
Feb 7, 2020 – The renewal season for 2020 Resident/Visitor Parking Permits for the City of Cambridge is in process from Jan 2 – Mar 31, 2020. Please note that 2019 Resident and Visitor Permits are valid through Mar 31, 2020.

Residents who have a current Resident or Visitor Parking Permit have the option of renewing their permit(s) online at CambridgeMA.gov/parking-permits. Online applications can take up to three weeks for processing and delivery, so please plan accordingly, keeping in mind the March 31 expiration date for 2019 permits.

Permits can also be renewed by mail using the application available at CambridgeMA.gov/parking-permits or in person during regular hours at the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department, 344 Broadway, Cambridge, Monday: 8:30am-8:00pm, Tuesday-Thursday: 8:30am-5:00pm, Friday: 8:30am-12:00pm.

The featured photo on the 2020 Permit is of Little Fresh Pond by Judy Silvan.

For more information, visit CambridgeMA.gov/parking-permits.

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City of Cambridge to Celebrate Five Year Anniversary of Domestic & Gender-Based Violence Prevention Initiative Feb 26
Feb 5, 2020 – The City of Cambridge and its community partners will celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Prevention Initiative (DGBVPI) Wed, Feb 26, from 4-6pm, at the Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Avenue. The event, which is free and open to the public, will include welcome remarks from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, City Manager Louis A. DePasquale, Deputy City Manager Lisa C. Peterson, State Representative Marjorie Decker, and Transition House’s Community Liaison Shameka Gregory. Light refreshments will be served.

The theme of the event – Many Partnerships, One Initiative – will include a showcase of the major projects and work the DGBVPI has accomplished to prevent and respond to domestic and gender-based violence in Cambridge. This will include a “speed meeting” poster session, where members of the community can walk around and engage in conversations with local community partners and service providers about:

• Cambridge Police Department’s trauma-informed law enforcement initiative and training;
• Examining racial justice within the Initiative’s Steering Committee;
• Training, protocol development, advocacy, and supportive housing through the Cambridge Housing Authority and Transition House partnership;
• Creation of The Sexual Assault Response Team, a collaboration between the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and Cambridge Police to better coordinate citywide response to sexual assault;
• Educating and engaging youth to promote healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence;
• Engaging men in prevention efforts, including the work of Mending Cambridge, a group of men in the city dedicated to taking an active role in preventing domestic and gender-based violence;
• Community outreach through the Community Engagement Team;
• Preventing elder abuse through Transition House’s advocacy and services; and
• Citywide trainings on domestic violence prevention and response.

Cambridge has a long history of domestic violence prevention, including the historic resolution to declare the city as a Domestic Violence Free Zone in 1994. Building on this groundbreaking effort and with leadership from State Representative Marjorie Decker (then Cambridge City Councillor), in 2011, the city hosted a Domestic violence summit to stimulate interest in revitalizing Cambridge’s work to prevent domestic violence and undertook a 21 Days of Questions/365 Days of Action Campaign to engage the Cambridge community on questions they had about domestic violence. The campaign led to the official establishment of the Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Prevention Initiative.

“Since its creation, the Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Prevention Initiative has been engaging and mobilizing the entire Cambridge community to prevent and bring attention to domestic and gender-based violence,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “Under the leadership of Elizabeth Speakman, the Initiative’s coordinator, Cambridge has emerged as a leader in providing training and building collaborations to ensure we are creating and fostering compassionate and supportive environments for survivors.”

“We are proud that the City of Cambridge is so fully committed to preventing domestic and gender-based violence and ensuring survivors can get support when they need it,” said Elizabeth Speakman, Coordinator of the Initiative. “This event will recognize the tremendous work of our community partners and the city leadership, while imagining what is possible in the future and hopefully inspiring other communities.”

For more information, contact Elizabeth Speakman, espeakman@cambridgema.gov.

About the Cambridge Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Prevention Initiative
The Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Prevention Initiative (DGBVPI) engages and mobilizes Cambridge’s communities, agencies, and city departments to change attitudes, behaviors, policies, and practices to prevent and bring attention to domestic and gender-based violence.

In collaboration with community leaders, local agencies, and interested citizens, the DGBVPI develops and provides accessible, safe, and relevant strategies and resources to prevent and respond to domestic violence in Cambridge. Services include training, consultation, building collaborations across various sectors in Cambridge, and coordination of systems of change in order to ensure compassionate and supportive environments for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence across the city.