Boston's Livable Streets Alliance Board Member and Executive Director of the New England Healthy Weight Initiative at the Harvard School of Public Health Steve Miller came to Fall River Government Center on February 27, 2014, to make the case for Complete Streets, designed to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Invited by Fall River Mass In Motion Coordinator Julianne Kelly and Fall River Mayor William Flanagan, Miller made the case for improving streets for more than use by vehicles. Describing streets as public spaces, he noted that vehicles should not be seen as their only user. He suggested experimenting with ways of calming traffic and opening streets to alternative uses for pedestrians, bikers and others. He also urged the adoption of a Complete Streets policy in local government to ensure that streets are designed with multiple users in mind. Mass in Motion is working along with the Fall River Bicycle Committee to promote bicycle and pedestrian traffic throughout the City as a way of improving the health of residents. Mass in Motion has sponsored other efforts to make Fall River more bicycle-friendly. Click here for an hour and twenty-minute video of  Miller's presentation. Click here for the presentation slides. For more information contact Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julianne Kelly, at 508-324-2405.
 

(Top row) Presentation attendees sign in, including BCC student intern Zainab Abbas, BCC faculty member Janice Velozo, and Fall River Bicycle Committee members Jim Cusick and Bruce Souza. (Row two) Fall River Mayor William Flanagan praises Julie Kelly for the work she has done to address environmental changes that enhance the quality of life in the City before she introduces Steve Miller. (Row three) Miller talks about how local citizens can work to transform their community into one that enhances pedestrian and bicycle use over design solely for automobile traffic. (Bottom row) Ms. Kelly takes comments from the audience and then speaks with Fall River resident Ed Luz who is strongly supportive of Miller's recommendations.