Replace arterial street parking with sidewalks and bike lanes

The idea

Convert street parking on major arterial roads into both 1) an expanded sidewalk, and 2) protected bicycle lanes on both roadway sides, in respective directions

Who it helps and why

Low income communities are disproportionately burdened by either the cost of vehicle purchase and maintenance or forced to walk, underserved by the MBTA (particularly in Roxbury). Expansion of the sidewalk into half of what is currently street parking, with the other half being reserved for a protected bike lane, would provide safer commutes to low income residents; it would also reduce the risk of fatal traffic accidents, which are 4x (four times) as likely to occur in minority neighborhoods per StreetsBlog, 2026. Currently, most sidewalks outside downtown are not wide enough for two parents with strollers to pass side by side, moreso when considering street light infrastructure placed in sidewalk right of way.