Your Guide to Green and Complete Streets in Devens
Devens Forward is committed to making our streets greener, safer, and healthier. A major part of this commitment is the implementation of our Green and Complete Streets Policy. In this blog post, we want to share the vision and goals of the policy, as well as the projects and initiatives we intend to pursue.
The Green and Complete Streets Policy: What You Need to Know
The vision: to provide the Devens community with safe and accessible roadways, trails, and transit systems for all pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, motorists, commercial vehicles, and emergency vehicles. This “Complete Streets” vision is strategically combined with our environmental goals, As a result, not only are we aiming for safety and accessibility, but also sustainability through Green Street design elements such as green stormwater infrastructure, shade trees, the use of recycled materials, and porous pavements. These design elements serve to ultimately protect and create a healthier natural and social environment, improve air and water quality, and reduce localized flooding.
The plan: the Green and Complete Streets Policy will further the improved multi-modal accommodation and sustainable development goals of the Devens Reuse Plan, is consistent with state and local public health and safety mandates, and will promote the goals identified in the Devens Enterprise Commission 2013 resolution “Planning for a Healthier Future Through the Built Environment and Community Design” and the 2020 Devens Forward Climate Action and Resilience Plan.
The actions: Green and Complete Streets will be integrated into policies, planning, and design of all types of public and private projects, including new construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, repair, and maintenance of new and existing streets. The following are examples of how we’ll realize this policy across community operations:
- The Devens Department of Public Works will apply Green and Complete Streets principles for routine roadway maintenance and repair projects to the maximum extent feasible.
- MassDevelopment and the Devens Enterprise Commission shall work in coordination to implement the Devens Green and Complete Streets policy across all departments in Devens, with multi-jurisdictional cooperation, among the surrounding towns of Ayer, Harvard and Shirley, private developers; and state, regional, and federal agencies to achieve Green and Complete Streets.
- Devens will continue to review and update its procedures, rules, regulations, guidelines, programs, and templates to integrate Green and Complete Streets principles in all projects on streets, as well as potential off-road trails and paths.
- Devens will maintain a comprehensive inventory of pedestrian and bicycle facility infrastructure that will prioritize projects to eliminate gaps in the sidewalk and bikeway network and provide opportunities for expansion, extensions, and connections within Devens, as well as with the surrounding communities of Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley.
- We have partnered with the US Environmental Protection Agency's EPA Smartways Program to maximize efficiencies of freight operations and reduce traffic congestion, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our supply chains and improving local air quality at the same time.
- Expanding the Devens Shuttle service to provide residents and businesses with greater flexibility commuting within and to and from Devens.
What You Can Do
Excited to see greener and safer streets in Devens? Well, YOU can be a part of the effort! Take on one or more of the actions below to do YOUR part in making Devens healthy and sustainable.
- Explore green transportation options
- Set up a carpool commute with a coworker
- Bike, walk, or take public transit instead of driving to work
- Explore green infrastructure options for your property (or street!)
Interested in learning more? Reach out to the Devens Enterprise Commission: 978.772.8831