Mary Skelton Roberts is a co-director Climate, focusing on transportation and land use—two critical levers for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Her portfolio aims to modernize our transit systems and to help communities transform themselves into more walkable, connected places where all residents have attractive alternatives to driving and spend far less time and money traveling by car.
Making Our Streets Work for Everyone
Boston set to create its first “Complete Street”
Proving it Pays to Walk
A conversation between Barr’s Mary Skelton Roberts and Chris Leinberger, lead author of a new report on Walkable Urban Places (a.k.a. “WalkUPs”), a promising pathway to a more vibrant, equitable, and low-carbon region.
Join the Conversation about Boston’s Transportation Future
What’s your question about getting around Boston in the future? Go Boston 2030 is a new campaign to shape the future of how people get around our city.
Why Not Go for Gold in Boston?
Over the last year, Barr has sponsored a study group of Boston transportation, development, and community leaders to explore whether Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) could be viable here.
A Broader View of Community Transformation
To the benefit of the communities they serve, many nonprofits take a broader view of their work than their funders.
What If We Focus on Moving People, Not Vehicles?
Recently a group from Boston took a learning tour to Mexico City to get a firsthand look at its world-class transportation network. A new video offers highlights from the trip and inspiration for Boston and other modern cities looking for better ways to get more people where they want to go more quickly, efficiently, and safely.
Study Probes Consequences of Poor Transportation Options on Low-income Latinos
A new study takes a deep look at the heavy toll of poor transportation options on one of the fastest growing populations in Massachusetts – low-income Latinos - and it recommends a path towards change that means greater prosperity for them and for low-income and working families across the state.
Active, Healthy, Ready to Learn (and Fighting Climate Change) with Safe Routes to School
In 1969, about half of all American children walked or biked to school. Of those living within a mile from school, 87% walked or biked. Today, less than 15% do.
Finding the "just" in climate change
In all of its work, Barr is guided by a vision for a vibrant, just, and sustainable world, with hopeful futures for children. In Barr's climate change portfolio, the applications of "vibrant" and "sustainable" are clear—but articulating how this work is also about creating a more "just" world can be more elusive.
All Things Not Being Equal: Equity, Race, and Metro Boston
What is the state of the American dream in Metro Boston? A new report takes a piercing look at how much the answer to that question still depends on race.