Boston needs a mayor who listens to residents
Joan Vennochi’s column, “Wu’s fumble on White Stadium” (Opinion, April 25), is very welcomed by residents opposing Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s dictatorial repurposing of White Stadium, as well as the many other issues in which Wu’s governance model is to ignore objections and opinions of those her plans will impact.
Since last fall, many of us were caught unaware by another of Wu’s grand visions as put forth in her “Speed Humps Policy and Design Directive.” Wu and her transportation Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge have decided not to include the communities where, in the next two years, “100 miles of streets” will sprout about 500 speed humps, and doubling down on her edict, declared, “Instead of asking residents to nominate their street for traffic-calming, we will work proactively to add speed humps on all eligible streets, in every neighborhood.” And, in case you missed the point, they note “we will not be able to host or attend community meetings about their design.” No discussion, no conversations, no concerns aired or heard; the Wu grand vision team will simply tell the residents of Boston what’s good for them.
In the past 50 years, I have never experienced such a brash disregard for citizens’ rights and the outright obstruction of meaningful participation on an issue so severely impactful to a neighborhood’s quality of life.
Clearly Mayor Wu feels she’s been given a mandate to do as she deems “right,” be it to repurpose White Stadium, major city roadway redesigns, or miles of speed hump installation. Boston needs a mayor not a dictator.
ANASTASIA LYMAN
Jamaica Plain