Status of Winning PB4 Projects
The $867,000 in FY19 capital funds for the seven winning projects from the fourth PB cycle became available on July 1, 2018. The graphic below displays the status of each project as of June 2, 2021. Check out a map of the completed projects here. We'll continue to update this information as more work is completed.
- Flashing Crosswalks for Safer Streets: The City has installed nine new rectangular rapid flashing beacons at: Mass Ave / Norfolk St, Mass Ave / Day St, Mass Ave / Pearl St, Brattle St / Brattle St, Western Ave / Hews St, Mass Ave / Magoun St, Mass Ave / Goldstar Road, Mass Ave / Allen St, Mass Ave / Church St
What is PB all about?
Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process through which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. The City hopes that PB will help directly involve residents in the budgeting and City-building process, foster civic engagement and community spirit, and help ensure that the City’s Capital Plan reflects the priorities of Cambridge residents.
The fourth Participatory Budgeting (PB) cycle in Cambridge will run from May-December 2017. This time, the City will set aside $800,000 of the FY19 Budget for one-time capital projects to improve the community. Winning projects from past PB cycles include a public toilet in Central Square, solar panels for the Main Library roof, bike repair stations, a freezer van for prepared food rescue, water bottle fill stations, bilingual books for children learning English, and many others.
After community members brainstorm project ideas in June and July, volunteer Budget Delegates will research and develop those ideas into formal project proposals from August through November. Proposals that are vetted by City staff and approved by the City Manager will appear on a PB ballot in December for a public vote. Winning projects will be included in the FY19 Capital Budget for adoption.
PB Cycle 4 Timeline
- Planning, recruitment of OUTREACH COMMITTEE (May 2017)
- Community members brainstorm and submit IDEAS (June 1-July 31, 2017)
- Volunteer Budget Delegates turn ideas into concrete project PROPOSALS (August-November 2017)
- City staff vet proposals for FEASIBILITY and COST (November 2017)
- Residents VOTE on which projects they’d like the City to fund (December 2-8, 2017)
- RESULTS are announced and winning projects are included in the City’s FY19 Capital Budget (December 2017)
- Projects are IMPLEMENTED (July 1, 2018 onward)
Idea Collection
To read about all of the ideas that were submitted in the fourth cycle, please click the map below:
Proposal Development
From August-November, 50+ Budget Delegates will work in five committees to research, assess, and prioritize all of the submitted ideas and ultimately develop the following 20 final proposals for the December 2017 PB ballot. Read the 2017 Budget Delegate Guide to find out more about the proposal development process.
- Drinking Water Across More Parks ($100,000)
- Benches for a Walkable City ($25,000)
- Enhancements to the Central Square Library ($72,500)
- Critical Resource Kits for the Homeless ($50,000)
- New Musical Instruments for CRLS ($200,000)
- Upgrade the Gately Youth Center ($100,000)
- Public WiFi for Inman Square and Russell Field ($20,000)
- Urban Bicycle Wash Stations ($20,000)
- Sheltered Bike Parking at the Main Library ($90,000)
- Flashing Crosswalks for Safer Streets ($176,000)
- Digital Bike Counters with Open Data ($90,000)
- Bicycle Safety for Cambridge Youth ($95,000)
- Make Our Playgrounds Fun for All Ages & Abilities ($200,000)
- Making Danehy Friendlier and Healthier ($140,000)
- Murals to Inspire Cambridge Youth ($75,000)
- Interactive Conversation Benches ($60,000)
- Drive on Superpower: Electric Vehicle Charging ($165,000)
- Jade Chain: Living Moss Walls to Combat Pollution ($100,000)
- 100 Trees for a Cleaner, Greener Cambridge ($141,000)
- Smarter Cleanup for a Smart City ($80,000)
PB4 Vote
The fourth Participatory Budgeting Vote was held from December 2-8, 2017. During this time, 6,778 Cambridge residents age 12 and older, including non-US citizens and university students, were able to vote for up to 5 PB projects on the ballot. Voting took place online and in-person at 30+ voting events around the city.
The following 7 projects won a total of $867,000 in FY19 funding:
- 100 Trees for a Cleaner, Greener Cambridge ($141,000)
- Critical Resource Kits for the Homeless ($50,000)
- Flashing Crosswalks for Safer Streets ($176,000)
- Drinking Water Across More Parks ($100,000)
- New Musical Instruments for CRLS ($200,000)
- Jade Chain: Living Moss Walls to Combat Pollution ($100,000)
- Upgrade the Gately Youth Center ($100,000)
For a complete breakdown of the PB4 voting results, please click here.
Winning projects will be included in the City's FY19 Capital Budget. Implementation will take place during FY19, which runs from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. We'll post updates about project implementation on this page and in our blog, so please stay tuned!
