PB Cycle 6

The $1,125,000 in FY21 capital funds for the eight winning projects from the sixth PB cycle became available on July 1, 2020. The graphic below displays the status of each project. The budget Office will continue to update this information as more work is completed.

Project Installation Details:

Keeping Cambridge Clean: Public Works has installed fourteen new Big Belly double-stations (trash & recycle). These units have been installed on Cambridge Street between Prospect and First Streets.
Make the City Bloom with a Habitat Corridor: Public Works has completed installation of plantings along the divider on Aberdeen Avenue. Additional funds for the project were used to plant pollinator gardens along the median at Mass. Ave. and Cedar Street, as well as the Watson Lot Open Space project! This project was completed in October 2022. All leftover funds will be used to plant pollinator gardens at CRLS.
7,602 Cambridge residents age 12+ voted --the most votes yet in a PB process in Cambridge.

Many thanks to our Outreach Committee, Budget Delegates, and other volunteers who worked hard to spread the word!

The following 8 projects won $1,125,000 in FY21 Capital Funding:

1. Close the Canopy ($200,000)
2. Water Bottle Filling Stations for the Major Squares ($150,000)
3. Laundry Access in Public Schools ($50,000)
4. Pedestrian-Controlled Crosswalk Lights ($150,000)
5. Extend Outdoor WiFi ($50,000)
6. Make the City Bloom with a Habitat Corridor ($75,000)
7. Keeping Cambridge Clean ($100,000)
8. Public Bathroom ($350,000)

For a breakdown of the voting results, please see the table below. Special thanks to the City Manager for fully funding the eight projects!

 

Rank	Project	Cost	Votes	Cumulative Cost
1.	Close the Canopy	$200,000	4,630	$200,000
2.	Water Bottle Filling Stations for the Major Squares	$150,000	3,284	$350,000
3.	Laundry Access in Public Schools	$50,000	2,587	$400,000
4.	Pedestrian-Controlled Crosswalk Lights	$150,000	2,440	$550,000
5.	Extend Outdoor WiFi	$50,000	2,275	$600,000
6.	Make the City Bloom with a Habitat Corridor	$75,000	2,271	$675,000
7.	Keeping Cambridge Clean	$100,000	2,173	$775,000
8.	Public Bathroom	$350,000	1,969	$1,125,000
9.	Upgrade the Moses Youth Center	$95,000	1,953
10.	Because Benches Make Life a Little Easier	$150,000	1,907
11.	Open Our Doors	$175,000	1,662
12.	More Bluebike Stations Near Affordable Housing	$180,000	1,583
13.	Lift & Lounge in the Park	$90,000	1,289
14.	Greener City Fleet	$80,000	1,288
15.	Better Bike Parking for Students and Families	$155,000	1,216
16.	Traffic Calming via Speedometer Signs	$150,000	1,126
17.	My Court - Basketball Court Upgrades	$250,000	1,120
18.	Public Art: Commemorating Local Cambridge Activism	$125,000	930
19.	Canine Comforts	$100,000	678
20.	Private Space for Nursing Parents	$60,000	471

 

Thank you to our extraordinary volunteers, facilitators, City of Cambridge staff, and all the other residents and participants who helped make the City's sixth PB process a success!

The sixth Participatory Budgeting Vote was from December 1-8, 2019. 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. This year the City set aside $1,000,000 for capital projects to improve the community!

Winning projects will be included in the City's FY21 Capital Budget.

* All 6th graders are eligible to vote.

(Click each project for a longer description)

• Better Bike Parking for Students and Families ($155,000)
• Canine Comforts ($100,000)
• Keeping Cambridge Clean ($100,000)
• Because Benches Make Life A Little Easier ($150,000)
• Public Bathroom ($350,000)
• Laundry Access in Public Schools ($50,000)
• Water Bottle Filling Stations for the Major Squares ($150,000)
• Extend Outdoor WiFi ($50,000)
• More Bluebike Stations Near Affordable Housing ($180,000)
• Traffic Calming via Speedometer Signs ($150,000)
• Close the Canopy ($200,000)
• Lift & Lounge in the Park ($90,000)
• Pedestrian-Controlled Crosswalk Lights ($150,000)
• My Court – basketball court upgrades ($250,000)
• Open our Doors ($175,000)
• Public Art: Commemorating Local Cambridge Activism ($125,000)
• Private space for nursing parents ($60,000)
• Make the City Bloom with a Habitat Corridor ($75,000)
• Greener City Fleet ($80,000)
• Upgrade the Moses Youth Center ($95,000)
  (Projects listed in random order)

From August-November, 40+ Budget Delegates worked in five committees to research, assess, and prioritize all of the submitted ideas and ultimately develop the following 20 final proposals for the December 2019 PB ballot. Read the 2019 Budget Delegate Guide to find out more about the proposal development process.

• Planning/recruitment of OUTREACH TEAM (May 2019)
• Community members brainstorm and submit IDEAS (June 1-July 31, 2019)
• Volunteer Budget Delegates turn ideas into concrete project PROPOSALS (August-November 2019)
• City staff vet proposals for FEASIBILITY and COST (November 2019)
• Residents VOTE on which projects they’d like the City to fund (December 1-8, 2019)
• RESULTS are announced and winning projects are included in the City’s FY21 Capital Budget (December 10, 2019)
• Projects are IMPLEMENTED (July 1, 2020 onward)