Bitsy Perlman

About Bitsy:

I moved to Brookline in 2009 to attend school. I've rented in several different Brookline neighborhoods since then; I’ve been in Emerson Garden/Brookline Village since 2019. Bicycling has been my primary mode of transportation for over 15 years. My perspective on Brookline is from the point of view of a cyclist, walker, and T rider. 

I think about transportation policy as a member of the Shared Mobility Advisory Board (I think a lot about the 66 now!) and am part of an urban planning book club. I’ve attended Temple Sinai for over a decade. For work, I study science and innovation policy. I graduated from BU with an Economics PhD in 2016.

My priorities as a Town Meeting Member include:

I am running for reelection to continue shaping our town and future together and to continue to engage with my neighbors and my neighborhood.

• I care about the built environment. I want the town to continue to thrive by welcoming new neighbors and businesses to town, by supporting new amenities, and by focusing on transportation for people. I wish to see Brookline grow into a place that reflects the best American values -- in particular, I worry about a "Palo Alto-ification" path: a homogenization of the town, where only the wealthiest can afford to live and where the only businesses are banks and high-end restaurants. Supporting local communities and environmental goals means investing in dense, walkable places where more people can afford to live and more businesses can find locations to grow.
  I have been working on creating a safer transportation environment for public transportation users, pedestrians, and cyclists. 

• As a member of the Shared Mobility Advisory Committee, I focus on helping the 66 function smoothly (I recognize this is an impossible task, but we should try!) and on supporting pedestrians (what bus riders become when not on the bus) and Bluebike users. We are working toward  a transportation environment that encourages -- and is safe for -- pedestrians and cyclists by reducing street widths, particularly at intersections, adding more crossings, more raised crossings, and more protected bike lanes.

• I want Brookline to be a town that welcomes new people in more ways than just providing them with housing (though that is the most important), safe transportation, and workplaces. We should make policy that reflects our desire to support many types of people from many different cultures, who are at many different life stages, and who choose many different ways to pursue flourishing.
  
  
  

Email me at bitsy.brookline@gmail.com 

Find me on BlueSky at bitsyperlman.bsky.social

Endorsed by Brookline for Everyone and Progressive Brookline.