New resource announcement: “How to Report A Problem” in your community

Improving walking conditions in your community is much easier when you know who to talk to about solving problems. In an effort to make this process easier, WalkBoston has developed an interactive map of Massachusetts with guidance about finding the right person to talk to for all of the state’s 351 municipalities. 

The map includes links to several pieces of information for each community: online reporting tools where they exist; a link to a state map showing who owns every road; MassDOT Highway District offices, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) regional offices, regional planning agencies, and regional transit authorities. The new web page contains guidance on who to contact about a problem. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find the right person who can help you–please be persistent. Your concern is worth their attention!

The map will continue to evolve over time. If we learn of a new local reporting system, we will add the link to the webpage. If you find that we are missing a particular reporting resource, you can use the form at the bottom of the new webpage to let us know. We appreciate your contributions to making this tool more useful.  

The creation of this resource was inspired by our connection with travel trainers and family caregivers through our age-friendly communities work. The people we spoke with were well aware of infrastructure problems which negatively impacted their clients and family members, but did not know how to start getting them fixed. Our work with the travel trainers and family caregivers is supported by an Age-Friendly Walking grant funded by Point32Health. WalkBoston hopes that this resource will make it easier for people to make positive changes in their communities. 

Everyone deserves to live in a safe, accessible, walkable community!