Join WalkMass and WalkBike Worcester at Union Station for a walk on May 23 at 5:30pm!

Join WalkMass and WalkBike Worcester at Union Station for a walk on May 23 at 5:30pm!

We look forward to seeing you on May 23rd at 5:30pm for our latest walk!

What: WalkMass – 2024 Bob Sloane Walk (Worcester)
When: May 23, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Where: starting at Union Station (2 Washington Sq, Worcester, MA 01604)
Price: Free, but donations are welcome to support our work.
RSVP here: https://www.givesignup.org/TicketEvent/BobSloaneWalk2024

Each spring, we lead a free walk with a ~1-1.5 mile route that includes ~2-4 stops along the way where we hear from a guest speaker. We start or end near public transit, and usually end at a place where people can mingle/have a drink if they’d like to continue conversations. This year’s Spring kickoff walk will be in Worcester in conjunction with WalkBike Worcester and start at Union Station (2 Washington Sq, Worcester, MA 01604).

Route description (updated 5/22):

  • This year’s route will start at Union Station with a welcome from Brendan Kearney (WalkMassachusetts) and Karin Valentine Goins (WalkBike Worcester). We’ll also hear from Soloe Dennis (Worcester Department of Public Health), recent department winner of a Golden Shoe Award. 
  • We will head towards Worcester City Hall where we’ll hear from Steve Rolle (Department of Transportation & Mobility) who will speak here about Main Street project and Complete Streets policy. Of note: the Worcester Mobility Action Plan Draft just went out for public comment/review.
  • We’ll stop by Worcester Public Library, the site of a new Miyawaki Forest (on what was previously 8 parking spots) where we’ll hear from staff from the Department of Sustainability & Resilience. 
  • We’ll continue to Green Street and past the site of Worcester Public Market to hear about the reconstruction of the notorious Kelley Square intersection from Tom Emerick (MassDOT) and Erin Thompson (VHB).
  • We’ll end at a restaurant nearby (El Patron, 192 Harding St, Worcester, MA 01604) where you can grab a drink or a bite to eat at their outdoor space and continue to chat with fellow attendees. We’ll head indoors to Wachusett Brew Yard is there is inclement weather. 
  • The walk route is fully accessible, and we will have a small portable PA system to try and ensure that each speaker can be heard by the entire group. We have tried to identify speaker spots near plazas or wide sidewalks where we can gather closer to the speaker.
  • View a PNG image of this route.

Getting there via the MBTA Commuter Rail: As of 4/17/2024, the 4pm train from South Station arrives to Worcester ~5:25pm. If someone comes on the next train, they can meet us on the route that we’ll share in advance on this page. Trains headed back to Boston at 7:55pm & 8:55pm would allow you to take part in the walk and have a drink or food at the end of the walk. We encourage you to use public transportation, walk, or bike to the start so that it is easy for you to head out afterwards. There are also parking lots available in/around the area of our route. 

This walk is in honor of Bob Sloane. Bob was a co-founder of WalkBoston (now WalkMassachusetts) and passed away in May 2021. He was a true pioneer in walking advocacy and a pillar of our organization, and we honor his legacy by hosting a walk each year in his name. Updates will be available on this blog post & sent to all registered attendees before the event.

We hope to see you on 5/23 at 5:30pm; sign up today!

PS: While we will be using a slightly different route, you might enjoy looking back at a write up after a walk we organized in 2015:

Worcester: Strengthened relationships to ensure Main St. project works for walkers Hillary Borcherding
Forty people joined WalkBoston, WalkBike Worcester, and co-hosts in a walk from Union Station to the Blackstone Tap. Steve Rolle of the City of Worcester kicked off the event by discussing Union Station’s transformation into a multimodal facility. At McGrath Boulevard, Heather Gould of Economic Development spoke about streetscape improvements and the Blackstone Valley’s Bikeway. Allen Fletcher from the Canal District Alliance spoke of his personal walking route and the joy of getting to know his neighborhood on foot. Finally, the City’s Phil Neddrie described Union Hill improvements and the public-private partnerships revitalizing the neighborhood. Beyond a great event, this was an opportunity to deepen the relationship between advocates and the City. People shared their hunger for a vibrant, walkable North Main Street, which is currently under design for construction. For the past two years, WalkBike Worcester has advocated for fewer vehicle lanes, more room for walking, bike lanes, and safer ways for pedestrians to cross. Thanks to this work, the Worcester walk and the MassDOT Road Safety Audit, MassDOT now recommends a narrower three-vehicle lane option [vs. the current four/two each way]. Indications look favorable that the City will follow this recommendation. 

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