Author: WalkBoston

Walking around the Woburn Common

Walking around the Woburn Common

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WalkBoston participated in a MassDOT Road Safety Audit yesterday around the Woburn Common. Few pedestrians venture to the beautiful common due to the long crossing distances, complicated vehicular turning movements, and unpredictable driver behavior. Drivers, focused on maneuvering through multiple lanes of traffic, often neglect to check the crosswalks for people walking before accelerating into their lane. The group talked about short-, mid-, and long-term improvements to make the area safer for all road users. Plans are in the works to totally rethink the way people move around the common.

Pedestrian pavement markings in Marblehead

Pedestrian pavement markings in Marblehead

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 A simple reminder to people walking to “stop, look and wave” to drivers before entering a crosswalk in downtown Marblehead can help keep people safe and remind everyone of their role in reducing traffic injuries and fatalities. Marblehead sees many visitors in the summer months who may be unfamiliar with the local traffic patterns. Eye contact between people walking and driving can reduce confusion and ensure that drivers stop before people enter a crosswalk.

Route 114 in Salem – Painted roundabouts at work!

Route 114 in Salem – Painted roundabouts at work!

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We visited Salem to scout out WalkBoston’s next walk audit route and were thrilled to see big changes along a previous walk audit route. Drivers used to use a “barge and block” strategy to enter the Route 114 (Summer Street/Norman Street) and Chestnut Street intersection. Now, a painted traffic circle regularizes drivers’ movements and provides crosswalks, flex posts and signage for people walking between the historic district and downtown.  WalkBoston would love to hear how the new design is making all road users safer! Check out our 2014 walk audit report for the recommendations proposed for this intersection.

Springfield Built Environment Study – Fall 2019

Springfield Built Environment Study – Fall 2019

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Between April 2013 to September 2017, WalkBoston conducted twelve walk audits in Springfield, Massachusetts. Seven of these walk audits were conducted around public schools as part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Mass in Motion (MiM) program. The other five were neighborhood walk audits funded through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS). After each walk audit, WalkBoston created and shared a report assessing safety, accessibility and comfort for people walking in these areas, and included short- and long-term suggestions for how the City of Springfield could make improvements along these walking routes. This study tracks the progress of WalkBoston’s recommendations in subsequent years, seeking to understand which factors made the City more likely to implement recommendations. The purpose of this study is to assess how WalkBoston can direct its efforts and project the success of different types of recommendations.

SpringfieldWalkingEnvironmentEvaluationFall2019

Belmont: Peer Review of Complete Streets Prioritization Plan Project List

Belmont: Peer Review of Complete Streets Prioritization Plan Project List

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In August 2019, WalkBoston conducted a peer review of the Town of Belmont’s Complete Streets Prioritization Plan (CSPP) Project List at the request of the Town Administrator’s Office. We reviewed the proposed recommendations, observed pedestrian and vehicular traffic patterns, and noted any possible additional fixes that could be made to further improve the walking environment. The memorandum linked below summarizes our understanding of the goals of the project list, describes our project review methodology, and summarizes our findings and recommendations from our site walks. It also includes a map showing the routes we walked to reach each proposed project location. Finally, the table below includes detailed comments about each proposed project location.