Author: WalkMassachusetts

Walking related books for your holiday shopping needs

Walking related books for your holiday shopping needs

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It’s the holiday season! We pulled together a list of books that you might consider for your gift giving needs, including from authors who have talked at WalkBoston events. We encourage you to buy books from your local bookstore, or find a store near you via Bookshop. At the bottom, we’ve included a list of a few Massachusetts bookstores you might consider supporting in person or through their online ordering form.

Books (listed alphabetically by author first name)

Books for kids (or the young at heart) on your list

Bookstores (listed alphabetically)

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, October 2022

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, October 2022

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Each month, we post about the fatal crashes in Massachusetts from the previous month, and share any trends that we see. For the full list of monthly posts, head here. Earlier this year, we released a year in review for 2021 to highlight common issues.

Last month, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in September; ten were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in October 2022. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Crash Information.” Any Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 40 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in October in the MassDOT Crash portal, 12 were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in October was 50.75.
  • There were at least five arrests made in connection to October’s fatal pedestrian crashes. In at least two of the crashes, drivers left the scene and were later arrested; a driver was arrested for operating under the influence, resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer; a driver was arrested for unlicensed operation; and a dirt bike rider was arrested for several motor vehicle offenses.
Date 10/1/2022, 2:29 AM
Location I-93 SOUTH, MM 12.4
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 34
Sex M

MassLive reports that 34-year old Christian Yemga was struck and killed after he was struck on I-93 after his own car struck a guardrail and became disabled, prompting him to exit the vehicle. The driver of the car that struck him stopped, and another driver then crashed into that vehicle. The two people in the stopped car were taken to a hospital in Boston to be treated for serious injuries; the driver of the vehicle that hit the stopped car was charged with operating under the influence, resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, I-93 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a limited access highway, with 4 travel lanes in each direction with a divided median. The speed limit is 55mph. This section also includes a short shoulder/pull off.

Date 10/3/2022, 8:27 AM
Location 22 Coleman St.
Town Gardner
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 69
Sex F

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that 69-year old Paula MacKenzie, a Gardner resident, was struck and killed by the driver of a Department of Public Works truck around 8:30am on a Monday morning. 

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Coleman Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is not indicated in the database. 

Date 10/4/2022, 8:57 PM
Location 35 Spring St.
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 57
Sex M

WCVB reported that a person was struck and seriously injured after they were struck by a vehicle on Spring Street in West Roxbury, and that rain was falling at the time of the incident. We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident; the 57-year old person passed away from the crash.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with two lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. A bus stop shelter is on one side of the street. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date 10/6/2022, 8:19 PM
Location SR-28 SOUTH (158 Main St.)
Town North Reading
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 55
Sex F

We could not find any additional news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with two lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is 40mph.

A little over a mile away on Route 28 in Reading, Streetsblog MASS reported that MassDOT implemented a pilot road diet on Route 28 to make the street safer; last year, it was converted from pilot to permanent. The road diet removed one vehicle lane from two state-run segments of Route 28 to convert the roadway from a four-lane roadway to a three-lane street with shoulders and a center-running left-turn lane.

Also in the news in North Reading in October, WCVB reported that a driver was arrested after striking and injuring a 4-year old who was being pulled in a wagon by a parent: 

Near the crash site, the girl’s family has posted a picture of her lying in a hospital bed with injuries to her forehead and wearing a neck brace. A message posted next to the picture reads, in part, “The driver left my daughter on the side of the road bleeding and helpless after speeding away.” The stretch of Lakeshore Boulevard has no sidewalks, has several twists and turns and small hills. Neighbors said for years they’ve been asking for speed bumps or some other way to keep walkers safe. “If you’re not safe on a sunny, bright, dry day walking your child in a wagon, when are you safe?” Garvey said.

Date 10/8/2022, 5:14 AM
Location I-495 NORTH, MM 36
Town Plainville
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 41
Sex M

The Boston Globe reports that a 41-year old man was struck and killed by the driver of a Volvo SUV on I-495 in Plainville. A car registered to the victim was found unoccupied in the breakdown lane a short distance away.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, I-495 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a limited access highway, with three travel lanes in each direction with a divided median. The speed limit is 65mph.

Date 10/8/2022, 8:23 PM
Location 482 Springfield St.
Town Chicopee
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 34
Sex M

WWLP reports that 34-year old Nickolas Weichel was walking to his car when he was hit by 22-year old Nazier Grandison who was speeding at 70mph on the wrong side of the road. He was arrested and charged with motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a personal injury crash. 

Western Mass News interviewed Nikolas’ friends and family:

[Former co-worker Carl] Scheinost told Western Mass News that Weichel was a man who absolutely loved life, made everyone laugh, and didn’t know a stranger. “Nick was the kind of guy who worked to live. His life after work was the most important thing to him,” he added. Most of all, Scheinost said that his friend did not deserve to die so young, as he had so many years ahead of him to bring joy to those who knew him. However, he said that he will continue to remember the biggest lesson he learned from Nick. “What are we working for? You’re working for a better life. Live your life. It can be over quick, as we all learned the hard way,” Scheinost said.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Springfield Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with one travel lane in each direction. There is parking on each side of the street, and a sidewalk on both sides. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 25mph and 35mph in the database; the WWLP article above says the DA’s office said the speed limit is 30 mph.

Date 10/13/2022, 6:33 PM
Location 248 Great Rd.
Town Acton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 44
Sex M

44-year old Kevin Shaw was struck and killed on Great Road (Rt 2A/119) in Acton by the 17-year old driver of a Subaru wagon near the Gould’s Plaza, which includes a Donelan’s Supermarket. 

From the Metrowest Daily News: 

Since the pedestrian crash, the Acton Select Board has voted to put crosswalk lighting in the area where the crash occurred. It still needs approval by the state. 

Last week, a 13-year-old boy was struck by a hit-and-run driver, also on Great Road. The boy, who was in a crosswalk, was flown to a Boston hospital with serious injuries. Police said Monday they have seized a vehicle they believe was involved in that incident.

Friends have created a “Safe Streets for Kevin” form so people can email the Acton Town Manager, John S. Mangiaratti, and Barry Lorion, who is the State District 3 Highway Director which includes jurisdiction over Great Road in Acton, MA. “It’s the wish of his friends and family that action be taken immediately to improve the road crossing where he was hit. This was a known dangerous crossing. Steps have been taken by the town and state to make improvements, but we want to guarantee that quick action will be taken to prevent something like this from happening again.” You can send an email here.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one side of Great Road, opposite the shopping plaza. There is a crosswalk at the intersection of Brooks Street and Great Road. The speed limit is 40mph.

Date 10/20/2022, 7:01 PM
Location 2 High St.
Town Monson
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 56
Sex F

Western Mass News reports that a 56-year old woman was struck and killed by a motorcyclist on High Street. From the article:

Monson Police said that they were alerted around 7 p.m. Thursday that Ware and Palmer Police tried to stop a motorcycle, that was described as a dirt bike, in their towns and that it was seen heading toward the area of State Avenue and Upper Palmer Road in Monson. Both Ware and Palmer Police reportedly ended their attempts to stop the motorcycle before it got to Monson. A Monson police officer found the motorcycle traveling south on Margaret Street, near Quarry Hill School, and another officer saw it pass him heading south on High Street as the officer headed north. “While both officers were attempting to locate the motorcycle, they discovered it had struck a pedestrian in the vicinity of the Monson Free Library on High Street and crashed,” police explained…The operator of the motorcycle was arrested and charged with several motor vehicle offenses.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. This location is in front of the Monson Free Library, and there is a crosswalk and stop sign. The speed limit is 30mph. 

Date 10/22/2022, 9:41 PM
Location I-93 SOUTH, EXIT 15A
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 49
Sex M

49-year old Mark McAuliffe was struck and killed by the driver of a Toyota Highlander on I-93 near South Bay in Boston.  

Preliminary investigation from Mass State Police reveals that the victim was attempting to cross Route 93 in the area of exit 15 from west to east. The pedestrian crossed the southbound lanes and the median and then entered the northbound side, where he was immediately struck by a 2019 Toyota Highlander sport utility vehicle in the left lane.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, I-93 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a limited access highway, with 4 travel lanes in each direction with a divided median. The speed limit is 55mph. This section includes an additional service road / on ramp.

Date 10/23/2022, 9:35 PM
Location 330 Middlesex Ave.
Town Medford
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 77
Sex M

77-year old Walter Wishoski from Malden was struck and killed by the driver of a Ford Fiesta on Middlesex Ave near Wendy’s and Townline Plaza. The plaza is near the Medford/Malden town line, where Middlesex Ave in Medford becomes Highland Ave in Malden. NBC Boston reports that the driver, Everton Candido, was arrested and expected to be charged for unlicensed operation.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with two lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. A bus stop is on each side of the street. There is not a crosswalk to access the plaza. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 25mph and 30mph in the database.

Date 10/29/2022, 6:16 PM
Location 417 Springfield St.
Town Chicopee
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 73
Sex F

A 73-year old woman was struck and killed on Springfield St in Chicopee. We could not find any additional news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

This is 1/10 of a mile – just a 2 minute walk – from a fatal crash on Springfield Street earlier in the month. In the distance of this Google Street View, a person is crossing the street at a crosswalk that has highway crash barriers along the street. 

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Springfield Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with one travel lane in each direction. There is parking on each side of the street, and a sidewalk on both sides. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 25mph and 35mph in the database.

Date 10/29/2022, 10:08 PM
Location SR-9 EAST + South St.
Town Shrewsbury
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 20
Sex F

Community Advocate reports that 20-year old Ghufran Mutar was crossing Route 9 at the intersection with South Street on her way home from working at CVS just after 10 p.m. on Oct. 30 when she was struck and killed. Jerry Santiago Jr, the driver of a Dodge Journey SUV, left the scene. He was arrested days later and charged with leaving the scene of personal injury resulting in death and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Route 9 is under MassDOT jurisdiction, and South Street is under local jurisdiction. Route 9 is a two-way divided roadway, with two lanes in each direction and additional left turn lanes at the intersection. There are no sidewalks on either street, and no crosswalks for any leg of the intersection. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 35mph and 99mph in the database.

There is a grocery store plaza on one side of Route 9 and the CVS that Ghufran worked at is on the other side of Route 9.

Updates

If you have an update about a community member who was killed in one of these crashes, please contact Brendan so we can update our 2022 list. WalkBoston has maintained a list each year since 2016, pulling the information from news reports, social media, and from people like you that share the information with us.

Yearly trackers:  |  ||||| 2022

Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)

Reminder about the data from the MassDOT portal

MassDOT makes no representation as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, availability or completeness of the crash records or the data collected from them and is not responsible for any errors or omissions in such records or data. Under no circumstance will MassDOT have any liability for any loss or damage incurred by any party as a result of the use of the crash records or the data collected from them. Furthermore, the data contained in the web-based crash report tool are not an official record of what transpired in a particular crash or for a particular crash type. If a user is interested in an official copy of a crash report, contact the Registry (http://www.mass.gov/rmv/). The City of Boston Police Department may be contacted directly for official copies of crash reports and for crash data pertaining to the City of Boston. In addition, any crash records or data provided for the years after 2018 are subject to change at any time and are not to be considered up-to-date or complete. As such, open years’ of crash data are for informational purposes only and should not be used for analysis. The data posted on this website, including crash records and other reports, are collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating or planning the safety enhancement of potential crash sites, hazardous roadway conditions or railway-highway crossings. Under federal law, this information is not subject to discovery and cannot be admitted into evidence in any federal or state court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any action for damages that involves the sites mentioned in these records (see 23 USC, Section 409).

World Day of Remembrance is this Sunday, November 20th

World Day of Remembrance is this Sunday, November 20th

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World Day of Remembrance is an annual international event during which we gather as a community to reflect upon those we’ve lost and commit ourselves to improving our roads.

In 2022 so far, over 2,000 lives have been lost to, or seriously injured by, a traffic crash in Massachusetts — not including the countless friends, family, and loved ones impacted as well. On November 20th, we’ll recognize each person impacted during this year’s World Day of Remembrance for victims of traffic crashes. The MA Vision Zero Coalition is marking the occasion by laying down yellow flowers at the Massachusetts State House, one blossom for each person killed or seriously injured in a crash in 2022, and supporting events across the state to remember those lost in traffic deaths.

We invite you to join WalkBoston and the rest of the MA Vision Zero Coalition in recognizing World Day of Remembrance by taking individual action or joining/planning events in your community. Please see our World Day of Remembrance 2022 Toolkit to learn more about how you can recognize World Day of Remembrance. Here are the list of events happening across the state:

  • The MA Vision Zero Coalition will be laying down yellow flowers at the Massachusetts state house, one blossom for each person who was killed or seriously injured in a traffic crash in 2022. The display will be out from 10am through the rest of the day. The following buildings and structures will be lit up in yellow on the night of the 20th: Government Center MBTA Station, Boston City Hall, the Zakim Bridge, the Fore River Bridge, the Burns Bridge, and the Longfellow Bridge.
  • Walk Bike Springfield & the Holyoke BikePed Committee will host an event on November 20th at 2pm at the Springfield Library (220 State Street).
  • WalkMedford will be hosting a vigil on November 18th at 11am with Mayor Lungo-Koehn. Exact location in Medford Square TBD
  • WalkBike Worcester and District 5 City Councilor, Etel Haxhiaj, are hosting a Worcester World Day of Remembrance event on Sunday, November 20th in front of Chandler Magnet School, 525 Chandler Street, at 3:00 pm.
  • The City of Pittsfield will light-up facades at all downtown locations in yellow in honor of World Day of Remembrance.

For more information and a complete list of events, visit https://www.visionzerocoalition.org/wdr.

Additionally, to address this public health crisis, the Coalition is urging our legislators to take action that could save lives. We have sent a letter to legislators demanding the passage of H.5103, An Act to reduce traffic fatalities — crucial legislation that could drastically improve traffic safety. This is a common-sense bill that would improve the safety standards for large trucks and protect vulnerable road users sharing the road with them. You can send a letter using our sample script below.

SAMPLE COMMENT LETTER

To: Representative William Straus (William.Straus@mahouse.gov), Senator William Brownsberger (William.Brownsberger@masenate.gov)

CC: info@visionzerocoalition.org

Recommended email subject: Please take action on H.5103 An Act to reduce traffic fatalities

Sample script: 

Dear Representative Straus and Senator Brownsberger,

Please support the swift passing of H.5103 An Act to reduce traffic fatalities — a common-sense bill that would improve the safety standards for large trucks and protect vulnerable road users sharing the road with them. This legislation will save lives on our roadways, and I encourage you to take rapid action to pass this law to make our roads safer now, not later.

[Talk about why this issue matters to you: how you get around the city, how you or someone you know has been impacted by a crash, etc]

The World Day of Remembrance for victims of traffic violence is this Sunday, November 20th. I hope that come that day, we can celebrate the passing of this significant step toward safer roadways.

Thank you,

[full name

street address

city/town, state, zip

phone:

email: ]

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, September 2022

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, September 2022

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Each month, we post about the fatal crashes in Massachusetts from the previous month, and share any trends that we see. For the full list of monthly posts, head here. Earlier this year, we released a year in review for 2021 to highlight common issues.

Last month, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in July; twelve were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in September 2022. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Crash Information.” Any Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 36 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in September in the MassDOT Crash portal, ten were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in September was 68.8.
  • Three people in their 90s (91, 98, 99) were hit & killed in September.
  • 29 year old Matthew Barker was struck and killed in a parking lot in Cambridge on September 1st at 1:22pm by a man in his 20s operating a box truck registered to a local restaurant. This crash is not included in the federal FARS dataset since it does not meet the NHTSA guideline for FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System). “To be included in FARS, a crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a traffic way customarily open to the public, and must result in the death of a vehicle occupant or a nonoccupant within 30 days of the crash.”
Date 9/1/2022, 4:46 AM
Location Centre St. + Columbus Ave.
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 39
Sex M

WCVB reports that 39-year old Thomas Ruffen died after Maximo Manzanett ran him over with a Ford Explorer SUV near the Jackson Square MBTA station. Police have charged the driver with murder. From the WCVB story:

Witnesses, including an Orange Line shuttle bus driver, told police Ruffen was on the ground outside the MBTA stop when Mazanett drove up in a brown Ford Explorer SUV. The shuttle bus driver said she got out of her bus and yelled to Mazanett to stop because someone was in the street.

“The driver said, ‘(Expletive) you, I work for the city.’ The driver then drove over the person, dragging the person under the SUV across Columbus Avenue,” according to a Boston police report.

Another witness said she also heard Mazanett yell an expletive before driving over the man.

MACDC shared a post in Thomas Ruffen’s memory, noting his work as an incredibly gifted organizer and community leader in the Mildred C. Hailey community.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this intersection is under local jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction on Ritchie Street leading into the signalized intersection with Columbus Ave and Centre Street. The speed limit is unclear, with one side of Columbus listed as 35mph and the other side listed as 30mph in the database.

Date 9/2/2022, 9:01 PM
Location 1269 Main St.
Town Worcester
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 79
Sex F

We could not find any additional news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. There are two travel lanes in each direction and a painted median divider. There is a sidewalk on each side of the street. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 35mph and 30mph in the database. There is also a School Speed Limit 20mph sign for certain hours.

Date 9/4/2022, 7:50 PM
Location GAR Hwy. + I-195 WEST
Town Swansea
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 32
Sex M

The Boston Globe reports that a 32-year old man was seriously injured after being struck by the driver of a vehicle in Swansea. We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident; the person passed away from the crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There are two travel lanes in each direction and a painted median divider before the roadway adds another travel lane. There is a sidewalk on each side of the roadway. There are also on/off-ramps for RT-195 at this location with a crosswalk for people continuing along RT-6 / Grand Army of the Republic Highway. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 50mph and 40mph in the database.

Date 9/8/2022, 9:35 AM
Location Morton St. + Selden St.
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 91
Sex M

WHDH reports that a 91-year old man was struck and killed by the 62-year old driver of a 2007 BMW SUV. The man had been in the crosswalk attempting to walk across Morton Street.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Morton Street is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There are two travel lanes in each direction with one additional turn lane at the intersection. There is a crosswalk at each leg of the intersection. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date 9/12/2022, 12:12 PM
Location 26 Shawsheen Rd.
Town Bedford
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 99
Sex F

The Bedford Citizen reports that 99-year-old Josephine (Iovino) Caporizzo was struck and killed by the driver of a motor vehicle while walking near her home.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and a sidewalk on one side of the street. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 30mph and 35mph in the database.

Date 9/16/2022, 1:59 PM
Location 414 Granby Rd.
Town Chicopee
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 48
Sex M

MassLive reports that a 48-year old man was struck and killed by the driver of a dump truck in Chicopee on Friday afternoon, September 16th.

Streetsblog MASS reported in late September that the “Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities” was sent from the Governor back to the legislature with recommendations for changes before it would be signed. This bill as written includes additional regulations for some trucks to include convex and crossover mirrors, backup cameras, and lateral protective devices. 

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and a shoulder on each side. There is a sidewalk on one side of the street. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date 9/16/2022, 2:58 PM
Location 12 Railroad Ave.
Town Rockport
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 98
Sex F

The Gloucester Times reported that Virginia “Ginny” Hale, age 98 1/2, was struck and killed by the driver of a box truck as she was crossing the street by Cumberland Farms on Railroad Avenue in Rockport. From the article:

Virginia “Ginny” Hale, 98 1/2 — she insisted on the half, said her daughter-in-law — was a daily walker, going out in the mornings and late afternoon and covering miles.

“She would greet people along way and visit the local shops,” said Betsy Hale, her daughter-in-law, adding she never meet a stranger. “She was a positive, loving fashionista. She always dressed up, did her makeup and did her hair to go out.”

A life resident of Rockport, Ginny and her sister, daughters of Swedish immigrants, were brought up by family after her mother died. Her daughter-in-law said her love of beautiful clothes probably started with the outfits her aunts saw that the girls wore. Photos from the 1930s show Ginny wearing suits and gloves when she hopped the train to Boston — she never drove — where she was an office worker.

“She always dressed to the nines,” Betsy Hale said. Many mentioned “Ginny sightings,” describing her outfits, and Betsy Hale said she thrived on the compliments. and she devoured fashion magazines.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. There is 1 travel lane in each direction, a sidewalk on both sides of the street, and a crosswalk. The speed limit is 25mph.

Date 9/26/2022, 7:52 AM
Location 94 Berkeley St.
Town Lawrence
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 67
Sex F

We could not find any additional news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and sidewalks on both sides of each street at the four way stop intersection. There are no painted crosswalks. The speed limit is 20mph.

Date 9/26/2022, 8:47 PM
Location 172 Winter St.
Town Haverhill
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 79
Sex F

Wavelengths/97.9WHAV reports that a 79-year old woman was struck and killed by the driver of a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta on Winter Street near the intersection of Locust Street.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and sidewalks on both sides of the street. There are crosswalks present at each corner. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date 9/28/2022, 7:20 PM
Location 115 SR-28
Town Yarmouth
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 56
Sex F

The Boston Globe reports that 56-year old Dawn Squires was struck and killed on Route 28 in West Yarmouth by a driver of a truck from New York.

In 2016, Callie Crossley penned a commentary for WGBH titled, “Brought to Light: The Case for Street Lights on Cape Cod. It’s Life and Death“:

I know there are residents who are reluctant to mar the horizon with a string of street lights. Easier to see the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay that Patti Page croons about so sweetly. But, if my unobscured view must be sacrificed to save someone’s life, then so be it.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and a sidewalk on each side of the street. (However, the most recent Google Street View image is from 2019, and shows a rolled curb sidewalk on one side of the street; the crash photo from CapeCod.com also does not show a sidewalk on one side of the street.) The speed limit is 35mph.

Updates

If you have an update about a community member who was killed in one of these crashes, please contact Brendan so we can update our 2022 list. WalkBoston has maintained a list each year since 2016, pulling the information from news reports, social media, and from people like you that share the information with us.

Yearly trackers:  |  ||||| 2022

Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)

Reminder about the data from the MassDOT portal

MassDOT makes no representation as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, availability or completeness of the crash records or the data collected from them and is not responsible for any errors or omissions in such records or data. Under no circumstance will MassDOT have any liability for any loss or damage incurred by any party as a result of the use of the crash records or the data collected from them. Furthermore, the data contained in the web-based crash report tool are not an official record of what transpired in a particular crash or for a particular crash type. If a user is interested in an official copy of a crash report, contact the Registry (http://www.mass.gov/rmv/). The City of Boston Police Department may be contacted directly for official copies of crash reports and for crash data pertaining to the City of Boston. In addition, any crash records or data provided for the years after 2018 are subject to change at any time and are not to be considered up-to-date or complete. As such, open years’ of crash data are for informational purposes only and should not be used for analysis. The data posted on this website, including crash records and other reports, are collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating or planning the safety enhancement of potential crash sites, hazardous roadway conditions or railway-highway crossings. Under federal law, this information is not subject to discovery and cannot be admitted into evidence in any federal or state court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any action for damages that involves the sites mentioned in these records (see 23 USC, Section 409).

Leadership Update at WalkBoston

Leadership Update at WalkBoston

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Dear Friends,

After nearly a decade of dedication to WalkBoston, and three transformative years leading us through the COVID-19 pandemic, our transition to a hybrid workplace, and the development of a new strategic plan, our Executive Director Stacey Beuttell will depart later this fall to become the Senior Director of the Nature in the City Program for Mass Audubon. Although this is a bittersweet goodbye, we are delighted for her next chapter and look forward to watching her continue to make Massachusetts more livable, vibrant, and green for everyone. Stacey’s last day will be October 14th.

Stacey Beuttell speaks to attendees at the Bob Sloane Walk in Brookline in June 2022.
Stacey Beuttell speaks to attendees at the Bob Sloane Walk in Brookline in June 2022.

The organization will be co-led on an interim basis by Deputy Director of Operations Althea Wong-Achorn and Deputy Director of Advocacy Brendan Kearney. Together, Althea and Brendan bring the necessary skills, expertise, and clarity of vision to move us forward. Over the last year, both took part in shaping the new strategic plan alongside the board. They will ably guide WalkBoston’s efforts in the months ahead.

As WalkBoston launches our new strategic plan, we’re looking forward to what comes next as a statewide organization. We believe in the way walkable places foster community spirit, vibrancy, and health. Our advocacy is locally driven and resident-empowering, and we embrace an inclusive definition of walkability that accounts for the lived experiences of all people no matter their race, identity, age, or ability. We prioritize working in places that have experienced historic disinvestment. Above all else, WalkBoston never works alone: we partner with community members, local non-profits, municipal and state agency staff, and elected officials to achieve common goals.

Our next Executive Director will be someone who is looking for an opportunity to lead a trusted organization that is poised for growth. They will embrace our mission of making walking safer and easier in Massachusetts to encourage better health, a cleaner environment, and more vibrant communities. The WalkBoston board is in the process of hiring an outside consultant who will lead a nationwide search for the role. We will be sharing more information about that process in the coming weeks.

Thank you for your continued support.

Regards,

Betsy Johnson
WalkBoston Board President