Author: WalkMassachusetts

Learning through walking in Cambridgeport

Learning through walking in Cambridgeport

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” –Søren Kierkegaard

As part of the Summer Walk Series, last week WalkMassachusetts had the pleasure of hosting a walk through Cambridgeport. This event aimed to bring together pedestrians (and some cyclists!) to explore the city on foot and to learn about local projects, area history, and built environment changes. 

The two-mile walk started on the south side of the B.U. Bridge, brought participants through Magazine Beach Park and continued northeast along Magazine Street to Massachusetts Ave. Our group of 30 pedestrians met with a variety of guest speakers who shared valuable information about the B.U. Bridge Safety Alliance, Magazine Beach Park, the Allston Intermodal Project, St. Augustine African Orthodox Christian Church, and the history of the Inner Belt and anti-highway activism in Cambridge. Exploration of this landscape along with its varied histories, projects, and organizations helped to illuminate the struggles, changes, and cultural dynamics of the built environment–aspects which may often go unnoticed but that nonetheless inform our everyday experiences. 

At the beginning of the evening, co-executive director Althea Wong-Achorn asked everyone to think about how heat affects the pedestrian experience and what types of interventions (i.e. increasing tree and vegetable cover, cool pavements) could be made to improve the experience. The air temperature hovered in the high 80s while surface temperatures in the parking lot where we met adjacent to the B.U. Bridge reached 113 degrees. In comparison, the surface temperature in Magazine Beach Park, thanks to the cooling effects of its vegetation, was 76 degrees.

As we crossed over the Charles River, our group remarked on the challenging pedestrian and bike infrastructure on and around the B.U. Bridge, including unprotected bike lanes, complicated pedestrian crossings, narrow footpaths, and a dangerous roundabout for all road users. Once in Magazine Beach Park, the calmness of the urban, riverfront park was met with the constant hum of traffic emanating from the elevated section of I-90 across the water in Allston. A final observation was the pleasant, tree-shaded streets of Cambridgeport.  

All in all, this walk was a delightful opportunity to come together, share knowledge and experience, and take pleasure in the simplicity of walking. It provided participants with a chance to broaden their perspective, connect with each other, learn about Cambridgeport, discover something new and at the very least to get outside. Thank you to everyone who braved the heat to join us. We look forward to seeing you on our next walk!

We also want to thank all of our wonderful speakers: Ken Carlson, BU Bridge Safety Alliance; Stacey Beuttell, Senior Director, Nature in the City Program, Mass Audubon; Fred Yalouris, Allston I-90 Task Force; Reverend Kit Eccles, Pastor of St. Augustine’s Church; Steve Kaiser, traffic engineer and author; Kit Rawlins, Assistant Director, Cambridge Historical Society. In particular we appreciate the hard work and organizing efforts of Cathie Zusy and Anita Johnson for making this walk possible! For more information on the histories, projects, and organizations highlighted on his walk, please visit the links below:

Join us for a Cambridgeport walk on July 11

Join us for a Cambridgeport walk on July 11

We look forward to seeing you on July 11th at 5:30pm for our latest walk! We’ll be starting on Comm Ave by the BU Bridge.

What: 2024 Cambridgeport Walk
When: July 11, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Where: corner of Comm Ave and BU Bridge (785 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215)
Price: Free, but donations are welcome to support our work.
RSVP here: https://www.givesignup.org/TicketEvent/2024CambridgeportWalk

Join us on our next free walk – on each of our organized walking tours, 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.

We encourage you to use public transportation, walk, or bike to the start so that it is easy for you to head out afterwards. Updates will be available on our website & sent to all registered attendees before the event.

ROUTE:

Starting Location:  BU Bridge at the Comm Ave side.
We’ll meet at the wide corner sidewalk near “Lot H.” Look for the “WalkMassachusetts” sign. 

  • Getting there via public transportation: 
    • Green Line: take the B line and get off at either Amory Street or BU Central 
    • Bus: 47, 57, CT2 
    • BlueBikes: closest station is on Comm Ave by BU Central

Ending Location: La Fabrica, 450 Mass Ave (Central Square – Mass Ave near Brookline)
In the past, we have usually tried to be at a bar/restaurant where folks can make their own decisions about food or drink to continue chatting. Route is just about 2 miles, and we have prioritized shade in parks along the way.

SPEAKERS & TOPICS:

  • Ken Carlson, BU Bridge Safety Alliance; BU Bridge Safety Alliance’s Comm Ave / BU Bridge intersection effort
  • Cathie Zusy; Magazine Beach history & future, Powder Magazine  
  • Stacey Beuttell, Senior Director, Nature in the City Program, Mass Audobon; Nature in the City program
  • Fred Yalouris; Allston I-90 Task Force
  • Reverend Kit Eccles, Pastor of St. Augustine’s Church; St. Augustine Church
  • Steve Kaiser, traffic engineer and author; Inner Belt
  • Kit Rawlins, Assistant Director, Cambridge Historical Society; history of Memorial Drive, Dana Park
Join our board (or a committee)!

Join our board (or a committee)!

We are always on the lookout for board candidates from all backgrounds and demographics to reflect the diverse communities in which we work: from the Hilltowns to Haverhill, the Cape to the Islands, urban areas to rural ones. Keep reading to learn more about how our board and its committees work; you will find a link at the end if you would like to express interest in joining.

Please also share this information with members of your network if you think you know someone who would be a good fit for us. We’d love to talk to them!

What does a board member do?

The board of WalkMassachusetts is responsible for the strategic governance and oversight of the organization. Working with the Executive Director, the board ensures the organization’s financial health, strategic plan, and goals are aligned with the mission, vision, and values. Members are committed to executing all fiduciary responsibilities and serving as advocates of WalkMassachusetts to the community.

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Attend board and committee meetings and significant organizational events.
  • Chair and/or participate in at least one board committee.
  • Participate in establishing and maintaining organizational policies.
  • Make an annual contribution at a level commensurate with personal capacity.
  • Participate actively in organizational fundraising activities.
  • Identify friends and associates who might be prospective donors or board/committee members.
  • Participate in hiring and periodic evaluation of WalkMassachusetts’s Executive Director.
  • Support and advise the Executive Director as appropriate.
  • Participate actively in assessing WalkMassachusetts’ performance and setting its strategic goals and objectives.
  • Serve as an ambassador for WalkMassachusetts in the community.

Desired qualifications

  • Significant experience in business, nonprofit, academia, government/public service, or another field.
  • Ideally, experience in a field closely related to WalkMassachusetts’s work – e.g. planning/transportation, finance, development, public health, or community organizing.
  • Knowledge of or willingness to learn about issues of walkability in Massachusetts and the work of pedestrian advocacy. 
  • Commitment to WalkMassachusetts’ mission to create more walkable communities across the state.
  • Connections to personal or professional networks with capacity and interest to support the work of the organization.
  • Personal capacity to make an annual contribution to the organization in addition to supporting fundraising efforts.
  • Understanding of the role of diversity, equity and inclusion in achieving our mission.

WalkMassachusetts is committed to diversity and inclusion and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We seek candidates that represent the diverse perspectives and lived experiences throughout the Commonwealth, with the goal of having a board that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage candidates to apply even if they do not meet every qualification above. 

WalkMassachusetts’ board currently meets monthly (10 times per year), mainly via Zoom, but with some hybrid meetings and a hybrid Annual Celebration in the Spring. WalkMassachusetts has office space in Downtown Boston at the CIC (50 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109). Meetings are the fourth Tuesday of the month from 5:30pm to 7pm, unless otherwise stated. Committee meetings are scheduled separately, based on the availability of committee members, and occur monthly.

Important: If you are interested in supporting WalkMassachusetts’ mission, and have skills relevant to one of our committees, but are not ready to join the board itself, please know that several of our committees are open to non-board members as well!

Board committees

  • Communications
  • Development
  • Events
  • Executive
  • Finance 
  • Governance

Interested in joining the board or a committee? Fill out this form to let us know!

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. 

Statewide Fatal Crashes in MA, February 2024

Statewide Fatal Crashes in MA, February 2024

Each month, we post about the fatal crashes in Massachusetts from a previous month, and share any trends that we see. For the full list of monthly posts, head here

In our previous post, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in January; nine were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in February 2024. 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 20 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in February in the MassDOT Crash portal, 7 were identified as people walking.
  • Similar to last month, some of the pedestrian crashes had the ‘speed limit’ field blank in the Road Inventory Viewer. We are now also using the MassGIS-MassDOT Roads layer to check for speed limit information.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in February was 60.5.

Date2/12/2024, 5:53 PM
LocationSouth St. + Charles St.
TownHolyoke
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age64
SexM

22News/WWLP reports that a 65-year old man was hit and killed while crossing South Street in Holyoke. Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia provided a statement to the news outlet:

“I am deeply saddened to hear of this terrible accident and loss that our city has endured. My heart goes out to the family. Here is what we know at this time: The pedestrian who was hit was not using the crosswalk, and it is my understanding that the driver of the vehicle was distracted with cell phone usage at the time of the accident. The Holyoke Police Department does not believe that the lights of that crosswalk played a role in this tragic accident. The Massachusetts State Police are currently investigating the matter and once the MSP Accident Team concludes their investigation, we will be able to provide further updates on the situation.”

22News/WWLP followed up by speaking to Holyoke residents:

Pat O’Connor, who lives near that intersection says she has to cross it often, but doesn’t feel safe doing so, “Even when you are in the crosswalk, they don’t want to stop. I’ve seen people here with wheel chairs, canes, walkers, going across the street and they just try to get around you. Its awful.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, South Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side of the street. There is not a crosswalk to cross over South at the intersection with Charles Street. The speed limit is 30mph.


Date2/13/2024, 5:53 PM
LocationMain St.
TownSouthbridge
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age66
SexM

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, Main Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one side of the street. The speed limit is 25mph.


Date2/16/2024, 11:57 AM
Location375 Maple St. + 155 Cabot St.
TownHolyoke
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age74
SexF

A 74-year-old Holyoke woman was taken to Baystate Medical Center but died from her injuries after she was struck by the driver of a car at the intersection of Maple and Cabot Streets near the library. This was the second fatal pedestrian crash in February in Holyoke.

News413 reports that MassDOT is working with Holyoke on a safety project for the High and Maple Street corridors; the project is in the planning phase and construction would not be completed until at least 2026.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Maple Street and Cabot Street are both under local jurisdiction. Cabot is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 25mph. Maple is a one-way road in the direction of Cabot with two travel lanes and parking on both sides of the street. There is a sidewalk on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 30mph. There are also School Speed Limit 20mph When Flashing” signs on two sides of the intersection.


Date2/16/2024, 9:35 PM
Location158 Oak St.
TownBrockton
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age44
SexM

WCVB reports the driver of a Chevrolet van was traveling west on Oak Street when it struck a 44-year old man in the roadway in the area of Raymond Elementary School and Brockton North Middle School. The man who was struck was transported by Brewster Ambulance to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton with life-threatening injuries. Police said he was then flown to Boston Medical Center for further treatment; they later died from their injuries.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Oak Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 30mph.


Date2/17/2024, 6:20 PM
Location223 Worcester-Providence Tpke.
TownSutton
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age34
SexF

MassLive reports 34-year old Nicole Young was struck and killed by a car in Sutton along Worcester-Providence Turnpike (Rt 146).

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Worcester-Providence Turnpike (Rt-146) is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way Multi-lane Highway, not limited access. There are three lanes in each direction with a median. There are no sidewalks. The speed limit is 55mph.


Date2/28/2024, 4:30 AM
LocationMelnea Cass Blvd. + Hampden St.
TownBoston
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age60
SexM

WCVB reports a 60-year old man was struck and killed at the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Hampden Street around 4:30am; police tape surrounded a black SUV at the scene.

WalkMassachusetts spoke with Boston 25 News about crashes across the state, reinforcing that street improvements and traffic calming are “really an effort of making it safer so everyone can get around and get back to their families.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Melnea Cass Blvd and Hampden Street are both under local jurisdiction. Melnea Cass is a two-way road with two through travel lanes and a left turn lane in each direction. Hampden Street is a two-way road with one through travel lane and a dedicated turn lane towards Mass Ave in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides of each street. The speed limit is 35mph.


Date2/28/2024, 6:41 PM
Location21 Green St,
TownNewburyport
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age80
SexF

MassLive reports 80-year old Rev. Helen M. Sampson Murgida was struck and killed outside Newburyport City Hall by the driver of a Ford F-150 before she was to give a prayer at the State of the City Address.

Mayor Sean Reardon released a statement:

“We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of the Rev. Helen M. Sampson Murgida, Affiliate Community Minister at the First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist Church. Rev. Helen was scheduled to deliver a prayer at the State of the City Address.

“This is a tragic day for the Newburyport community. Our hearts are prayers are with her family, friends, and the First Religious Society.

“As an Interfaith Chaplain, Rev. Helen touched many lives within her congregation and throughout Newburyport. She had spent a long and rewarding career in special education, and she carried her passion to support those facing challenges through her faith. She advocated tirelessly for the inclusion of people with disabilities, delivering sermons and organizing community programming to raise awareness.

“She made our City an even more welcoming and inclusive place.

“My office is working with the First Religious Society to offer opportunities for community healing and will be offering ways to help the many community members affected by this loss. We also are making counseling services available to City Hall staff who have been touched by this tragedy.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Green Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a one-way road with two travel lanes and parking on both sides. There is a sidewalk on both sides of the street. The speed limit is unclear.


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 2024 list. WalkMassachusetts 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.

Monthly crash review

Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)
Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2022)
Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2023)


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).