Author: WalkMassachusetts

Learning through walking in Cambridgeport

Learning through walking in Cambridgeport

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“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:

North Station Drawbridge Replacement / Draw One Project Comment Letter

North Station Drawbridge Replacement / Draw One Project Comment Letter

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June 14, 2024
Re: North Station Drawbridge Replacement / Draw One Project
Sent via email: drawone@mbta.com
Dear project team,

My name is Brendan Kearney, and I’m co-executive director of WalkMassachusetts, a statewide pedestrian advocacy organization previously known as WalkBoston. We have followed the slow progression and implementation of the New Charles River Basin Master Plan for decades. I’m commenting on the removal of the pedestrian river crossing as part of the North Station Draw 1 Bridge Replacement.

The drawbridge crosses over the Charles River directly behind North Station. It currently has two moveable spans with four tracks. Existing piers are supporting the spans already in place. The new drawbridge will have three moveable spans with additional tracks. We are concerned that the current draft of the design for the bridge does not include a pedestrian path, the 2nd of three important pedestrian connections within the Master Plan. This crucial pedestrian and bicycle connection was a commitment by the Commonwealth as part of the Central Artery project mitigation. It should be restored to the project and built on the same timeline as the rail crossing. 

WalkMassachusetts would like to remind the MBTA, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and MassDOT that the North Bank bridge which connects Cambridge and Charlestown and passes underneath the Zakim Bridge was also dropped at one point roughly 20 years ago – at the time, officials were sympathetic, but said the holdup was simply due to lack of funding. As we now know, that bridge is a heavily used, beautiful and well-loved part of the Charles River Reservation.
We should not make the mistake of leaving out the connection between the North Point Park and North Station which will also become a heavily used, and well-loved part of the Charles River Reservation.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Brendan Kearney
Co-Executive Director, WalkMassachusetts

Join us for a Cambridgeport walk on July 11

Join us for a Cambridgeport walk on July 11

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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)!

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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!

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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.