Author: WalkMassachusetts

One Minute, One Slide: Language defines a story

One Minute, One Slide: Language defines a story

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Below is a “One Minute, One Slide” presentation shared by a member of the WalkBoston staff.
Text provided is as prepared for this year’s annual event on March 18, 2019.

Brendan Kearney

Language matters when talking about crashes: A recent study shared at the TRB (Transportation Research Board) Conference titled “Editorial Patterns in Bicyclist and Pedestrian Crash Reporting” examined ways that media coverage of crashes could influence public perception, looking at word choice and agency.

An example from a crash in Boston: You wouldn’t know someone was driving this truck by the initial news report, since “a city-owned truck struck a pedestrian.”

We (politely) reached out to the reporter and station on Twitter, and asked them to clarify that a person driving was behind the wheel in this crash. The news station was responsive, & made changes to the story.

Just as road design influences behavior, media coverage & local reporting influences public perception.

About 40,000 people in the United States die as a result of car crashes each year. This isn’t just about drivers hitting people walking, it includes people both in and outside cars – roughly 350 people die in crashes each year in Massachusetts alone, while many thousands more are injured. We need to reduce illegal speeding to help prevent and/or reduce the severity of these crashes. So a big THANK YOU to all the reporters and news organizations that are willing to take a look at how they are presenting crashes. Local reporting helps shine a light on common-sense ways we can make our streets safer for people: fixing the way our roads are designed.

 

One Minute, One Slide: Safe Walking for Healthy and Connected Lives

One Minute, One Slide: Safe Walking for Healthy and Connected Lives

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Below is a “One Minute, One Slide” presentation shared by a member of the WalkBoston staff.
Text provided is as prepared at this year’s annual event on March 18, 2019.

Dorothea Hass

WalkBoston has partnered with the Coalition for a Better Acre in Lowell through a Cummings Foundation grant to train residents of the Acre to become walking advocates. Shown here are residents who are pressing the City to make temporary changes to a complicated five-way intersection with fast-moving traffic and very long crosswalks. At a recent meeting with City Councilor Nuon, residents presented their concerns and proposed solutions to which the Councilor shown here, second from right, was very receptive. A next step will be to persuade the city’s traffic engineer to take the temporary measures which if proved successful could be more permanently installed. The training is also promoting civic engagement. One of the trainees has taken the initiative to gain signatures to support the re-design of the five-way intersection and is also planning to run for city council.

One Minute, One Slide: Age-Friendly Walking in Boston

One Minute, One Slide: Age-Friendly Walking in Boston

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Below is a “One Minute, One Slide” presentation shared by a member of the WalkBoston staff.
Text provided is as prepared for this year’s annual event on March 18, 2019.

Adi Nochur

With support from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation (THPF) and the Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA), WalkBoston has been working on Age-Friendly Walking in the City of Boston to promote safe and comfortable walking for seniors — and by extension everyone. Thanks so much to our partners from the Age-Strong Commission (formerly the Elderly Commission), Boston Transportation Department, Public Works Department and other agencies!

Here we have a fantastic group of “Older and Bolder” seniors rallying for crosswalk safety in Grove Hall. We have now seen pedestrian safety improvements installed at this location, as well as other neighborhoods throughout the city.

We’ve also changed policy at a city level. Thanks to our efforts the City of Boston has committed $90,000 in capital funding for 45 benches, and we look forward to seeing them installed citywide this year.

With a new grant from THPF and MCOA, we’re now taking our work on Age-Friendly Walking statewide. We plan to work in five communities, with a focus on high-need Gateway Cities and rural areas. Stay tuned for more on Age-Friendly Walking: coming soon to a community near you!