Category: Announcement

Walk audits with a climate focus on the way to Danvers, Melrose, Salem, Stoneham, and Wakefield

Walk audits with a climate focus on the way to Danvers, Melrose, Salem, Stoneham, and Wakefield

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We’re happy to announce that WalkMassachusetts has been awarded a $75,000 Accelerating Climate Resilience Grant from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). See the press release here. This is a huge win for our mission and a major step forward for pedestrian safety in the face of climate change. With this grant, we’re officially launching our Climate-Safe Walk Audit Initiative: Enhancing Pedestrian Resilience in a Rapidly Warming World.

What This Means for Massachusetts

We’ll be working directly with five communities—Danvers, Melrose, Salem, Stoneham, and Wakefield—to make walking not just safer, but also more resilient and “climate-ready.”

Alongside community members, our goal is to identify and address the challenges that a rapidly changing climate presents to vulnerable road users. Through walk audits, we’ll be working with them to help find short term actions that advance bigger climate resilience goals they’ve already identified. This could mean finding solutions to make crosswalks more visible during heavy rain, or creating more shaded pathways to help everyone walk, run, or roll comfortably during extreme heat.

Especially if you live, work, or play in one of those five communities, make sure you are on our email list so we can reach out and loop you in as we get the ball rolling in the coming months!

MAPC Awards $800k in “Accelerating Climate Resilience” Grants to Municipal and Community-Organization Led Projects
Help MassBike & WalkMass evaluate heat stress in Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, and Revere

Help MassBike & WalkMass evaluate heat stress in Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, and Revere

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MassBike and WalkMass are working with the Boston MPO to analyze corridors in Chelsea, Everett, Revere, and Framingham that have been identified as places that have both high heat and are places where lots of people walk and bike. A series of walk and bike audits took place in August 2025 to help understand how heat impacts people walking and biking along streets in our neighborhoods. To add to our data collection we’re asking people to take self-audits through the forms available for each community so you can walk or bike a route and send in your experiences. 

Are you interested in adding to our data? Please follow these links to access the walking and biking feedback forms:

Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere

(click footnote for other language options)1

What’s a walk/bike audit? 

An audit is a process where a person or group walks or bikes through a designated route (a neighborhood or commercial district) to assess pedestrian/bike accessibility and safety. Various factors are observed and evaluated, including the condition of sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian signals, as well as the presence of amenities like benches, lighting, and landscaping. The goal of a walk/bike audit is to identify barriers or deficiencies that may hinder walking or biking as a mode of transport. Learn more about the walk and bike audit routes in each community below!

Why are we doing this?

Neutralizing Onerous Heat Effects on Active Transportation (NO-HEAT) is a project focusing on reducing the heat that people experience while walking, biking, or rolling. It’s a collaboration between the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the cities of Chelsea, Revere, Everett, and Framingham, and several community partners, including WalkMass, MassBike, Bike to the Sea, and Mystic River Watershed Association.

Why should I do this? 

We appreciate your time and feedback, and we are offering gift cards to local establishments for anyone that takes part.

Audit Routes

Chelsea

Go to the form

Everett Ave (Broadway to Everett Border)  – The route is just under a mile, and crosses from the dense urban area of downtown Chelsea to the Silver Line and Commuter Rail MBTA stop, and newer residential developments along the Everett border.

Broadway (City Hall to Revere Border) – This stretch connects the businesses nearby Chelsea City Hall to the neighborhoods and parks out to Revere and the Mill Creek park. This route also crosses the Chelsea Greenway Community Path, and is a major corridor for trucking and MBTA buses.

Spruce Street (2nd Street to Route 1) – This route travels along the commercial section of Spruce St, connecting to Mystic Mall and passing by government and healthcare buildings.

Everett

Go to the form

2nd Street (From Revere Beach Pkwy to rail road tracks) – This route travels 2nd St through an industrial and commercial area that features a large apartment building.

Northern Strand Community Trail (Wyllis Avenue intersection to Waters Avenue intersection) – The Northern Strand Community Trail is the key corridor for bicyclists and pedestrians that connects Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus, and Lynn. This section focuses on a particularly open segment with little shade that is susceptible to higher temperatures.

Main Street (Oakes Street to Malden Border) – Beginning at Meadows Park / Kearins Playground, this route travels through a residential neighborhood, passing through a few small commercial areas. You can also RSVP here to join a walk on September 25, 5pm.

Framingham

Go to the form

Beaver/Waverly to Beaver/Leland (Seabra Foods to Harmony Grove Elementary) – This travels Beaver & W Harmony Grove Elementary School, connecting Dennison Playground to the area near Sunshine Farm.

Irving/Loring Street (corner of Waverly Street to corner of Herring Ave) – From the major thoroughfare of Waverly Street, this route heads through the residential and business district and heads towards the South Middlesex Correctional Center, to highlight a recent ‘complete streets’ project.

Waverly Street (2nd Street to Cedar Street) – This travels major commercial corridor Waverly St, beginning near the Framingham MBTA station.

Cochituate Rail Trail – Cochituate Rail Trail is a multi-use trail that runs between Framingham and Natick, in the western suburbs of Boston. There may be a site visit to the Framingham end of the trail in late September. Email Brendan Kearney bkearney@walkmass.org to be kept in the loop.

Revere

Go to the form

Revere Street (Route 60 to Revere Beach) – This route focuses on the major destination to/from Revere Beach, and is a heavily used corridor for bicyclists to reach Wonderland MBTA station.

Washington Ave (Beach Street to Fuller Street) – This route connects the Washington Ave corridor to the Northern Strand Community Trail, passing through residential neighborhoods, religious centers, and municipal ball fields.

Malden Street (Route 1 to Vinny’s Food Market) – This route follows Malden St down a residential neighborhood between Disalvo Park at Susan B Anthony Middle School and Route 1. You can also RSVP here for a walk audit on September 17, 3:30pm. 

Please send any feedback or questions to bkearney@walkmass.org or bikeinfo@massbike.org.

  1. Other Language Options
    اَلْفُصْحَىٰ Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    Español Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    आधुनिक मानक हिन्दी Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    Kreyòl Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    简化字 Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    Português Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere ↩︎
Walking Toward Safer, Healthier Streets in Brockton

Walking Toward Safer, Healthier Streets in Brockton

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This summer, WalkMassachusetts and Old Colony Planning Council partnered with community members to complete a series of walk audits across four Brockton neighborhoods: Campello, Montello, East Side, and West Side. Each audit brought together residents, local leaders, and advocates to identify barriers, share personal experiences, and recommend solutions to make walking safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable for everyone.

Why Walk Audits Matter

A walk audit is a hands-on way for community members to assess the safety and comfort of their streets. Participants walk a set route together, observe conditions, and document challenges and opportunities. The result is a community-driven report that highlights both short- and long-term improvements, shaping future investments in infrastructure and public space.

Key Findings from the Brockton Walk Audit Series

Montello (May 21, 2025)

  • Concerns: Faded crosswalks, broken sidewalks, high vehicle speeds, and chronic flooding.
  • Recommendations: Restriping and relocating crosswalks, repairing sidewalks, permanent traffic calming (curb bump-outs), and engineering drainage solutions.
  • Community Insights: Stakeholders highlighted Montello’s strong access to public transportation, but emphasized the need for safer crossings, more shade, and clear wayfinding for pedestrians.

Campello (June 26, 2025)

  • Concerns: Missing bus stop signage, poorly maintained crosswalks, excessive litter, and sparse tree canopy.
    Recommendations: Replace street signs, repaint high-visibility crosswalks, install trash bins, and coordinate street tree planting with the Greening the Gateway Cities Program.
  • Community Insights: Campello’s busy streets and active businesses show promise, but participants noted obstacles like lifted concrete and the need for improvements near Vicente’s Supermarket.

West Side (July 23, 2025)

  • Concerns: Lack of crosswalks to key features like bus stops, overgrown vegetation along sidewalks, litter from car crashes, and limited tree coverage.
    Recommendations: Add more crosswalks at intersections, maintain vegetation regularly, create a public-private waste management partnership with local businesses, and expand shading through tree planting.
  • Community Insights: Residents noted the disparities in walkability between different Brockton neighborhoods. West Elm Street stood out as an example of well-paved sidewalks with space for wheelchairs and strollers—highlighting how streetscape improvements here could be a model for Belmont and Moraine Streets.

East Side (August 14, 2025)

  • Concerns: Short walk signal times, lack of ADA compliance, missing sidewalks, and minimal shading.
  • Recommendations: Lengthen signal times, install ADA-compliant ramps, add raised crosswalks along key locations such as Caffrey Towers and Brockton Hospital. Implement shading systems with trees or sunshades as shopping plazas are developed.
  • Community Insights: Residents shared concerns about accessibility challenges for people with disabilities and older adults. They also pointed to shaded bus stops as a model for what the rest of the neighborhood needs.

Moving Forward

These walk audits show both the strengths and opportunities in Brockton’s neighborhoods. While each area has unique challenges, common themes emerged:

  • The need for safer crossings and clearer street signage.
  • The importance of shade, seating, and trash management to create a more welcoming environment.
  • The opportunity to leverage Brockton’s strong transit access to encourage walking as a safe, reliable option for all.

With community voices at the center, these reports provide a roadmap for improvements that can build healthier, more connected neighborhoods across Brockton.

📑 Explore the full reports here:

Blogpost by Emma Itri, Development and Communication Coordinator

Shared Spaces Tremont Street Site Visit April 2025

Shared Spaces Tremont Street Site Visit April 2025

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We are ‘Shared Spaces’, a coalition of advocates from the community, Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL), Riders’ Transportation Access Group (RTAG), Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA), WalkMass, Boston Cyclists Union (BCU), and MassBike.

Our mission is to promote collaboration and understanding of the challenges associated with shared spaces – such as bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, and bus stops statewide. We are committed to advocating for safety and accessibility in the design of these shared spaces, with a focus on the unique experiences of individuals with disabilities. Through education, outreach, and active engagement, we will advocate for and support inclusive policies that enhance the safety and accessibility of shared spaces for all people with disabilities, pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and transit riders.

We organized this site visit to bring together individuals from the city and provide them with a firsthand understanding of these shared spaces, their limitations, and potential conflicts—this initiative aimed to promote more informed decision-making. Additionally, the visit facilitated relationship-building between our communities, allowing for a more authentic and accurate experience of these shared spaces.

We want to express our gratitude to the participants of this site visit, which included representatives from the MBTA’s System-Wide Accessibility Department, the City of Boston’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities, the City of Boston’s Street Cabinet, the Boston Transportation Department, and the Institute for Human-Centered Design. Thank you for your time, consideration, and efforts to make our streets safer for vulnerable users.

Please find at the link below a summary of the key observations from our group’s site visit of Tremont Street on April 14, 2025. We have included photos and can provide more examples if that is helpful. We recognize that some of our recommendations outline ideal scenarios. However, any improvement to roadway safety benefits all users. If achieving the ideal is not possible, we should still take action. Slowing down all users minimizes harm in case of conflicts.

Read the PDF report

Introducing new board members

Introducing new board members

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We’ve added new board members who bring valuable skills to the organization: Bill Decker, Rick Plenge, Tanya Roy.

Bill Decker, board member
William Decker
Bill Decker has been a senior human resources executive for 40 years, providing HR solutions to businesses in multiple industries at all phases of their life cycle. He has specific expertise in organizational restructuring and change management, executive compensation, talent strategy, acquisition/retention, leadership and succession planning. He currently serves as Senior Human Resources Executive for Odyssey Systems in Wakefield, Mass. A Boston resident who enjoys the freedom and opportunity to walk instead of driving whenever possible, Bill joined the WalkMassachusetts board in June 2025. He was compelled by the organization’s commitment to providing the environment and infrastructure where people of all ages can safely and comfortably to walk or bike on the streets throughout our communities.
Rick Plenge, board member
Rick Plenge
Rick Plenge is an avid walker and promoter of safe and accessible pedestrian facilities through his work as the New England Active Transportation Service Leader with VHB in Boston. He has worked across North America observing, planning and designing multimodal facilities and is excited to leverage his lived experiences in supporting the vision and values of WalkMassachusetts. He continues to evolve his understanding of emerging pedestrian safety and accessibility best practices through his work on the Transportation Research Board Pedestrian and Bicycle Committees as well as through his role as a National Complete Streets Instructor. He lives in Beverly with wife and three dogs and takes pride in being a consistent top finisher in Beat the Bay State Challenge.
Tanya Roy, board member
Tanya Roy
Tanya Roy spent her professional career in investments before transitioning to the nonprofit sector, where she applies her financial and management background to mission-driven organizations. She served on the board as treasurer of the Wellesley College Students’ Aid Society, which provides financial support to in-need students. She currently serves as treasurer and board member of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, advancing initiatives in voter rights, civic engagement and advocacy. A passionate walker, cyclist, swimmer and runner, Tanya’s involvement with WalkMassachusetts combines her active lifestyle with an organization whose mission she deeply values. Tanya holds a B.A. from Wellesley College and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

We’d also like to thank you to our board members who rotated off the board at the end of their term this June: Paula Gold, Emma Rothfeld Yashar, Carol Steinberg.