On a Nov. 3rd, sightseers, residents, friends, and families ventured out and braved the forecast of rain and wind to gather at Old City Hall and participate in WalkBoston’s scavenger hunt. Teams and individuals alike grabbed their clues and eagerly set off within the Downtown Boston area to search the sidewalks and uncover embedded images/phrases. Fun wrapped up with a bit of history sums it up as participants hunted for over a dozen items: the lyrics to the “Tea Tax,” a plaque commemorating the building of the first subway in America, and many more. The two-hour hunt ended with a celebration of food, drinks and announcement of four winning teams: Ali’s Alley Explorers, Lovely Ladies, Spark, and The Sidewalk Raptors.
The winners: Ali’s Alley Explorers!
Thanks to our staff, board members, and volunteers who put this event together and our co-sponsors MP Boston and the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, who generously invested their resources promoting our event.
Lastly, we thank all the local businesses that donated prizes for the event: Synergy Investments, Hyatt/Downtown Boston, Zipcar, Roche Bros., Sweet Bakery, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Serafina Boston, Boston By Foot, Freedom Trail Foundation, Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, and Zoo New England.
We led a walk two years ago in November 2016 from near the Broadway T Station (meeting at Dorchester Ave & W 2nd Street) that walked toward the Fort Point area. The route went by the proposed GE Headquarters site and highlighted gaps in the pedestrian network at Cypher Street that neighbors in the area have been trying to shine a light on. One of our guest speakers on the walk described a project that would include improvements for Cypher Street that was proceeding toward 25% design.
There is now a public hearing scheduled to take place at the Condon School on November 13 at 6:30pm:
“The proposed work includes new sidewalks and pavement, street lighting, traffic signal systems, improved drainage, accessibility ramps and crosswalks, separated bike lanes, new pavement markings, signing and landscaping in accordance with current state and federal standards.”
Corner of Haul Road & Cypher Street
The full announcement from MassDOT can be found below. We encourage you to go and speak up for safe walking!
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Department of Transportation Highway Division – Notice of Public Hearing
A Design Public Hearing will be held by MassDOT to discuss the new Cypher Street Improvements, including Richards Street, E Street and Fargo Street in the Seaport District of Boston, MA.
WHERE:
Condon School, 200 D Street, Boston, MA 02127
WHEN:
Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 6:30 PM
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with the opportunity to become fully acquainted with the proposed improvements to the streets listed above. All views and comments made at the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible.
PROPOSAL:
The project will include improvements for truck access to Massport’s Conley Terminal, and expand/improve multi-modal transportation connections through the corridor. The proposed work includes new sidewalks and pavement, street lighting, traffic signal systems, improved drainage, accessibility ramps and crosswalks, separated bike lanes, new pavement markings, signing and landscaping in accordance with current state and federal standards.
A secure right-of-way is necessary for this project. Acquisitions in fee and permanent or temporary easements may be required. MassDOT is responsible for acquiring all needed rights in private or public lands. MassDOT’s policy concerning land acquisitions will be discussed at this hearing.
Written views received by MassDOT subsequent to the date of this notice and up to five (5) days prior to the date of the hearing shall be displayed for public inspection and copying at the time and date listed above. Plans will be on display one-half hour before the hearing begins, with an engineer in attendance to answer questions regarding this project. A project handout will be made available on the MassDOT website listed below.
Written statements and other exhibits in place of, or in addition to, oral statements made at the Public Hearing regarding the proposed undertaking are to be submitted to Patricia A. Leavenworth, P.E., Chief Engineer, MassDOT, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Roadway Project Management, Project File No. 608807. Such submissions will also be accepted at the hearing. Mailed statements and exhibits intended for inclusion in the public hearing transcript must be postmarked within ten (10) business days of this Public Hearing.
Project inquiries may be emailed to dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.us
This location is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats, such as audio tapes, Braille and large print), as available. For accommodation or language assistance, please contact MassDOT’s Chief Diversity and Civil Rights Officer by phone (857-368-8580), fax (857-368-0602), TTD/TTY (857-368-0603) or by email (MassDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us).
Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting, and for more difficult to arrange services including sign-language, CART or language translation or interpretation, requests should be made at least ten (10) business days before the meeting.
In case of inclement weather, hearing cancellation announcements will be posted on the internet at http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/
JONATHAN GULLIVER PATRICIA A. LEAVENWORTH, P.E.
HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR CHIEF ENGINEER
Event: WalkMassachusetts Network 1st Meeting, 12/1 in Worcester
RSVP now and save the date – December 1, 2018, for our first in-person gathering of the WalkMassachusetts Network at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA. This event is open to any local organizations working on walking!
WalkMassachusetts Network is a free statewide network of advocacy organizations, municipal committees, and community groups working on walking. WalkBoston has established the Network to amplify our collective efforts by strengthening local voices.
This Network is a way for WalkBoston to:
be a resource to you & your community,
give support to grassroots organizations,
make connections between organizations working on similar issues, or in similar parts of the Commonwealth.
We’re launching an online forum as part of this effort to be able to better answer questions & crowdsource other ideas. We’ve started to gather ideas from many of you about what you’re hoping to get out of it. Thank you for your help. Look for it soon!
Thanks to everyone who came for the Charles River “Throat” Site Walk and to hear WalkBoston, the Charles River Esplanade Association, The Charles River Conservancy, Charles River Watershed Association talk about the importance of this section of the pathway and riverbank. The next Task Force Meeting is Wednesday, September 26th. More photos on Facebook, and additional info on the Allston I-90 Interchange Project and UnchokeTheThroat page.
RSVP now and save the date – September 12, 2018 5:30pm – join WalkBoston, the Charles River Conservancy, Charles River Watershed Association, and the Esplanade Association for a site walk of the Charles River path’s “Throat” area. We’ll meet at ‘BU Beach’ (grassy area on Boston University Campus near Marsh Chapel) in front of the pedestrian overpass to the Charles River path, before crossing over to the river side and gathering in an accessible location for very brief presentations. From there, we’ll walk to the first overlook to experience the narrow path and un-parklike existing conditions along the path and view the eroded river bank, before returning to the gathering area for questions and next steps.
This will give you a better understanding of why this narrow stretch has an outsized role in MassDOT’s Allston I-90 Interchange Project — and how it could help #UnchokeTheThroat in the years to come.
Getting to the meet up location by transit:
Green Line ‘B’ Branch – BU Central stop – the roundtrip walk from this location is 1 mile.
#57/57A Bus – Commonwealth Ave @ Granby stop
PLEASE NOTE: The pedestrian bridge from BU Beach to the Charles River Path includes stairs; accessible access to the path is at the Mass Ave Bridge (about 3/4 mile away). The #1 Bus has the closest transit stop to this entrance (~1 block away, Mass Ave @ Beacon stop).
Allston/Brighton Mobility Study Open House later that evening!
After the walk, make sure to attend the BPDA’s Allston Brighton Mobility Study Kick-off Open House (6-8PM, Jackson Mann Gymnasium, 40 Armington St, Allston, MA 02134). The purpose of the study is to identify measures to improve mobility for all modes – transit, bikes, pedestrians, and cars. MBTA and MassDOT staff will also be on hand to explain the Better Bus Study and the Allston Transit Improvement Study for Allston/Brighton and discuss other ongoing initiatives.
For more background on the “Unchoke The Throat” campaign and the Allston I-90 effort at large, see our project page!
On a Nov. 3rd, sightseers, residents, friends, and families ventured out and braved the forecast of rain and wind to gather at Old City Hall and participate in WalkBoston’s scavenger hunt. Teams and individuals alike grabbed their clues and eagerly set off within the Downtown Boston area to search the sidewalks and uncover embedded images/phrases. Fun wrapped up with a bit of history sums it up as participants hunted for over a dozen items: the lyrics to the “Tea Tax,” a plaque commemorating the building of the first subway in America, and many more. The two-hour hunt ended with a celebration of food, drinks and announcement of four winning teams: Ali’s Alley Explorers, Lovely Ladies, Spark, and The Sidewalk Raptors.
