Category: Uncategorized

Cummington Walk Audit

Cummington Walk Audit

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The Hilltowns CDC, together with Healthy Hampshire and WalkBoston, are leading a 5-year grant project to promote Age-Friendly Walkability in the Hilltowns Town Centers. Together with community residents and leaders, the team will be conducting a series of walk audits in partnering Hilltowns. The goal of these walk audits is to identify infrastructure improvements and policy changes to make town-center walking safer and more enjoyable for people of all ages in the Hilltowns. The Town of Cummington is one of the partnering communities in this grant project.

Read the full report here.

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, October 2021

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, October 2021

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Each month in 2021, we plan to post about the fatal crashes in Massachusetts from the previous month, and share any trends that we see. For the full list of monthly posts, head here.

Last month, we took a look at the five fatal crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in September. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in October 2021. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Information by Year.” The Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 28 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in October in the MassDOT Crash portal, seven were identified as people walking.
  • The crash portal does not include names. The name of two of the people walking who died have not been made public yet.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in October was 65.
  • At least one of the crashes were hit & runs (as referenced in news articles).
  • The name of the person driving was only identified in one of the crashes in news articles that we found.
  • We could not find any news reports for one of the fatal crashes.
Date 10/4/2021, 9:45 AM
Location 66 Huttleston Ave.
Town Fairhaven
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 77
Sex F

We could not find any news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under MassDOT jurisdiction. This stretch of Huttleston Avenue (State Route 6) is two-way, with 2 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side of the road. The speed limit is unclear in the MassDOT Road Inventory, with 25mph and 35mph both listed.

Date 10/13/2021, 1:30 PM
Location Essex St. + Winter St.
Town Lawrence
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 73
Sex F

The Eagle-Tribune reports that a driver struck and killed 73-year-old Antoquia M. Ruiz Villlona De Anziani in the area of Essex Street & Winter Street in Lawrence. The driver was not identified.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, both of these streets are under local jurisdiction. Each road is two-way, with 1 travel lanes in each direction. It is a 2-way stop, with stop signs for the Winter/Medford Street approach (Winter Street becomes Medford St as it crosses Essex). There is a sidewalk on each side of each road. There is no painted crosswalk over Essex Street. The speed limit is unclear in the MassDOT Road Inventory, and not obvious on Google Street View.

Date 10/14/2021, 6:44 PM
Location North Main St. + Huntington St.
Town Brockton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 54
Sex M

The Enterprise News reports that Joao Fernandes, age 54, died after the driver of a Mel’s ice cream truck struck him at the intersection of North Main Street and Huntington Street. The driver was not identified.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, North Main Street and Huntington Street are both under local jurisdiction. Each road is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a stop sign on Huntington Street as it meets North Main Street. There is a sidewalk on each side of each road. There is a crosswalk across Huntington Street, but no painted crosswalk over North Main Street. The speed limit is 30mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Date 10/16/2021, 10:26 AM
Location Theodore Glynn Way
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 59
Sex F

Lisa Vadeboncoeur was killed and two other people were injured after 46-year-old Kevin McCaffrey struck them on Theodore Glynn Way in Boston. WHDH reported that he has been charged with motor vehicle homicide by operating under the influence of drugs, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Their coverage included a statement from Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins:

“Ms. Vadeboncoeur and the two other individuals injured in this crash were standing well off the side of the road when they were struck,” Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. “My office has been in contact with each of the victims and the loved ones of Ms. Vadeboncoeur. We will continue to be available to provide them and the two surviving victims with the support and resources they may need and that they deserve.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Theodore Glynn Way is under local jurisdiction. It is a one-way road that is 64-feet wide; there is parking on the left side. Street View from November 2020 does not show any lane markings. There is a sidewalk on one side of the road and a shoulder on the other side. The speed limit is not noted in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Date 10/21/2021, 1:55 PM
Location 704 North Quincy St.
Town Brockton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 79
Sex M

A 79-year-old man was struck and killed by a driver on North Quincy Street in Brockton. Neither the driver nor the pedestrian were identified.

The Enterprise News observed that this was the second fatal crash in a week in Brockton.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, North Quincy Street is under local jurisdiction. The road is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side of the road, but there is a large curb cut on one side shared by the Brookfield Plaza and a used car dealer. (The Enterprise News story includes photos of police investigators examining this side of the road/driveways.) The speed limit is 30mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Date 10/26/2021, 6:23 AM
Location Walk Hill St.
Town Boston (Mattapan)
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 47
Sex F

A bus driver hit and killed Jennifer Formichelli and then left the scene at the corner of Walk Hill Street and Blue Hill Avenue. CBS Boston reported that Formichelli was walking her two dogs at the time. Neighbors said one stayed by her side, and the other ran home, alerting neighbors. The Boston Globe reported that bus and driver was not affiliated with Boston Public School system, but the police have located the driver and school bus, and homicide detectives are investigating. The driver was not identified.

CBS Boston also interviewed Fillmore Parris, who was engaged to Jennifer:

He said Formichelli was an English teacher, loved her pets and her family. “She was just an all-around good person.”

“I’m sad but I’m just getting increasingly angry,” Parris said. “I don’t care if you’re driving a tank, you know if you’ve hit somebody, especially somebody that is as visible as her, running with two dogs.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Walk Hill Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road that is 40-feet wide; there is parking and sidewalks on each side, and there is a crosswalk across Walk Hill Street. The speed limit is 30mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory. There is a traffic signal at the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Walk Hill Street.

Date 10/27/2021, 7:38 PM
Location 528 Southwest Cutoff
Town Worcester
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 66
Sex M

66-year old Fabio D’Assis was hit and killed by the driver of a Toyota Highlander SUV. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette cited a police spokesperson that “the initial investigation indicates the driver approached the Auburn/Worcester line and saw the pedestrian, but was unable to stop in time.” The driver was not identified, but is described as a 42-year-old Sudbury woman.

The T&G story locates the crash near 557 Southwest Cutoff, while the MassDOT Crash Portal lists 528 Southwest Cutoff. 557 Southwest Cutoff is closest to the Auburn/Worcester line referenced in the article, so the Google Streetview included below reflects that section of road. There is a grocery store plaza on one side, with housing on the other side of the road.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Southwest Cutoff is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way road that is 48-feet wide, with 2-lanes in each direction; there are sidewalks on each side. The speed limit is 35mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

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 . WalkBoston 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.

Yearly trackers:  |||||

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).

Poll: 64 percent consider making streets safer for walking “very important”

Poll: 64 percent consider making streets safer for walking “very important”

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Poll: Boston-area voters support changes to local streets, 64% consider making streets safer for walking “very important”

Good news! The MassINC polling group found that voters support changes to local streets, even if it means less space for cars. On top of that, 64% of people surveyed think it is VERY IMPORTANT to make streets safer for walking, while 39% of people surveyed said they will walk MORE than they did before the pandemic. Read more about it on Streetsblog MASS.

What’s this mean?

Today’s MassINC poll shows that voters love these efforts, and want to see more. The poll results reflect what we’ve been hearing as we’ve with people across Massachusetts over the last year: people want to be able to walk in their neighborhoods, but need to be able to cross the street safely. 

What can you do today to help? Comment on the CIP 

Communities big and small across the Commonwealth have re-examined how their streets can be used over the last year thanks to the MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces program, and we’ve got good news: there is funding in the 2022 Capital Investment Plan (CIP) for it to continue.

Send in a quick note of support for the Public Realm Improvements Grant Program. That is the 2022 CIP name for MassDOT’s Shared Streets and Spaces program that was launched as a pilot this past year and has been WILDLY successful. (Check out our list of all the projects that cities and towns committed to implementing through Shared Streets and Spaces so far.) MassDOT extended the deadline for public comments on its draft FY2022 CIP to next Monday June 14th.

Here’s how to comment:

  • View a StopyMap of the CIP here, click “Public Comment” from the Table of Contents to send a message through the comment form. Click the big blue “General Comment” button to write your message.
  • Prefer to comment another way? You can email MassCIP@state.ma.us, or send a letter to: Capital Investment Plan, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 4160, Boston, MA 02116

More about the Public Realm Improvements (aka Shared Streets and Spaces)* This program will continue a successful initiative launched in FY 21 to provide grants for cities and towns to launch or expand improvements to sidewalks, curbs, streets, on-street and off street parking in support of public health, safe mobility, and commerce in their communities. $20 million has been authorized in the transportation bond bill, with $4 million in 2022 capital funding. *The authorization for Public Realm is reflected in the 2022 CIP as a new Shared Streets and Spaces program. (Source: DRAFT 2022 Capital Investment Plan, page 22)

Thanks for your support of safe walking and safe streets!

One Minute, One Slide: Racial Inequities in Walking & Gateway Cities Walkable TOD

One Minute, One Slide: Racial Inequities in Walking & Gateway Cities Walkable TOD

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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 September 23, 2020 on Zoom.

Ayesha Mehrotra

Hi, I’m Ayesha Mehrotra. After interning with WalkBoston last year, I’m thrilled to be back this fall working on a few projects that speak to WalkBoston’s commitment to advocating for every community across Massachusetts, and promoting equity through improving the built environment.

Amongst these projects is a report on racial disparities in walkability. In Massachusetts and across the country, neighborhoods with predominantly Black and brown populations tend to be the least walkable, have among the worst health outcomes, and are already bearing the brunt of climate change. All of these factors are related, and the result of decades of racist planning policies. WalkBoston’s report highlights the mechanisms through which these inequities have persisted and makes specific, actionable recommendations to guide communities and decision-makers who wish to address racial justice.

We’re also partnering with MassINC and UMass through a Solomon Foundation grant to conduct walk audits around transit hubs in 5 gateway cities, and make recommendations for improved streetscapes, as well as social infrastructure like open spaces, public art, and storefronts. Better access to transit is core to advancing equity, and we know the best way to do that is to ensure walkability.

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

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

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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 September 23, 2020 on Zoom. 

Wendy Landman

Aging in your own community is what almost everybody says they want to do. Massachusetts is working to live up to it’s declaration as an age friendly state and WalkBoston is in the thick of things with our age-friendly walking efforts across the state. Almost exactly a year ago today with the mayor and many local residents we were celebrating new benches in Grove Hall as part of Boston’s new WalkBoston-inspired bench program. Research has shown us that plenty of benches are a key ingredient of keeping older adults walking.

We could not have imagined that today our work would have transitioned to zoom and helping communities figure out the best ways to keep seniors active during COVID-19. That could mean creating pop-up connections between senior housing and nearby parks and shopping. Or carrying out walk audits remotely or with video conversations about individual walks.

We are also thinking about the future and have developed a list of our top 8 municipal infrastructure and policy recommendations for age-friendly walking. People from Egremont to Quincy, from Salem to Worcester and Barnstable want to keep on walking as they age in their communities – and WalkBoston is there as a partner for the long term.