Category: Walk Audit

Walk Assessment Watertown

Walk Assessment Watertown

WalkBoston worked with the Town of Watertown staff and police to identify the assessment study area where pedestrian deficiencies are present. Irving Street was not among the enforcement locations monitored by the Watertown police as part of MassDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Awareness and Enforcement Program. However, in thinking through areas of the Town that are in need of improvements which had yet to be studied in detail, Town staff chose Irving Street as their preferred assessment location. The Irving Street corridor functions as a cut-through for drivers accessing North Beacon Street and Charles River Road. There are few streets that connect through the residential neighborhood to the Charles River. In addition, the location of the assessment was in close proximity to the Perkins School for the Blind and allowed for their participation. This was a great partnership and opportunity to share knowledge and raise awareness of their needs to increase walkability. As a result, Irving Street carries significant volumes of traffic for a relatively narrow, residential street. Watertown staff members are interested in implementing traffic calming strategies, as well as addressing the pedestrian infrastructure needs of this corridor.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-WalkAssessmentFinal-Watertown

Brightwood Neighborhood Walk Assessment

Brightwood Neighborhood Walk Assessment

A safe walking environment is a critical need for the Brightwood community, as 34 percent of neighborhood residents lack access to cars (compared to 18 percent of residents for the City of Spring eld as a whole). As a result, they are heavily dependent on walking or sporadic PVTA bus service to access food stores and other goods and services on nearby West and Main Streets. However, pedestrian connections to local bus stops and destinations outside the neighborhood are severely lacking and unsafe, and walking conditions within Brightwood are often poor as well.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-BrightwoodNeighborhoodWalkAssessment-Springfield

Pearl Street Walk Assessment

Pearl Street Walk Assessment

The City of Somerville has made great progress in both installing new bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the City, as well as instituting more active transportation friendly policies. However, there are many intersections and road corridors that continue to be hazardous for pedestrians and cyclists. The Somerville police department identified several high-priority intersections that are particularly dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists to implement the bike/ped enforcement and awareness program. Many of the identified intersections are in the process of being redesigned.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-PearlStreetWalkAssessment-Somerville

Inman Square Walk and Bike Assessment

Inman Square Walk and Bike Assessment

Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) and WalkBoston led a walk and bike assessment in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Wednesday, November 5, 2014. The assessment is part of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Awareness and Enforcement Program, funded by the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), in association with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The MassDOT program is a collaboration among Federal, State, regional, and local agencies, along with advocacy groups, WalkBoston and MassBike, working to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety in identified high – crash areas.

Inman Square is a vibrant residential and retail district between Harvard Square and Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA. The Square has several well – known neighborhood restaurants, entertainment and retail destinations. People coming to Inman arrive by bike, foot, bus and car. Unlike Harvard and Kendall Squares, Inman Square does not have a Red Line T Station.

Read the full report here:

WalkBoston-InmanSquareWalkandBikeAssessment-Cambridge

New Bedford Walk Assesment

New Bedford Walk Assesment

The City of New Bedford is one of twelve communities participating in the Massachusetts’ Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program. After evaluating clusters in the City’s crash data, the City identified high-priority intersections that are particularly dangerous for pedestrians. Four such intersections were included in the assessment area. In order to help scope out potential remedies to make these intersections safer, WalkBoston conducted a walk assessment in a portion of New Bedford’s central commercial district on October 29, 2014. The walk assessment was conducted from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and was followed by a discussion and debrief with the walk audit participants.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-WalkAssesment-NewBedford