Category: WalkMass Network

Upcoming WalkMassachusetts Network Learning Opportunities

Upcoming WalkMassachusetts Network Learning Opportunities

The WalkMassachusetts Network Zoom calls take place on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 1pm, and generally are topic focused with a guest speaker. We’re excited to announced August, September, October, and November’s speakers!

Can’t attend mid-day, but really interested in one of the talks below? Don’t worry: each talk/presentation will be recorded so we can share it afterwards. We’ll stop the recording before Q&A as we have the last few months to encourage open discussion. Recordings are posted to our YouTube channel and linked on our website at the bottom under “past events.”

Quick RSVP links are here, full descriptions below and on the WalkMassachusetts Network page.

August 16th: Register for 8/16 1pm on Zoom.
All Things Pedestrian & Traffic Signals

Based on recent conversations on the WalkMassachusetts Network Google Group, we’ve lined up a speaker for August who is very knowledgeable about traffic signals! Come with your signal questions, and be ready to learn about RRFBs, accommodating slower peds, ped recall, protection from concurrent conflicting turns, and more, including Boston’s new traffic signal policy which has enormous improvements for pedestrians.
Speakers include: Peter G. Furth, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University

September 20th: Register for 9/20 1pm on Zoom.
Piecing together, the Mass Central Rail Trail. It is like putting Humpty Dumpty together again.

This is the longest and most complicated former RR corridor to reassemble in New England. Running from Northampton to Boston, it has been a 40+ year journey so far. It is the longest developing rail trail in New England. Today we have 59 of the 104 miles open as a trail. 90.5 miles are in a protected status.
12 miles are currently under construction. In two-years we are likely to have 75 miles open. https://www.masscentralrailtrail.org/ Within 150 miles of Northampton, MA lies the densest network of former steam railroad corridors in the United States. A report by MassDOT showed that the MCRT can be completed, but it begs the question: What would a completed 100 mile long walking and biking trail mean to the Commonwealth? That is what we’ll be talking about on Sept 20th.
Speakers include: Craig Della Penna
Craig is the author of 5 books, the forwards to several more, op-eds in numerous newspapers and in the past few years, 5 books have been written that feature him in them as a case study in various realms. Including two about his innovative real estate practice; specializing in the sale of houses near rail trails. He is the first Realtor in the US to specialize in this niche. He and his wife Kathleen, also operate an award-winning bed & breakfast that sits 8 feet from the now rail trail, in Northampton’s historic Civil War era industrial village of Florence. He has given over 1,200 lectures in 21 states on various topics related to the conversion of former RRs into linear parks known as rail trails.

October 18th: Register for 10/18 on Zoom.
Vacant to Vibrant: Creating Walkable Neighborhoods with Social Infrastructure

Making an area walkable requires paying attention to more than what is on the street—also critical is what happens on the edges. Having good civic spaces creates communities that are strong and resilient and neighborhoods that have accessible, walkable destinations.
Speakers include: Aaron Greiner, the director of CultureHouse, will talk about how they use a community-driven model to reimagine vacant storefronts as pop-up community spaces that meet local needs.

November 15th: Register for 11/15 on Zoom.
MA Safe Routes to School

Since 2005, the federally funded Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program has been working to increase safe biking and walking for students grade K-12 by using a collaborative, community-focused approach that bridges the gap between health and transportation. Join this nationally #1 ranked program of MassDOT as we discuss their latest efforts, including the recent inclusion of high schools, driver education materials, and DESE-accreditation for professional development of their pedestrian and bike safety curriculum.
Speakers include: Judy Crocker, Statewide Coordinator, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School – a program of MassDOT.

July 2022 Network Meeting Recap

July 2022 Network Meeting Recap

At the July monthly meeting of the WalkMassachusetts Network, StreetsBlogMASS Editor Christian MilNeil and Reporter Grecia White presented their work to report on transportation issues across Massachusetts, which now includes reporting stories in Spanish and covering a variety of intersectional topics such as public bathroom access and the effects of disrupted T service on riders. 

You can view a recording of the meeting and their presentation here as well as a recording of our May meeting with MassDOT and their presentation on their new speed management guidance. You can read more of Grecia and Christian’s work at mass.streetsblog.org, or contact them here if you’ve got a story to pitch! 

The WalkMassachusetts Network meets every third Wednesday of each month at 1 pm, with the next being August 17, 2022, where the topic of discussion will be public amenities that support walkability — particularly public bathrooms. You can register for next month’s meeting here.

WalkMassachusetts Network: February Meeting Recap

WalkMassachusetts Network: February Meeting Recap

The WalkMassachusetts Network hosted its first virtual network meeting on Wednesday, February 16th. Members ranged from WalkBoston staff and board members, resident advocates from community groups, Mass in Motion coordinators, and representatives on various municipal boards and commissions. Through our introductory discussion, it became clear that there was significant overlap in what topics people were looking to learn about from each other — from holding state agencies accountable on policies and programs that support pedestrians, such as sidewalk snow clearance, to the differences that rural communities face as compared to more urban and suburban communities.

While it is unfortunate that many of the issues advocates are organizing around are present in communities across the Commonwealth, despite the variety in geography, density, and demographics — it is also encouraging that so many individuals are interested in building strong coalitions to advocate for the necessary changes to make Massachusetts more walkable.

If you haven’t already joined, visit walkmanetwork.org to learn more and sign up to receive emails about upcoming events and programming. We also hope you’ll join us for our next network meeting on Wednesday, March 16th at 1 pm! Register here.