accessibility – Page 3 – WalkMassachusetts

#ClearCurbCuts links

By WalkMassachusetts | March 21, 2018

We’re happy that people have found the need to clear curb cuts an important story. We list media clips on our website, but we’ve listed below some of the social media links and media coverage this particular project received. Please let us know if we missed any others that you’ve seen and we can try and keep this current.

This video was also shared to Twitter & Facebook

Boston Globe: “Letters – Snow removal shouldn’t leave treacherous terrain behind for wheelchair users“
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2018/01/12/snow-removal-shouldn-leave-treacherous-terrain-behind-for-wheelchair-users/yJPfm14Dy8RGCQTcfppWsN/story.html

South End News: “#ClearCurbCuts”
http://www.mysouthend.com/news//news//254529

WCVB: “Snowbanks, ice leave city an obstacle course“
http://www.wcvb.com/article/snowbanks-ice-leave-city-an-obstacle-course/15065097

WBUR: “Mobility Challenges In The Boston Snow“
http://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2018/01/11/mobility-boston-snow

#ClearCurbCuts Letter to the Globe

By WalkMassachusetts | March 6, 2018

To highlight challenges pedestrians face daily, WalkBoston produced a short video showcasing Amy Corcoran Hunt, who uses a wheelchair, navigating curb cuts 5 days after a snowstorm. In just 3 blocks Amy encountered 6 impassable curb cuts. The video was posted on Twitter and Facebook and viewed 55,000 times. WBUR then interviewed Amy, Channel 5/WCVB did a piece on the video, and the South End News featured it on its front cover. A letter to the editor by WalkBoston Board member Carol Steinberg followed:

During these snowy, icy days, we want to remind everybody to keep curb cuts completely cleared at all times so that wheelchair users are able to cross the streets like everybody else. I have often rolled to the end of a shoveled sidewalk, only to find the curb cut blocked with snow.

When my path is blocked and I stop, looking desperate, kind strangers will sometimes attempt to hoist my power wheelchair over the piles or stop traffic to help me cross at a driveway. We certainly cannot rely on the kindness, availability, and possible muscle power of strangers.

We must handle the snow so that everybody can get around.

Excerpt of Boston Globe letter 1/12/2018 WalkBoston Board member Carol Steinberg

This article was featured in WalkBoston’s March 2018 newsletter.
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The pedestrian/transit connection—walking to transit

By WalkMassachusetts | March 6, 2018

By Erik Scheier/Project Manager, MBTA

More than 30 percent of MBTA customers rely on the MBTA bus system for all or part of their daily commute. Almost all bus customers traverse public roads and sidewalks to access their bus service, which serves over 7,600 bus stops. Providing pedestrians with a safe, accessible, and convenient path of travel to and from each bus stop is critical if the MBTA is going to adequately serve the public, including seniors and persons with disabilities.

The MBTA’s Systemwide Accessibility Department (SWA) recently completed an accessibility audit of all bus stops throughout the system. The audit revealed that a significant portion of the MBTA’s bus stops have varying degrees of accessibility and safety deficiencies. WalkBoston has been a very active participant in the advisory committee and with MBTA staff carrying out these audits under the Plan for Accessible Transit Infrastructure (PATI).

It’s not uncommon for a bus stop to be located along a busy roadway where there are no sidewalks present. For a pedestrian to get to the bus stop, they must travel along the edge of the road — often less than a foot from a busy vehicular travel lane. In other cases, bus customers are dropped off on an isolated sidewalk or traffic island without any ramps or sidewalk connections. For someone in a wheelchair, they are literally stranded. A significant portion of bus stops don’t meet ADA requirements; pedestrian ramps are too steep or non-existent and sidewalk paths of travel are blocked.

The MBTA is currently advancing a program that starts to address these deficiencies and dramatically improve walking connections to bus service. Starting this summer, the MBTA will be engaging in a yearlong project to construct improvements at over 140 bus stops located in 20 different communities. These bus stops were identified in the recently completed audit as being the worst bus stops in the system in terms of accessibility.

Improvements will include new sidewalks, curbing, pedestrian ramps, signage, and general path of travel improvements. New crosswalks will be installed at multiple locations and several of these will be provided with flashing beacons or warning signs with flashing LEDs. The project will also include limited construction of bulb-outs, bus shelters, and benches.

Along with removing serious safety hazards and barriers to access, these improvements will improve and enhance walkers’ experience along sidewalks and streetscapes. Reconstructed and fully accessible bus stops with customer amenities will improve the experience of our current customers, and encourage new bus riders.

In addition to the MBTA, 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) provide bus service to cities and towns across the state. WalkBoston is expanding our work to help RTAs meet walkers’ needs. By improving customer conditions at RTA bus stops and stations, we can further expand transit use and reduce driving trips.

Comments on General Electric Headquarters Project SEIR 15547

By WalkMassachusetts | January 20, 2017

January 20, 2017

Matthew Beaton, Secretary
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Attn: MEPA Office
Analyst: Alex Strysky
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114

Re: General Electric Headquarters Project SEIR 15547

Dear Secretary Beaton,

WalkBoston submitted comments on the EA for this project in September, 2016. We made a
number of suggestions about specific improvements that we believe the Proponent might make
themselves, or work with the City to secure, in order to assure comfortable and safe access to and
through the site.

We believe that the GE Headquarters will add vitality and opportunity to the Fort Point Channel neighborhood and to Boston. But, we feel that there is considerable work still required to improve access to the site for the vast majority of employees and visitors who will be arriving on foot.

Necco Street: It appeared to us from the drawings provided in the EA that the sidewalk was to be widened to 12’ in some areas, but narrowed to allow for vehicular drop-off at the main entrance.
The response in Comment 8.4 was that the designs would in keeping with the guidelines of Boston Complete Streets, which calls for a minimum of 8’ wide sidewalks in Downtown Commercial or Mixed-use Districts. Based on further conversations with the project team we are reassured that
the sidewalk at the entrance will largely meet that minimum standard. We hope that the proponent will also:

• Ensure that the narrower portions of the sidewalk not be encumbered with street
furniture or signage and thus remain unobstructed for walkers; and
• Create the pull-outs for vehicle drop-off in locations that are offset from the building
entrances so that there is ample space for people entering and leaving the buildings.

Necco Street Crosswalk: In Comment 8.7 we asked if there would be a crosswalk from the
Headquarters Building to the Necco Street Parking Garage. The following response was provided that does not answer the question: “The project incorporates substantial sidewalk improvements and pedestrian ramping to accommodate ADA compliant crossings.” Since the garage is likely to attract many people going to the GE building, a crosswalk aligned with its single entrance would seem to be appropriate

Accessible Routes to the Site: Comments 8.8, 8.9, 8.10 and 8.11 asked that the Proponent work
with the City and with other property owners in the neighborhood to improve the walking route
from South Station to the site via Summer Street, particularly for people with disabilities who will
not be able to use the stairway that connects Summer Street to the Harborwalk and then to the
main entrance of this project. The response provided in the EA was, ”The Proponents cannot
orchestrate improvements off the Project Site.”

WalkBoston’s comments were made because along the direct route from the Proponent’s main entrance to Summer Street there is no complete or accessible sidewalk. With a projected 70% mode share of walk and transit trips (which are thus also walking trips) this issue deserves careful attention. We believe that GE is very interested in working to remedy this situation in concert with the City and with its new neighbors. We urge GE to work with the City to solve this accessibility
problem before construction is completed on the Headquarters.

We look forward to working with GE and the City to ensure that pedestrians find a safe, accessible and inviting environment on and around GE’s Headquarters.

We appreciate your consideration of our comments and your responses to them.

Please feel free to contact WalkBoston with questions you may have.

Sincerely,
Wendy Landman
Executive Director

Cc Peter Cavanaugh, GE Project Manager
Elizabeth Grob, VHB Project Manager
Chris Osgood, Boston Chief of Streets

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Davis Thayer Elementary & Oak Street Elementary Walk Audit

By WalkMassachusetts | November 22, 2011

WalkBoston conducted a walk audit in the vicinity of the Davis Thayer Elementary School and Oak Street Elementary School in Franklin, Massachusetts. After a brief discussion about what makes for a walkable community and what kind of elements we would be looking for on the street, the group set out to assess the walking conditions near the school. The audit covered a 1.8-mile loop along public streets.

The walking audit was organized by the Hockomock YMCA in conjunction with Davis Thayer Elementary and Oak Street Elementary as part of a grant from the MetroWest Community Health Foundation. Participants included one WalkBoston staff member and a Hockomock YMCA staff member, three faculty members from Davis Thayer Elementary and one faculty member from Oak Street Elementary.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston’s Franklin Davis Thayer Oak Street WalkAudit