Tag: crosswalks

Lowell – High Street Walk Assessment

Lowell – High Street Walk Assessment

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On Tuesday, September 19, 2017, WalkBoston conducted a walk audit on High Street with support from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) Pedestrian Safety Planning Initiative for High-Fatality Communities. The goal of the walk assessment was to recommend improvements to the local built environment that improve pedestrian safety. The City Engineer, as well as staff from the Police Department, Planning Department, Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee/Mass in Motion, and Economic Development Department attended the audit. A list of attendees is included in Appendix A.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-HighStreetAssessementEOPSS-Lowell

Ellis School Walk Audit

Ellis School Walk Audit

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The Ellis School is concerned about the safety of children walking to school. Students at the Ellis are encouraged to walk to school through Walking School Buses and events such as Walk-to-School Day. However, WalkBoston observed that cross- ing the streets, especially Walnut Avenue, where drivers regularly go 35 mph and over, is unsafe for children. This Walk Audit recommends street changes to slow traffic.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-WalkAudit-EllisSchoolWalkingSafetyReportFinal-Roxbury

Green Elementary School Walk Assessment

Green Elementary School Walk Assessment

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On May 10, 2017, WalkBoston conducted a walk assessment in the vicinity of the William S. Greene Elementary School in Fall River, in partnership with the Fall River Mass in Motion program and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. The goals of the walk assessment were to examine pedestrian safety issues that may preclude children from walking to the Greene School and to recommend improvements to the local built environment that enable safer walking. Support for the walk assessment was provided by MassDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Enforcement and Awareness Program.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-GreeneElementarySchoolWalkAssessmentUPDATED 06-23-17-FallRiver

Comments on Jamaica Pond: Parkman and Perkins Access Enhancement

Comments on Jamaica Pond: Parkman and Perkins Access Enhancement

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May 8, 2017

Commissioner Leo Roy
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Office of Public Outreach
251 Causeway Street, Suite 600
Boston, MA 02114

Re: Jamaica Pond: Parkman and Perkins Access Enhancements

Dear Commissioner Roy:

WalkBoston is very pleased that Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is designing safe pedestrian access to Jamaica Pond from adjacent developments and the larger communities of Brookline and Boston.

WalkBoston Supports the Proposed Signalized Crossings
 As we stated at the Public Hearing on April 11, 2017 WalkBoston strongly supports a signalized crossing at Cabot Estates where residents have for years been pressing for a safe crossing to the pond.

We are pleased that the crossing at Parkman/Perkins will also be signalized and we echo what many others at the hearing said that there is no need for a slip lane at this intersection, and we request that the pork chop be eliminated. Typically, cars turn quickly at slip lanes, ignoring pedestrians.

WalkBoston Recommendations

  1. Shorten traffic signal cycles to 70 seconds
    Traffic signal cycle length will be 110 seconds according to the public presentation speakers. Pedestrians will not wait up to two minutes to cross a roadway. With this fact in mind, WalkBoston as well as other advocates such as Livable Streets is asking the City of Boston and state agencies such as DCR to develop shorter signal cycles of no more than 70 seconds. We are assuming from the presentation that the traffic signals are exclusive, but we would like to have the plans so we can review them.
  2. Undertake additional traffic calming measures
    Traffic often speeds on the Pond’s perimeter because there are few intersection streets. To slow traffic WalkBoston recommends lane widths be reduced from 11’ to 10’.
  3. Utilize white reflectorized thermoplastic crosswalk markings of a ladder design.
    The state standard of two parallel lines does not provide enough visual warning to motorists.
  4. Enhance pedestrian access to the west side of Jamaica Pond.
    The optional path is a pedestrian desire line and if constructed would addresses drainage and erosion.

WalkBoston is very pleased that these long-­awaited access improvements are coming to fruition. We look forward to working with DCR on this and other vital pedestrian safety access projects throughout Greater Boston.

Sincerely,

Wendy Landman                           Dorothea Hass
Executive Director                         Sr. Project Manager

Huntington Village Center Walk Audit

Huntington Village Center Walk Audit

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Volunteers and staff members in the Town of Huntington responded to a Healthy Hampshire Request for Proposal for walkability project funding. The focus of Huntington’s proposal was the planning and construction of a “River Walk” along the Westfield River to better connect residents and visitors with the natural assets in the region. The proposal also suggested an analysis of the safety and quality of existing walking routes currently used by senior walking groups and running groups in Huntington. These routes include the proposed River Walk site.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-WalkAudit-HuntingtonVillageCenter-Huntington