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Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, May 2023

Each month, we 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 crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in April; five were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in May 2023. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Crash Information.” Any Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

Of the 33 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in May in the MassDOT Crash portal, 6 were identified as people walking.
The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in May was 44.6.
At least one person was on a sidewalk and two others were in crosswalks when drivers hit & killed them.

Date	5/7/2023, 1:37 PM
Location	Massachusetts Ave. + Cobblestone Cir.
Town	North Andover
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	47
Sex	F

47-year old Angela Desmond was walking on the sidewalk in North Andover when the driver of a Honda Civic struck and killed her. Boston 25 News spoke to a neighbor:

Bill Dolan also lives nearby — and frequently walks his dog along Mass. Ave. Dolan said he’s actually seen vehicles veer up onto the sidewalk, in an attempt to get around drivers making a turn.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Massachusetts Avenue is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides (note: road inventory says 1 side). The speed limit is 35mph.

Date	5/9/2023, 5:30 PM
Location	2 Elm St. South + Main St.
Town	Andover
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	5
Sex	F

5-year old Sidney Mae Olson was struck and killed by the driver of a large truck in a crosswalk in Andover. From WCVB:

The Olson family statement said the girl and another family member were in the crosswalk on Elm Street, and “the walk sign showed it was still safe to cross.”
“As long-time residents of the neighborhood, we’ve followed that route hundreds of times before. The rest was a blur, and Sidney was struck by a truck and killed, leaving an impossible void in our lives,” the family said.

The Eagle Tribute reports that MassDOT was leading a road safety audit in response to the crash:

Technically, MassDOT will be conducting what is known as a Road Safety Audit, which are reviews of existing, or planned roads and intersections, according to the state’s website.
In order to complete the audit, MassDOT is going to begin compiling crash data and other pertinent information as “soon as possible,” according to the MassDOT email to Finegold’s office.
“In an effort to assist the community, MassDOT will be organizing a Road Safety Audit for the location that can be used to determine potential safety countermeasures that could be implemented in the immediate, short and long term scenarios,” the email said.
MassDOT added that state, and local officials and departments will be involved in the audit.
News of the audit comes following a May 11 letter sent by local legislators to MassDOT asking that the state “focus resources on improving pedestrian safety at the intersection.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, each road at this intersection is under local jurisdiction. Elm Street is a two-way street, with three travel lanes in one direction (a channelized right turn lane, one travel lane, and left turn as it approaches the intersection) and one travel lane away from the intersection. There is a sidewalk on both sides. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date	5/14/2023, 7:20 PM
Location	E. Grove St. + Merchants Way
Town	Middleborough
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	15
Sex	M

15-year old Dylan Levesque was struck and killed by the driver of a car while crossing the street at the corner of Route 28 and the shopping entrance to the Hannaford Supermarket plaza in Taunton on Mother’s Day.

From the Taunton Daily Gazette:

Officials said there have been longstanding concerns over the lack of a traffic signal or crosswalk light at the intersection of Merchants Way and Route 28/East Grove Street where Dylan was hit.
Within the vicinity of the shopping plaza, also known as Middleboro Crossing, where Dylan was coming from, are two elementary schools, Middleboro High School and the YMCA.
“There are always kids, walking, riding bikes, families walking to and from the grocery store/shopping center. We need something so these people that aren’t in cars can be safe from cars flying by,” said Erika Rusconi, who started a Change.org petition to get a crosswalk light installed at that intersection.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, E. Grove Street is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one side of the street and a shoulder on both sides. The speed limit is 40mph. A “Do Not Pass” sign is visible on Google Street View.

Date	5/19/2023, 8:42 PM
Location	Water St. + Nichols St.
Town	Fitchburg
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	76
Sex	M

The Telegram & Gazette reports 76-year old Mario Bratkon was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle while crossing the street in a crosswalk in Fitchburg near the Fitchburg/Leominster line.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Water Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 2 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 35mph.

This intersection is at the Leominster / Fitchburg line; on the other side of Nichols Street, Fitchburg’s Water Street becomes Leominster’s North Main Street.

Date	5/20/2023, 2:02 PM
Location	243 Haverhill St.
Town	Reading
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	79
Sex	F

NBC Boston reports a 79-year old woman was struck and seriously injured by the 19-year old driver of a Nissan Rogue. The woman was taken by ambulance to Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington. This crash was categorized as a fatal crash in the MassDOT portal when checked on June 30th.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Haverhill Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one of the street. The speed limit is 35mph.

Date	5/28/2023, 3:11 AM
Location	54 Woodlawn St.
Town	Everett
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	46
Sex	F

A 46-year old woman was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle.The call log of Everett, MA police for May 28th lists “911-FEMALE POSSIBLY STRUCK BY MV.” We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Woodlawn Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk and street parking on both sides of the street. The speed limit is unclear, as it is listed as 99 and not viewable nearby on street view. The default speed limit in Everett is 30mph.

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 2023 list. 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: | ||||| 2022 | 2023
Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)
Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2022)

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).

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, August 2022

Each month, we 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. Earlier this year, we released a year in review for 2021 to highlight common issues.

Last month, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in July; none were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in August 2022. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Crash Information.” Any Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

Of the 43 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in August in the MassDOT Crash portal, twelve were identified as people walking.
The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in August was 54.5.
79-year old Joseph Frederick Ardizzoni was struck and killed in a parking lot in Wilmington on August 29th at 1:22pm. This crash is not included in the federal FARS dataset since it does not meet the NHTSA guideline for FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System). “To be included in FARS, a crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a traffic way customarily open to the public, and must result in the death of a vehicle occupant or a nonoccupant within 30 days of the crash.”

Date	8/2/2022, 7:29 PM
Location	113 Northampton St.
Town	Easthampton
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	60
Sex	F

Date	8/2/2022, 7:29 PM
Location	113 Northampton St.
Town	Easthampton
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	81
Sex	M

MassLive reports that a South Hadley man driving a sedan struck and killed Edward Hanlon, Jr., age 81, and Ilona Murray, age 60, as they were crossing Northampton Street in front of a Burger King.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and a sidewalk on one side of the street. The speed limit is 35mph.

Date	8/2/2022, 9:58 PM
Location	Walnut Ave. + Seaver St.
Town	Boston
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	88
Sex	M

NBC 10 Boston reports that an 88-year old man was struck and seriously injured by a car near the intersection of Walnut Avenue and Seaver Street. Images from the news report and the location on the crash portal map seem to show the crash just beyond the intersection on Columbus Avenue. (Seaver Street becomes Columbus Avenue after it crosses Walnut Avenue.) We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident; the person passed away from the crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. The Google Street View is from July 2019 and does not reflect current conditions; a center running bus lane was added more recently, which can be seen on Google’s overhead view (Screenshot below). There is one general travel lane in each direction, a two way center running bus lane with pedestrian islands on each side for the Walnut Avenue bus stop, and sidewalks on both sides of the street. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 25mph and 30mph in the database.

Date	8/13/2022, 11:37 PM
Location	I-290 WEST, west of EXIT 20
Town	Worcester
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	27
Sex	M

MassLive reports that 27-year old Jamal Mustapha was struck and killed in a hit and run on I-290 by an unknown vehicle, possibly a tractor trailer; he was subsequently struck by other vehicles. None of the vehicles stopped.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There are 3 travel lanes in each direction and a median divider. The speed limit is 50mph.

Date	8/20/2022, 2:45 AM
Location	SR-140 SOUTH, MM 2.6
Town	New Bedford
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	45
Sex	F

The Boston Globe reports that the driver of a Ford F-150 struck and killed 45-year old Joy Swartzendruber, who was standing outside of her Toyota Avalon on the shoulder of the northbound side of the two-lane highway around 2:30 a.m. The driver sideswiped the Toyota and hit Swartzendruber.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There are two travel lane in each direction and a median divider. The speed limit is 65mph.

Date	8/20/2022, 2:58 PM
Location	SR-106, 204 Plymouth St.
Town	Halifax
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	62
Sex	M

The Fall River Reporter shares that a driver struck and killed 62-year old Henry O Ejueyitchie as Henry was crossing Plymouth Street in Halifax around 3pm.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and a sidewalk on one side of the street. The speed limit is 40mph.

Date	8/23/2022, 10:04 PM
Location	US-1 SOUTH at Essex St.
Town	Saugus
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	45
Sex	M

WCVB reports that the driver of a 2014 Nissan Maxima struck and killed 45-year old Carlos Vasquez in the leftmost southbound lane near the Essex Street exit of Route 1. State police investigators believe Vasquez was attempting to cross from the area of a Burger King restaurant to the northbound side, where his girlfriend was waiting for him.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There are three travel lane in each direction, a median divider, and a sidewalk on each side of the street. The speed limit is 50mph.

Date	8/26/2022, 1:21 AM
Location	US-20 EAST, MM 91.6
Town	Brimfield
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	62
Sex	F

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that a 62-year old woman was struck and killed as she walked in the breakdown lane of Route 20 in Sturbridge. (News reports indicate this crash was in Sturbridge, while the details in the crash portal from the police report lists Brimfield; the Brimfield / Sturbridge line is near the crash location.) A preliminary investigation revealed the motor vehicle was traveling eastbound when the driver went into the breakdown lane and struck the person walking.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and a buffered bike lane in each direction. The speed limit is 55mph.

Date	8/27/2022, 1:40 AM
Location	SR-16 WEST + Vine St.
Town	Everett
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	53
Sex	M

The Boston Globe reports that the driver of a 2001 Toyota Camry struck and killed 53-year old Oscar J. Portillo in the westbound right lane, just west of Vine Street.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Route 16 is under MassDOT jurisdiction, and Vine Street is under local jurisdiction. There are three travel lanes in each direction on Route 16, and an additional left turn lane onto Vine Street. There is a median and a sidewalk on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 35mph.

Date	8/27/2022, 10:34 PM
Location	Lowell Connector NORTH, near Industrial Ave.
Town	Lowell
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	29
Sex	M

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

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There are three travel lanes in each direction and a median divider. The speed limit is 55mph.

Date	8/31/2022, 5:59 AM
Location	280 Providence St.
Town	Worcester
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	78
Sex	M

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

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and a sidewalk on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date	8/31/2022, 8:18 PM
Location	273 Pleasant St.
Town	Brockton
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	24
Sex	M

WCVB reports that a young married couple was crossing the street when they were hit. Eddison Matza, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife, Mira Fernanda, 20, is at Boston Medical Center in serious condition.

Witnesses told WCVB the couple was walking across the street after being dropped off when they were hit by a Mercedes sedan, that then was struck by the motorcycles. One of the motorcycles was then hit by another car in the chain reaction crash.

“Since February it’s like the third accident I’m seeing on the same road,” witness Edmar Gonsalves said. “After I heard everything, I went outside and then what I found was a dead person right in front of my house. I can’t even trust the road. I can’t even trust my neighborhood because of the street over there — people driving crazy.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There is one travel lane in each direction and a sidewalk on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 30mph.

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 2022 list. 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: | ||||| 2022
Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)

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).

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, March 2021

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. Last month, we took a look at the 4 fatal crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in February. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in March 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 23 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in March in the MassDOT Crash portal, 7 were people walking. We’ve identified 1 additional fatal incident during March covered in the news media:
- 1 person lost their life in Malden when a mechanic with a suspended license crashed an SUV through the door of an auto body shop and struck her as she was walking on the sidewalk. View a segment from WCVB about 86-year-old Athena Hartwell, who walked this section of sidewalk almost every day with her walker: “Neighborhood mourns woman killed in SUV crash.“
- Updated 4/29/2021: We listed a crash that occurred in Sterling as not being in the portal for March, but this crash occurred in April and is listed. We apologize for the error. We’ve updated this post accordingly.
The crash portal does not include names. The names of 7 of the people walking who died have not been made public yet; unlike previous months in 2021, news articles were more difficult to find for many of these crashes.
The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in March was 59.6.
3 of the crashes all have 12:00AM listed as the time; it is possible data was incomplete when initially submitted.
At least 4 of the crashes were hit & runs (as referenced in news articles).
The name of the person driving was not identified in any of the crashes in news articles that we found.

Date	3/3/2021, 12:00 AM
Location	800 Morrissey Blvd.
Town	Boston
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	56
Sex	M

A 56-year old man was hit and killed on Morrissey Boulevard in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Morrissey Boulevard is under MassDCR jurisdiction. We have not been able to find additional information about this crash.

Date	3/7/2021, 12:00 AM
Location	232 Stafford Rd.
Town	Monson
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	94
Sex	F

A 94-year old woman was hit and killed on Stafford Road. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Stafford Rd/Rt 32 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There are no sidewalks on this road. We have not been able to find additional information about this crash.

Date	3/7/2021, 12:40 AM
Location	Auburn St. + Summer St.
Town	Bridgewater
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	34
Sex	M

Ian Dalgliesh, a 34-year old man, was found unconscious in the roadway at the intersection of Auburn and Summer streets in Bridgewater around 12:40 a.m. on Sunday, March 7. WCVB reported three weeks after that crash that police were still seeking help to find the driver who left the scene. The article noted that the intersection is located in a residential neighborhood, with stop signs located at all four corners.

Google Streetview shows a sidewalk on one side of the street for one leg of the intersection. It also shows a house on the corner with guardrails at the intersection, possibly indicating that drivers have driven recklessly in this area before.

Date	3/10/2021, 7:00 PM
Location	Meadow St. + Chicopee St.
Town	Chicopee
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	53
Sex	M

A Chicopee man was hit & seriously injured in a hit & run crash on March 10th near Rivers Park. He died later in the month from his injuries. The Chicopee Police released photos of a dark colored SUV on March 25th as part of the investigation to track down the driver. While there is a signalized crosswalk near the Meadow/Chicopee PVTA bus stop at one corner of Rivers Park, there are no crosswalks at the intersection of Meadow & Chicopee Streets.

According to Streetview, a crosswalk across Chicopee Street nearby that did not have curb ramps was removed between 2016 & 2017 during street & sidewalk reconstruction at the corner of Chicopee, Margaret & Whitman Streets.

Date	3/12/2021, 9:40 PM
Location	189 Chestnut Hill Ave.
Town	Boston
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	77
Sex	M

A 77 year old man was hit and killed on Chestnut Hill Ave in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood. We have not been able to find additional information about this crash.

Date	3/17/2021, 12:00 AM
Location	511 Broadway
Town	Everett
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	67
Sex	M

A 67-year-old man was hit and killed on Broadway in Everett. We have not been able to find additional information about this crash.

Date	3/25/2021, 8:10 PM
Location	Parker St. + Ellery St.
Town	Springfield
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	40
Sex	M

A 40-year old man was hit and killed on March 25th at Parker Street & Ellery Street in Springfield. Ellery Street is a private way. Parker Street has 2 travel lanes in each direction, and is at least 48 feet wide curb to curb. While WWLP reported breaking news on March 25th that a crash may have involved a motorcycle at this location, we have not been able to find additional information about this crash. [Update, 3/23/2022: this was re-categorized as a motorcycle crash.]

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
DISCLAIMER: The compilation of data is based on preliminary data we receive from a variety of local sources. Some of the data may differ slightly from information provided by NHTSA as this dashboard does not use imputation methods. Information is subject to change when/if updated information becomes available. Data updated daily as reported by police departments.

*Updated 4/29/2021: We listed a crash that occurred in Sterling as not being in the database for March, but this crash occurred in April and is listed. We apologize for the error. We’ve updated the post accordingly.

Comment Letter RE: MEPA 16015 Mystic River Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing

May 13, 2019

Kathleen Theoharides
Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs 100 Cambridge St., Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114

RE: MEPA 16015 Mystic River Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing

Dear Ms. Theoharides:

WalkBoston has worked closely with other community and advocacy groups in support of this proposed bridge over the Mystic River. Because of its critical location at the junction of several lengthy riverside paths, it is of regional significance as a key element in the area’s network of pedestrian and bicycle thoroughfares – a system of facilities that WalkBoston has long supported. The critical nature of the connection is magnified by its potential service as a major walkway between a high traffic generating facility (the casino in Everett) and public transportation (the Assembly Station in Somerville). This new walkway will provide a three- minute walk to public transit (as opposed to a twelve-minute existing walk) and encourage a reduced amount of vehicular traffic in the area.

The Casino operators have supported the proposed bridge with investments of $2,000,000 to date, and have committed to help with further capital funding. We are grateful for this assistance and hope that this provision of private funding will encourage the state to fund a portion of the capital costs, giving the project a higher priority than it now has.

We were surprised that the proposed bridge width has been reduced from 15 feet to 12 feet. Given the impending opening of the casino, the bridge will see a great deal of use by cyclists and walkers who need to share the limited space. Nearly all other pedestrian bridges recently built or under construction by MassDOT exceed this reduced width, adopting a standard that is 14′ or wider. We urge you to adopt the more generous standard that reflects the design standards for 21st century bike and pedestrian bridges. When it is constructed, the bridge will be the only safe, off-road non-vehicular connection between North Shore communities and Boston.

Sincerely,

Stacey Beuttell
Deputy Executive Director

Comments on Width of Northern Strand Community Trail

February 6, 2019

To Kurt Gaertner
Land Policy and Planning Director
MA Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs

Mr. Gaertner,

Thank you for your continued efforts to develop the Northern Strand Community Trail from the Mystic River to Lynn. We are inspired by the leadership and dedication demonstrated by your team and Governor Baker, and we appreciate your extensive community outreach as the pathway is developed over this coming year.

We would like to comment on the inadequate width of the pathway, as it has been presented by the project team, as a contiguous 10’ width for the entire length. The standards set forth in AASHTO and MassDOT’s own separated path design guidelines recommend 10’ only on low-volume pathways, with a recommendation of 12’-14’ for paths with high pedestrian volumes. Based on current and projected usage of the pathway, we believe the Northern Strand Community Trail should adhere to the standard of 12’-14’, or even potentially exceed that, wherever possible. It is important also to note that these path standards do not take into account the emerging technologies of micro-mobility devices and electric bicycles, which will invariably be used for transportation purposes on the Northern Strand. This goal of widening the pathway is to mitigate conflicts between users, and to plan for the area’s expected growth and development that will bring more people out onto the path in the coming years. We believe that the pathway’s intention is to serve the community and provide safe recreation and transportation options, and thus we implore the EOEEA and the project team to widen the pathway.

The communities served by this pathway are dense residential and commercial areas. The communities of Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus, and Lynn are cities and towns that are developing at an expected growth of more than 12% by 2040 (see: MAPC Population Growth Projections). By comparison, many other regional pathways are already strained in capacity due to their narrow designs, and we see issues of narrowness contributing to user conflicts on the Minuteman Bikeway, the Paul Dudley White Bike Path, and the Southwest Corridor. This pathway is also a crucial corridor for the East Coast Greenway, a contiguous route that connects 15 states with 3,000 miles of trails. We can assume the Northern Strand will receive heavy usage, and we must design and build accordingly to ourprojections.

(Population and Housing Demand Projections for Metro Boston:

http://www.mapc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/MAPC-MetroBoston-Projections_ExecSumm-1_16_14.pdf)

Further, as you have heard at every public meeting, the worry about conflicts between bicyclists and pedestrians/joggers is a widely held concern. A wider pathway means a safer pathway, with more room for more people at varying speeds to maneuver and pass safely. We feel that a 10’ pathway is not sufficient to provide space for two-way walkers, joggers, strollers, and bicyclists to co-exist without conflict. Since safety is of paramount concern, especially as this pathway serves users young and old, we recommend widening the pathway to 12’-14’, or alternatively providing separate spaces for bicyclists and pedestrians/joggers where right-of-way allows.

We appreciate how the design and construction of the Northern Strand has a funding limitation set by the Commonwealth’s budget, and this may impact the width of the path by requiring less pavement as a cost issue. However, the cost of additional 2’-4’ of pavement at the onset of construction is considerably less than having to go back and widen the pathway after construction and landscaping has completed. Widening the pathway where possible on Day One only makes financial sense.

Lastly, we should expect the Northern Strand to be used as a commuter route, and thus will have users after dark during the months of October – March (since we live in the Northern Latitudes and the sun sets early in the evening). We ask the project team take into account lighting wherever feasible to provide safe passage for pathway users. Along this argument, we also acknowledge that lighting elements will eventually be installed along certain sections of the pathway, once enough people are using the pathway to provide a safe environment. Thus, we ask that the EOEEA and the project team install conduits for lighting during this initial construction of the pathway where lighting is expected to be installed in the future, to more easily facilitate and lower the cost of installing lighting later on.

We appreciate your consideration of these issues of wider pathway and lighting elements for the Northern Strand. We applaud your team and the leadership for supporting this impactful project, and we look forward to the benefits it will bring the region for better health and wellness, smart growth development, and sustainable transportation connecting these cities and towns.

Sincerely,

Galen Mook, Executive Director, MassBike

Wendy Landman, Executive Director, WalkBoston

Kristine Keeney, New England Coordinator, East Coast Greenway Alliance