Tag: Framingham

Help MassBike & WalkMass evaluate heat stress in Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, and Revere

Help MassBike & WalkMass evaluate heat stress in Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, and Revere

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MassBike and WalkMass are working with the Boston MPO to analyze corridors in Chelsea, Everett, Revere, and Framingham that have been identified as places that have both high heat and are places where lots of people walk and bike. A series of walk and bike audits took place in August 2025 to help understand how heat impacts people walking and biking along streets in our neighborhoods. To add to our data collection we’re asking people to take self-audits through the forms available for each community so you can walk or bike a route and send in your experiences. 

Are you interested in adding to our data? Please follow these links to access the walking and biking feedback forms:

Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere

(click footnote for other language options)1

What’s a walk/bike audit? 

An audit is a process where a person or group walks or bikes through a designated route (a neighborhood or commercial district) to assess pedestrian/bike accessibility and safety. Various factors are observed and evaluated, including the condition of sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian signals, as well as the presence of amenities like benches, lighting, and landscaping. The goal of a walk/bike audit is to identify barriers or deficiencies that may hinder walking or biking as a mode of transport. Learn more about the walk and bike audit routes in each community below!

Why are we doing this?

Neutralizing Onerous Heat Effects on Active Transportation (NO-HEAT) is a project focusing on reducing the heat that people experience while walking, biking, or rolling. It’s a collaboration between the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the cities of Chelsea, Revere, Everett, and Framingham, and several community partners, including WalkMass, MassBike, Bike to the Sea, and Mystic River Watershed Association.

Why should I do this? 

We appreciate your time and feedback, and we are offering gift cards to local establishments for anyone that takes part.

Audit Routes

Chelsea

Go to the form

Everett Ave (Broadway to Everett Border)  – The route is just under a mile, and crosses from the dense urban area of downtown Chelsea to the Silver Line and Commuter Rail MBTA stop, and newer residential developments along the Everett border.

Broadway (City Hall to Revere Border) – This stretch connects the businesses nearby Chelsea City Hall to the neighborhoods and parks out to Revere and the Mill Creek park. This route also crosses the Chelsea Greenway Community Path, and is a major corridor for trucking and MBTA buses.

Spruce Street (2nd Street to Route 1) – This route travels along the commercial section of Spruce St, connecting to Mystic Mall and passing by government and healthcare buildings.

Everett

Go to the form

2nd Street (From Revere Beach Pkwy to rail road tracks) – This route travels 2nd St through an industrial and commercial area that features a large apartment building.

Northern Strand Community Trail (Wyllis Avenue intersection to Waters Avenue intersection) – The Northern Strand Community Trail is the key corridor for bicyclists and pedestrians that connects Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus, and Lynn. This section focuses on a particularly open segment with little shade that is susceptible to higher temperatures.

Main Street (Oakes Street to Malden Border) – Beginning at Meadows Park / Kearins Playground, this route travels through a residential neighborhood, passing through a few small commercial areas. You can also RSVP here to join a walk on September 25, 5pm.

Framingham

Go to the form

Beaver/Waverly to Beaver/Leland (Seabra Foods to Harmony Grove Elementary) – This travels Beaver & W Harmony Grove Elementary School, connecting Dennison Playground to the area near Sunshine Farm.

Irving/Loring Street (corner of Waverly Street to corner of Herring Ave) – From the major thoroughfare of Waverly Street, this route heads through the residential and business district and heads towards the South Middlesex Correctional Center, to highlight a recent ‘complete streets’ project.

Waverly Street (2nd Street to Cedar Street) – This travels major commercial corridor Waverly St, beginning near the Framingham MBTA station.

Cochituate Rail Trail – Cochituate Rail Trail is a multi-use trail that runs between Framingham and Natick, in the western suburbs of Boston. There may be a site visit to the Framingham end of the trail in late September. Email Brendan Kearney bkearney@walkmass.org to be kept in the loop.

Revere

Go to the form

Revere Street (Route 60 to Revere Beach) – This route focuses on the major destination to/from Revere Beach, and is a heavily used corridor for bicyclists to reach Wonderland MBTA station.

Washington Ave (Beach Street to Fuller Street) – This route connects the Washington Ave corridor to the Northern Strand Community Trail, passing through residential neighborhoods, religious centers, and municipal ball fields.

Malden Street (Route 1 to Vinny’s Food Market) – This route follows Malden St down a residential neighborhood between Disalvo Park at Susan B Anthony Middle School and Route 1. You can also RSVP here for a walk audit on September 17, 3:30pm. 

Please send any feedback or questions to bkearney@walkmass.org or bikeinfo@massbike.org.

  1. Other Language Options
    اَلْفُصْحَىٰ Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    Español Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    आधुनिक मानक हिन्दी Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    Kreyòl Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    简化字 Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere
    Português Chelsea | Everett | Framingham | Revere ↩︎
WalkMassachusetts Announces New Executive Directors Althea Wong-Achorn, Brendan Kearney

WalkMassachusetts Announces New Executive Directors Althea Wong-Achorn, Brendan Kearney

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The new leadership, an expanded Board, and a rebrand to WalkMassachusetts, previously WalkBoston, reflect an organizational vision to make walking safer and easier statewide.

BOSTON (August 2, 2023) – WalkMassachusetts, a statewide pedestrian advocacy organization, today announced Althea Wong-Achorn and Brendan Kearney as the organization’s Executive Directors. The announcement comes on the heels of WalkBoston rebranding as WalkMassachusetts to represent an expansion of the organization’s vision and work, also demonstrated by the appointment of new board members and staff representing cities and towns from Springfield to East Boston to Brockton.

“This is an exciting next chapter for the organization. We are implementing our newly developed strategic plan, expanding our reach statewide, and continuing our advocacy work in support of safe pedestrian infrastructure and public policy,” said Board President Betsy Johnson. “It’s a huge task, and Brendan and Althea have proven over the past year that they are equal to the challenge. They are committed to making WalkMassachusetts’ vision – a Massachusetts where people walking – no matter their race, identity, age, ability, or lived experience – feel safe, connected, and valued on our streets and sidewalks a reality.”

While they are new to the Co-Executive Director roles, Althea and Brendan have collectively spent over a decade at WalkBoston, now WalkMassachusetts, in different roles. Brendan began as the organization’s Communications and Development Coordinator in 2013 and became the Deputy Director in 2019. In 2020, Althea joined as WalkMassachusetts’ Development Director and became Deputy Director of Operations in 2022. 

“The need for equitable streets that promote safer and easier walking for all is ever critical in Massachusetts and the nation,” said Executive Director Brendan Kearney. “I am thrilled to work with Althea to lead WalkMassachusetts’ efforts to promote and advocate for that while encouraging better health, a cleaner environment, and more vibrant communities.”

“People across Massachusetts are stepping up to advocate and work towards solutions for better street designs that promote equitable walking and save lives,” said Executive Director Althea Wong-Achorn. “This is an exciting time for the work towards safer streets, and I am honored to lead and work with Brendan, WalkMassachusetts, other advocacy groups, and communities across the state to provide access and tools to make Massachusetts safer.” 

Brendan is WalkMassachusetts’ advocacy and communications lead. He is a founding member of the City of Boston’s Vision Zero Task Force, and is an appointed member of the Massachusetts Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board (MABPAB) which serves in an advisory role on advancing bicycle and pedestrian transportation for MassDOT and other State Agencies. Brendan is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross. He lives in Framingham with his wife Hannah and their dog Mavis. 

Althea is WalkMassachusetts’ head fundraiser and administrator. Prior to joining the organization, Althea oversaw fundraising and events for both the USS Constitution Museum, where she led a record setting gala, and Boston Children’s Museum, where she created new and innovative events while earning a Best of Boston® award from Boston Magazine. Althea lives in Winthrop with her husband Joe and their dog Daphne, and is a graduate of Colby College.

In recent years, WalkMassachusetts has strengthened its footprint in the region and positioned itself as the state’s primary pedestrian advocacy group, working with over 130 cities and towns across the state to promote equitable and safer streets for people walking. In 2022, the organization launched its annual Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in Massachusetts report, shedding new light on when and why pedestrian crashes are happening across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and how we can reduce or even eliminate pedestrian deaths.

This year’s report showed fatal pedestrian crashes in Massachusetts were up 35%, and more than 70% (72 of 101) occurred in Environmental Justice Neighborhoods. The report is now a tool for auditing regions impacted by traffic crashes and, ultimately, calls upon MassDOT, the legislature, and local municipalities to take immediate actions to create safer streets. WalkMassachusetts also created and leads the WalkMassachusetts Network, a statewide network of advocacy and municipal walking organizations that meets monthly and works to achieve mobility equity across Massachusetts. 

To learn more about WalkMassachusetts’ mission and vision, leadership, and ways to get involved, visit www.walkboston.org 

About WalkMassachusetts
WalkMassachusetts (founded in 1990 as WalkBoston, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) advocacy organization), makes walking safer and easier in Massachusetts to encourage better health, a cleaner environment and more vibrant communities. We have a vision of a Massachusetts where people walking – no matter their race, identity, age, ability, or lived experience – feel safe, connected, and valued on our streets and sidewalks. Our small, committed staff work as a team to make change: whether it’s getting a crosswalk painted in a neighborhood or influencing Massachusetts state policy to make streets safer for all. Key to our effort is the value we place in Community, Equity, and Partnership. www.walkboston.org 

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Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, November 2022

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, November 2022

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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 October; twelve were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in November 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 32 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in November in the MassDOT Crash portal, 9 were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in November was 51.5.
  • At least 3 of the crashes were hit & runs.
  • 2 of the crashes were on the same street in Chicopee less than a mile apart.
Date 11/10/2022, 6:00 AM
Location 68 Franklin St.
Town Framingham
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 62
Sex M

The Framingham Source reports that a 62-year old man was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle around 6am on Thursday morning. 

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Franklin Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is 25mph. 

Date 11/11/2022, 10:21 PM
Location 476 Southern Artery
Town Quincy
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 53
Sex M

A 53-year old man was struck and killed at 10:21pm on Friday evening. We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Southern Artery is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with two lanes in each direction and additional left turn lanes at the nearby intersection. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is 30mph. 

Date 11/17/2022, 4:59 AM
Location US-3 NORTH, MM 91.6
Town Tyngsborough
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 26
Sex M

NBC Boston reports that 26-year Felix Romero was struck and seriously hurt at 4:59am in a hit and run crash on Thursday morning. He was standing outside his car after being involved in a minor crash with another vehicle on Route 3 when he was struck. Felix was rushed to a hospital where he died from his injuries.

State police said the driver of the white box truck left the scene of the crash and may have crossed into New Hampshire. 

NBC Boston spoke with his family:

His family is asking the driver to please come forward, saying, “We need you to come forward, we want justice for our son, we want justice for our kid.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, US-3 NORTH is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a full access control highway, with three lanes in each direction and a shoulder. The speed limit is 55mph. 

Date 11/21/2022, 10:45 AM
Location 94 Derby St., Suite 275
Town Hingham
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 65
Sex M

Boston 25 News reports that 65-year old Kevin Bradley, a professional who was onsite supporting recent construction at the Apple store, was struck and killed by 53-year old Bradley Rein, the driver who crashed his SUV through the Apple Store’s glass facade at Derby Street Shops at 10:45am Monday morning. 19 other people were injured. Officials said it was not clear how fast the vehicle was traveling. 

Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz announced charges of reckless homicide by a motor vehicle and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

More from Boston 25 News:

Dr. Jason Tracy, Chief of Emergency Medicine at South Shore Hospital, said 17 people in total arrived at the ER suffering from “all types of traumatic injuries,” including head trauma, lower extremity injuries, and “mangled” limbs.

Tracy added that some of the victims were immediately taken in for surgery and that others will eventually need to be operated on. A number of those patients sustained life-threatening injuries, according to Dr. Chris Burns, the hospital’s trauma chief.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Derby Street is under MassDOT jurisdiction. However, this crash did not happen on MassDOT’s section of the roadway, it happened in the Derby Street Shops parking lot and into the Apple Store building, which is private property. There are trees and bushes, a large patio, and sidewalk between the parking lot and the building. The speed limit for the parking lot is unclear.

Date 11/21/2022, 7:16 PM
Location 108 Forest Ave.
Town Brockton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 50
Sex M

The Enterprise News reports that 50-year old Carlos Brito was struck and killed in a hit and run crash by the driver of a Nissan Murano SUV vehicle around 10pm on Monday evening. The driver left the scene and is still at large. 

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Forest Ave is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is 30mph. 

Date 11/26/2022, 10:45 AM
Location 221 Cocasset St.
Town Foxborough
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 57
Sex M

WCVB reports a 57-year old Michael Shaw was struck and killed by the 35-year old driver of a vehicle around 10:45am on Monday morning at the T-intersection of Cocasset Street and Oak Street. 

A Boston.com article references Facebook comments about the intersection:

On Facebook, several locals commented to urge police to have the town put in a traffic light at the intersection of Cocasset and Oak Streets.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Cocasset Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one side along both Cocasset and Oak Streets, with a crosswalk at the intersection connecting the sidewalks. A flashing yellow/red light at the T intersection can be seen on Google Street View, with a stop sign at the Oak Street approach to the intersection. The speed limit is unclear, with 40mph and 35mph both listed in the database. 

Date 11/28/2022, 5:52 PM
Location 552 Chicopee St.
Town Chicopee
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 68
Sex M

Western Mass News reports that 68-year old William Matteson was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle on Chicopee Street in Chicopee after 5pm on Monday evening. 42-year-old Benjamin Goraj of Chicopee was arrested on charges including motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence and operating under the influence (third offense).

Reporters spoke to Phylisity Sherokow, who lives nearby:

“This street, everybody’s speeding all the time,” Sherokow said. ” I think the police are trying their best to enforce the speed laws, but it’s Chicopee Street. People are flying down it at all hours of the day and night, and I walk to the stores myself sometimes. My husband, my family, we walk to the stores, just to get some fresh air, get a little walk, and it’s really sad.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Chicopee Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is 35mph. 

Date 11/29/2022, 7:48 PM
Location I-190 NORTH, MM 4.6
Town West Boylston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 21
Sex F

A 21-year old woman was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle around 8pm on a Tuesday evening. We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, I-190 NORTH is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a full access control highway, with three lanes in each direction and a shoulder. The speed limit is 65mph. 

Date 11/30/2022, 4:55 PM
Location 945 Chicopee St.
Town Chicopee
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 62
Sex M

MassLive reports 62-year old Gary Turcotte was struck and killed in a hit and run by the driver of a vehicle around 5pm on Wednesday evening. The driver left the scene. This crash is less than a mile from a fatal crash that happened two days earlier on Chicopee Street at a similar time of evening.

Chicopee Street resident Susan Santoro started a handwritten petition — signed by over 400 people — asking for better traffic safety, including the installation of speed tables. From Western Mass News:

Santoro knew both victims well and she lives on Chicopee Street herself. She said over the past few years she’s lived there, she’s had serious concerns about drivers. “They will not stop for you. Even though the pedestrians have the right of way, you don’t have a right-of-way on this street,” Santoro noted.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Chicopee Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is unclear, with 25mph and 35mph both listed in the database. 

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, January 2022

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, January 2022

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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. We will be releasing a year in review for 2021 in the coming weeks to highlight common issues.

Last month, we took a look at the four fatal crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in December. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in January 2022. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Crash Information.” The Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 27 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in January in the MassDOT Crash portal, nine were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in January was 52.2.
Date 1/1/2022, 7:54 PM
Location US-3 NORTH, south of EXIT 78
Town Billerica
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 43
Sex M

Joseph Francois, age 43, was struck and killed by a 2016 Ford F-150 that was being driven by a 25-year-old Billerica man. WCVB reports that Joseph had been a passenger in a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox that was pulled over in the breakdown lane.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a limited access highway, with a median and 3 travel lanes in each direction. The speed limit is 55mph.

Date 1/4/2022, 6:00 PM
Location 577 Belleville Ave.
Town New Bedford
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 54
Sex M

A 54 year old man was hit and killed in New Bedford. 1420 WBSM (New Bedford’s News-Talk Station) shared that according to a police department spokesperson, the man was apparently crossing the street near Belleville Avenue and Nash Road at around 6 p.m. when he was struck by a car.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, both Belleville Avenue and Nash Road are under local jurisdiction. Belleville Avenue is two-way, with 1 travel lanes in each direction. Nash Road is two-way,with 1 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides of each street. There is a crosswalk across Nash Street. The speed limit is not indicated for either street in the Road Inventory.

Date 1/6/2022, 7:13 PM
Location 450 Highland Ave.
Town Salem
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 41
Sex F

A 41 year old woman was hit and killed near Walmart in Salem on Rt 107 / Highland Avenue. WCVB shared that “a preliminary investigation found the woman was crossing the street in front of the Walmart when she was hit by a southbound 2021 Honda Accord in the left lane…several busy stores are located in the area, including a Walmart and a Dunkin’. There is no crosswalk at that intersection.”

The MassDOT Crash Impact Portal’s mapping tool displays the crash location as along the side of the roadway near the entrance to the Walmart Plaza.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There is a median and 2 travel lanes in each direction. There is an additional left turning lane and right turning lane into the Walmart lot at the signalized intersection.  The speed limit is 35mph.

Date 1/10/2022, 5:15 PM
Location 179 Vernon St.
Town Worcester
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 72
Sex M

A 72 year old man was hit and killed at the corner of Vernon Street and Upsala Street in Worcester, the Telegram & Gazette / Yahoo Finance reported. The victim was unconscious at the scene and taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he later died.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, both Vernon and Upsala are under local jurisdiction. Each street is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides of each street. There is a crosswalk across each leg of the intersection. There is a bus stop sign visible on Street View. The speed limit is not indicated for either street in the Road Inventory.

Date 1/17/2022, 9:01 PM
Location California Ave. + Worcester Rd.
Town Framingham
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 48
Sex M

A 48 year old man was hit and killed near the intersection of California Avenue and Worcester Road (Route 9) in Framingham.  CBS Boston shared that “the driver of the 1986 Mazda RX7 was headed west in the left lane when it’s alleged that he hit the pedestrian and then crashed into the center median.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Worcester Road/Rt 9 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a partial access control roadway, with a median and 3 travel lanes in each direction. There are 2 additional left turning lanes on Rt9 eastbound and a right turning lane on Rt9 westbound to access California Street at the signalized intersection. The speed limit is 45mph.

There is a crosswalk to cross California Street, but there are no crosswalks at this signalized intersection to cross Worcester Rd/Route 9.

Date 1/19/2022, 6:29 PM
Location 1188 Main St.
Town Wakefield
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 69
Sex F

Wakefield Patch reported that a woman in her 60s was struck and killed by the driver of a Nissan Frontier truck on Main Street near Cibo Cafe & Bistro and the post office.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction and parking on each side. The speed limit is 30mph.

Residents have formed a Safe Streets Working Group, and meet the 4th Wednesday of Each Month at 7pm; the group had been speaking with DPW members the evening of the fatal crash.

Date 1/26/2022, 4:01 PM
Location Lindelof Ave. (SR-139) + SR-24 NORTH onramp
Town Stoughton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 21
Sex F

A person was hit and killed on Lindelof Avenue (State Route 139) in Stoughton near the Rt 24 interchange.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this section of Lindelof Avenue near the interchange is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It has a median and 2 travel lanes in each direction along with on/off ramps. There are no sidewalks. There is no shoulder after the on ramp meets the roadway. The speed limit is 40mph.

Date 1/27/2022, 2:26 PM
Location 50 Pine Cone Dr.
Town Yarmouth
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 76
Sex F

CapeCod.com reports that a 76 year old woman was struck and killed by the driver of an SUV near Pine Cone Drive and Rainbow Road in Yarmouth.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street with a four way stop signed intersection. There are no sidewalks. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date 1/29/2022, 12:33 AM
Location 34 Fairview Rd.
Town Canton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 46
Sex M

MassLive reports that 46 year old John O’Keefe was hit and killed when his girlfriend Karen Read backed her SUV into him:

Prosecutors said Wednesday that they believe Karen Read backed her car into her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, hours before he was found in the early snow drifts of Saturday’s nor’easter, suffering injuries that would later kill him.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one side. The speed limit is 30mph.

First snow storm of the season: January 2022

First snow storm of the season: January 2022

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Today, January  7th, marks one of the first significant snow storms of this season with some areas seeing close to a foot of snow. 

WalkBoston has been advocating for sidewalk snow removal for many years as part of our work to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility when it snows. Snow and ice present significant challenges to pedestrians. Cleared sidewalks are critical for people to access everyday goods and services, and are particularly vital to people with disabilities and to seniors. 

Though snow clearance is a challenging task for municipalities, regional transit authorities, and property owners due to the mix of responsible parties, and the unpredictable and episodic nature of the need – we know and have seen that it is not an impossible feat to clear snow for cars and there is an urgent need to be prioritizing the removal of snow from sidewalks all the same. 

We are excited and encouraged by the renewed energy to include sidewalks in snow removal plans by many more communities this winter. We’d love to hear what your community is doing, and highlight it in a future post. Get in touch with us.

Community Spotlight: Somerville 

The City of Somerville announced their sidewalk snow removal pilot program for the 2021-2022 winter season (fiscal year 2022). Somerville’s pilot includes the entirety of Broadway Ave. and School St. which represents about 8.5 miles of sidewalk, 200 crosswalks, 350 sidewalk ramps, and 70 bus stops, and the hope is that the pilot will shed light on the costs and the logistics of expanding this service in the future. The pilot will start with the next snow storm so that the City and its new administration can work through logistics of the first snow emergency of the year.

City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, who was involved in legislative advocacy efforts to ensure the City’s budget would include funding for a small sidewalk snow removal pilot, highlights that “the hope with this pilot would be to answer the empirical question of what works the best.” Somerville faces problems with the enforcement of sidewalk snow removal where absentee landlords or developers on vacant lots have likely decided that the cost of a ticket for non-compliance is not a big deal. Coupled with the fact that some property owners (or renters) may be physically unable to remove snow, a walk through Somerville during or after a snow storm can be treacherous for some or keep others confined to their home because it is unsafe. Ewen-Campen is hopeful and encouraged by the renewed focus on sidewalk snow removal by many communities across the state, citing that COVID-19 likely brought the issue to the forefront for many people who were staying home: “Cities learn from each other, this is not impossible and we can decide to do it.” 

Funding for Snow Removal Equipment Now Available Through MassDOT’s Shared Streets and Spaces Program

While the creation of a sidewalk snow removal plan is only one small step in actually removing snow from sidewalks in the winter, another obstacle many communities (especially smaller ones) face is that of purchasing equipment. Commercial grade equipment to remove snow from sidewalks can run anywhere between $5,000 to $25,000 or more and amidst a surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, many communities are already stretched thin. However, with the opening of the next grant round of the MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Program, there is hope for communities for whom a capital purchase of equipment has been holding them back from creating a sidewalk snow removal program. 

MassDOT will be adding an ‘equipment’ category to the program — which will operate separately from the other categories and will not exclude a municipality from receiving another award — for up to $50,000 to allow for the purchase of equipment (such as sidewalk snow plows) that will assist municipalities in aligning their mobility efforts with the goals of the program. The next round of applications for the program opens on January 10th. 

Of course, Somerville is just one of 351 municipalities in the state and a handful of others have had sidewalks included in their snow removal plans for some time. In Newton, City Councilor Andreae Downs wrote about the steps it took to establish a snow clearing ordinance.  In Framingham, the City is responsible for plowing approximately 84.5 miles of sidewalk in and around key areas such as schools, city-owned buildings, the commuter rail, and business districts.  As WalkBoston continues our advocacy work around sidewalk snow removal and hopes to put together sidewalk snow clearance guidance and resources for communities, we’d love to hear more from communities across the Commonwealth that have seen success in their sidewalk snow removal plans and highlight it in a future post. Get in touch with us.