walk audit – Page 3 – WalkMassachusetts

Main Street and Union Street West Springfield Walk Audit

By WalkBoston | January 7, 2022

On Monday, November 15, 2021, with an invitation from the Town of West Springfield’s Mass in Motion coordinator, Becky Basch, Senior Planner at the Pioneer Valley Commission, WalkBoston led a walk audit focused on the areas surrounding Main The Town of West Springfield, and this residential area, is home to a diverse population with many languages and cultures represented.

The purpose for this walk audit was to follow up on a Park Access Project completed through the Mass in Motion program in 2019, that found that the Merrick neighborhood has the highest density of residential development and the smallest amount of park land available to residents in the immediate areas. As the Town has plans to make improvements on Main Street in 2022, the Department of Public Works is open to including recommendations from the Walk Audit in its plans. The Town is also planning to make improvements on Union Street in the next few years and is looking to improve connections for bicycle users to current projects on Memorial Ave and Park Drive.

The walk audit included portions of Main Street and Union Street that are home to popular markets, a food pantry, a charter school, Ascentria Care Alliance, and Main Street Playground. The recommendations provided in this report are broken down into both short- and long-term recommendations, which can provide temporary traffic calming measures and improved pedestrian infrastructure while more long-term interventions are planned.

Read the full report here.

Cummington Walk Audit

By WalkBoston | December 16, 2021

The Hilltowns CDC, together with Healthy Hampshire and WalkBoston, are leading a 5-year grant project to promote Age-Friendly Walkability in the Hilltowns Town Centers. Together with community residents and leaders, the team will be conducting a series of walk audits in partnering Hilltowns. The goal of these walk audits is to identify infrastructure improvements and policy changes to make town-center walking safer and more enjoyable for people of all ages in the Hilltowns. The Town of Cummington is one of the partnering communities in this grant project.

Read the full report here.

Upper Hill Neighborhood Walk Audit Springfield

By WalkBoston | August 12, 2021

On June 10, 2021, WalkBoston and Way Finders conducted a walk assessment with Springfield community members as part of the Mass in Motion grant program in the Upper Hill neighborhood. The goal of the walk audit was to identify areas of improvement in the built environment, with special focus on ADA compliance issues. Residents voiced concerns about making Upper Hill a safer, more welcoming neighborhood for all people, especially for the elderly, children, and people with mobility issues.

Read the full report here.

Downtown Haverhill Virtual Walk Audit

By WalkBoston | June 17, 2021

On May 27 and June 17, 2021, WalkBoston and MassINC conducted a virtual walk assessment with community members in the downtown Haverhill area as part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Mass in Motion grant program, with support from the Solomon Foundation. The two main goals of the Gateway Cities walk audit project are to effect change at the local level to work towards safer, more enjoyable streets and to inform state policy and legislation to prioritize budgetary investment in Gateway Cities across the Commonwealth.

Read the full report here.

Blandford Village Center Walk Audit

By WalkBoston | June 17, 2021

On April 30, 2021, WalkBoston and Blandford community members conducted a walk assessment of the village center area. The Hilltowns CDC, together with Healthy Hampshire and WalkBoston, are leading a 5-year grant project to promote Age-Friendly Walkability in the Hilltowns Village Centers. In partnership with community residents and leaders, the team will be conducting a series of walk audits in partnering Hilltowns villages. The goal of these walk audits is to identify infrastructure improvements and policy changes to make village-center walking safe and enjoyable for people of all ages in the Hilltowns. The town of Blandford is one of the partnering communities in this grant project.

Read the full report here.