walkers Archives - WalkMassachusetts

Event: Chelsea Walk – Eastern Ave to Broadway

We’re looking forward to you joining us for Wednesday evening’s walk (tomorrow). Summer has come early – it will be HOT! Consider bringing water, a hat for shade, and wearing comfortable clothing. If you’re meeting us in Chelsea, we’ll gather by the multi-use path at the Eastern Ave Station around 5:30pm. Look for people with WalkBoston signs!

If you are taking the Silver Line from South Station, meet us at 5pm on the Silver Line platform, where a group will take the SL3 to meet everyone else in Chelsea. If you miss us, don’t panic! Just hop on the next SL3. The bus is scheduled to run every 10 minutes from 4-6pm (and every 12 minutes after that), and our first two speaking locations are on the multi-use path along the busway.

We will walk along the Silver Line busway’s new multi-use path and down Broadway to examine creative affordable housing and transportation initiatives, ending at Tijuana Restaurant (164 Broadway) for food, drink, and continued conversation. A copy of the map below will be handed out tomorrow.

If you’re heading back into town at the end of the walk, the 111 bus is just 2-3 blocks from Tijuana Restaurant and runs directly to Downtown Crossing every 7-10 minutes.

RSVP on Eventbrite or Facebook

Starting Location/Stop 1: Eastern Ave Silver Line Station

WalkBoston group from South Station meets Chelsea partners and residents at 5:30pm
Speakers: Maria Belen (GreenRoots), MBTA/MassDOT Silver Line Gateway Project representative TBD

Stop 2: Box District

Speakers: Aaron Wasserman (The Neighborhood Developers), Elijah Plymesser (LOCUS Massachusetts)

Stop 3: Downtown Chelsea/Broadway Corridor

Speakers: Alex Train (City of Chelsea)

Stop 4: Tijuana Restaurant, 164 Broadway

Food, Drinks, and More Conversation – thank you to LOCUS Massachusetts for helping sponsor appetizer costs!

Guarde la fecha, el 2 de Mayo, a la 5:30pm para una paseo por Chelsea con WalkBoston y socios de la comunidad para destacar los proyectos y oportunidades de transitabilidad, tránsito y desarrollo locales, al mismo tiempo enfatizando la necesidad de mantener la asequibilidad y prevenir el desplazamiento. WalkBoston se reunirá en South Station a las 5 pm para viajar en el nuevo Linea Plateada Gateway del MBTA a Chelsea a las 5:30 pm. Luego caminaremos por la nueva ruta multiusos del Gateway y bajaremos por Broadway para examinar iniciativas de vivienda y transporte asequibles, y terminaremos en un restaurante local para comida, bebida y conversación.

Lugar de partida /Parada 1: Estación de Linea Plateada en Eastern Ave
El grupo WalkBoston de South Station se reúne con socios y residentes de Chelsea a las 5:30pm.
Oradores: Maria Belen (GreenRoots), y un representante del MBTA/MassDOT Silver Line Gateway Project que se anunciará mas tarde

Parada 2: Distrito de Caja
Oradores: Aaron Wasserman (The Neighborhood Developers), Elijah Plymesser (LOCUS Massachusetts)

Parada 3: Centro de Chelsea/Corredor de Broadway
Oradores: Alex Train (City of Chelsea)

Parada 4: Restaurante Tijuana (164 Broadway)
Comida, bebida, y más conversación – ¡Muchas gracias LOCUS Massachusetts por patrocinar la cena!

Ellis School Walk Audit

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

Lenox Dale Walk Audit

Lenox is participating in the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Complete Streets Funding Program to secure funds for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects in town. Lenox has completed the first two steps to receive funding by passing a Complete Streets policy and submitting a Complete Streets Prioritization Plan. WalkBoston completed a walk audit in Lenox Center in the summer of 2016. Many of the infrastructure recommendations made in that audit were included in the Prioritization Plan. The Town of Lenox staff wanted to give Lenox Dale residents the same opportunity to participate in a walk audit to identify needed infrastructure improvements in the Dale.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-WalkAudit-LenoxDale

Downtown Fitchburg Walk Audit

As part of its efforts to improve traffic safety and revitalize its economy, the Gateway City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts (population 40,000) is pursuing Complete Streets as a framework to address the needs of all road users (people walking, biking, driving and taking transit). Through this initiative as well as others, the City aims to generate more activity in its post – industrial downtown and surrounding areas. Fitchburg started implementing Complete Streets in September 2016 by replacing one of the two travel lanes along Main Street downtown with a bike lane and wooden and concrete planter boxes. These changes, which will be piloted for a year, have reduced traffic speeds on Main Street and beautified the neighborhood , creating a safer, more attractive and more comfortable environment for residents and visitors alike.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-DowtonWalkAssessment-Fitchburg

Coalition For Anderson Bridge Underpass Letter to Secretary Pollack

COALITION FOR ANDERSON BRIDGE UNDERPASS
c/o Charles River Conservancy, 4 Brattle Street (Suite 309), Cambridge, MA 02138

April 9, 2015

Stephanie Pollack, Secretary of Transportation
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
10 Park Plaza
Boston, MA

Dear Secretary Pollack,

We are writing to let you know of our enthusiasm and support for the work underway at MassDOT to develop 25% design plans for an underpass on the Boston side of the Charles River under the Anderson Memorial Bridge, to be used by pedestrians, runners, cyclists and others. This underpass, through the bridge abutment, would add significantly to the Paul Dudley White pathway system by eliminating the need for many users to cross the busy surface intersection of the ramps from Soldiers’ Field Road and JFK/North Harvard Street.

The underpass would be an extremely important addition to the excellent surface changes now under construction at the Anderson Bridge. This combination of improving the movements – both cross-river (already underway) and along-the-river (with the addition of an underpass) – will increase safety, enhance the environment, and provide improved transportation service not only to the users of the underpass, but also to the vehicles, pedestrians and others who use the surface crossings, including the Harvard community on both sides. We believe that the evolving design is being developed in a manner that respects the historic nature of the bridge.

We strongly oppose the alternative for this project (being developed to comply with legal review as part of the current design process) that would create a boardwalk that would be located under one of the current bridge arches and occupy part of the river used by the boating community.

To maximize cost-effectiveness and maintain the momentum for the underpass project initiated when your predecessor endorsed the project in July 2014, it is our hope that the design and permitting of the underpass can be completed in time to enable its construction as part of the ongoing activities at the bridge. Expediting design and permitting consistent with all legal requirements will be required to accomplish this objective.

As advocates for the project, we have been kept informed of the progress of design work by Gill Engineering under the direction and support of the Highway Administration. We look forward to the earliest possible public meeting where this design work can be described for wide public review and participation.

We also would like to offer to you, the Department and the Highway Administration our continuing, supportive involvement as this project moves forward.

This underpass will be a major step to enhance the Charles River Parklands, one of the Boston area’s major assets, for at least the next hundred years.

Sincerely,

Katherine Blakeslee, Institute for Human-Centered Design
Greg Galer, Executive Director, Boston Preservation Alliance
Jack Glassman, Boston Society of Architects, Historic Resources Committee
Ken Kruckemeyer, LivableStreets Alliance
Wendy Landman, Executive Director, Walk Boston
Galen Mook, Boston Cyclists Union
Jon Puz, Cambridge Running Club
Renata von Tscharner, President and Founder, Charles River Conservancy
Jack Wofford, mediator and arbitrator

cc: Thomas J. Tinlin, Highway Administrator, MassDOT Michael Trepanier, Project Manager, MassDOT