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 Plainfield is one of the partnering communities in this grant project.
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 Westhampton is one of the partnering communities in this grant project.
Westhampton residents participating in the walk audit
On Thursday, July 7th, WalkBoston led a walk audit in the town of Westhampton, MA, joined by three community members representing concerns from residents, the town board, the Council on Aging, Westhampton Connects, and other town organizations. The walk audit took place along Westhampton’s North, South, and Stage roads, which intersect in the town center. Prior to the walk audit, WalkBoston led a virtual Ped101 session that offered introductory knowledge on rural walkability, its importance, and various examples of interventions used to improve the pedestrian experience in rural communities.
Westhampton residents hope to improve walking safety throughout the town, particularly in the town center and along the shoulders of the roads that stretch out of the town. Participants shared a variety of concerns around pedestrian safety in the town, many residents walk in the roads and fast moving traffic along with limited sightlines are dangerous. Participants and WalkBoston staff brainstormed various ideas that might help mitigate these various concerns such as: white striping along the sides of roads to create a dedicated pedestrian area, signage warning of pedestrians and the upcoming central intersection, and speed feedback signs, among others. WalkBoston will soon publish a summary report of the walk audit, offering recommendations to the town for infrastructure improvements and funding opportunities. Westhampton can use these recommendations to make adjustments that support and encourage walking for those of all ages and abilities.
The Hilltown CDC, together with Healthy Hampshire and WalkBoston, are leading a 5-year grant project to promote Age-Friendly Walkability in the Hilltowns Village Centers, funded by the Dept. of Public Health’s Healthy Aging Fund. 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 Westhampton is one of the partnering communities in this grant project.
Caminatas Seguras: Advocating for Park Accessibility in East Boston
East Boston community members gather with GreenRoots and WalkBoston in Bremen Street Park
Last Tuesday, June 14, WalkBoston joined East Boston residents and members of GreenRoots, a non-profit dedicated to improving access to and enjoyment of the urban environment of Boston and its surrounding communities, on a walk through multiple parks in East Boston. GreenRoots hosts walks in East Boston every Tuesday beginning at Bremen Street Park, with the hope of building community among East Boston Residents through sharing the joy that can be found in exploring the neighborhood’s various parks and neighborhoods. The organization invited WalkBoston members along for one Tuesday walk per month, as part of both organizations’ collaborative work focused on improving walking access to parks and advocating for more inclusive park programming.
GreenRoots, WalkBoston, and East Boston community members began with a short introduction, sharing names, laughs, gestures of welcoming, and inspiring stories of challenges that led members to find purpose and connection through volunteering. The group then began their walk from the center of Bremen Street Community Park to the Mary Ellen Welch greenway. These two parks were chosen due to their tree shading, which was beneficial as it offered cooling on a hot summer day, but also reflected the limited cool areas in East Boston.
Both of these parks proved to be flourishing community gathering points, filled with people on foot, on bike, and in stroller, all sharing stories and smiles with one another. Along the way, group members introduced themselves and talked about community building, the importance of conserving our natural landscapes, appreciation of park amenities, and expressed a desire for the many still needed improvements to these landscapes, including accessible walking paths and signage. Residents also commented on the effect of neighborhood improvements on housing prices, advocating for an increase in affordable housing to combat gentrification in the area.
WalkBoston and GreenRoots, through generous funding from Boston Children’s Hospital, will continue working and walking alongside the many East Boston residents dedicated to cultivating their community, both as a physical and as an interpersonal space. This work will further our mission of improving walking safety and accessibility throughout Massachusetts, amplifying the voices of the many respected communities and community members with which we work.
The stretch of the Mass. Pike that runs through Allston is getting a makeover, and the state is projecting a total bill of about $1 billion. The project will include new interstate exits, facilities for bicycles and pedestrians, space for commuter rail layover, and a brand new commuter rail stop, West Station. The state has said that West Station will open by 2040, but community members and public transportation advocates say the new station should open much sooner than that.
Guests Jim Aloisi, former state transportation secretary and a principal at the Pemberton Square Group. He tweets @jimaloisi. Wendy Landman is a member of the Allston I-90 Interchange Task Force and the executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group WalkBoston, which tweets @walkboston.
