Tag: Watertown

Watertown Square: Impacts of Charles River Road Realignment Concepts on Pedestrians

Watertown Square: Impacts of Charles River Road Realignment Concepts on Pedestrians

The Town of Watertown, working with VHB, is testing different concepts regarding Charles River Road with the goals of improving overall traffic safety and wayfinding, and of enhancing the pedestrian experience in Watertown Square. WalkBoston, funded through the EOPSS Pedestrian Safety Initiative, was asked to provide the Town with additional information on the effects of VHB’s realignment concepts on people walking through the Square.

The Charles River Road options consider the implications of realigning Charles River Road to meet up with Riverside Road, and test different vehicular direction options on pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic flows and safety. Options 1-4 realign Charles River Road with Riverside Road, and Options 5 and 6 maintain the existing alignment with minor adjustments to travel lanes and curb lines, and add multi-modal facilities.

WalkBoston-WatertownSquareOptions

Walk Assessment Watertown

Walk Assessment Watertown

WalkBoston worked with the Town of Watertown staff and police to identify the assessment study area where pedestrian deficiencies are present. Irving Street was not among the enforcement locations monitored by the Watertown police as part of MassDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Awareness and Enforcement Program. However, in thinking through areas of the Town that are in need of improvements which had yet to be studied in detail, Town staff chose Irving Street as their preferred assessment location. The Irving Street corridor functions as a cut-through for drivers accessing North Beacon Street and Charles River Road. There are few streets that connect through the residential neighborhood to the Charles River. In addition, the location of the assessment was in close proximity to the Perkins School for the Blind and allowed for their participation. This was a great partnership and opportunity to share knowledge and raise awareness of their needs to increase walkability. As a result, Irving Street carries significant volumes of traffic for a relatively narrow, residential street. Watertown staff members are interested in implementing traffic calming strategies, as well as addressing the pedestrian infrastructure needs of this corridor.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-WalkAssessmentFinal-Watertown

Community Safe Routes to School

Community Safe Routes to School

The Community Safe Routes to School (CSRTS) Program was a WalkBoston initiative jointly funded by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). The purpose of the CSRTS program was to study how best to apply the Safe Routes to School concept to promote changes in the travel patterns of school children by working both inside the schools and with a broad set of community partners. The four communities who participated in the program were Brockton, Newton, Stoneham and Watertown.

WalkBoston Community SRTS Final Report

Watertown Walking Map

Watertown Walking Map

Watertown has fantastic attributes that make it an ideal community for walking. Our long riverfront offers a choice of ideal walks. Our commercial areas are vibrant with ethnic diversities of food and cultural events. Many opportunities exist for Watertown Walks—create your own!

The Watertown Walking Map was developed and printed with funding from Tufts Health Plan. It was created through a collaboration of: WalkBoston, the Watertown Community Safe Routes to School, the Watertown Planning Department, the Watertown Health Department and the Watertown Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee.

Click for “Watertown Walking Map” PDF
Watertown: The Upper Charles River Reservation Walking Map

Watertown: The Upper Charles River Reservation Walking Map

A natural and wild quality pervades the Charles River’s banks upriver from the dam at Watertown Square. Unlike the riverbanks along the Charles River Basin–the well-known Boston and Cambridge Esplanades with their elegant, manicured walkways and skyline views–the Upper Charles is a narrow winding body of water bordered by a ribbon of lush vegetation. Small dams and arching bridges regularly punctuate this walk, and views of the water are short and focused, extended only to the next river bend, and frequently provided by wooden overlook decks.

The rustic, overgrown appearance of MDC’s Upper Charles River Reservation is intentional. The greenway is designed to be a self-sustaining natural environment. Even its narrowest sections evoke a wonderful wilderness-like feeling, making the tensions of city life fade.


Click on the photo for “WalkBoston’s Upper Charles River Reservation Walking Map” on Google Maps