webinar Archives - WalkMassachusetts

August 2023 Network Meeting – “All Things Pedestrian & Traffic Signals” Recording

Peter G. Furth, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, joined us for this month’s WalkMassachusetts Network discussion. Peter shared about accommodating slower peds, ped recall, protection from concurrent conflicting turns, and more, including Boston’s new traffic signal policy which has enormous improvements for pedestrians.

The session was recorded, and you can view the presentation below. You can also view the presentation slides.

Links shared during the discussion

NCHRP Report 969: Traffic Signal Control Strategies for Pedestrians and Bicyclists (2022). Download site.
City of Boston, Traffic Signal Operations Design Policy (2023). Download link.

The WalkMassachusetts Network typically meets every third Wednesday of each month at 1 pm. Register for upcoming Zoom calls at this link.
Anyone can listen in and participate in monthly calls! Join the Google Group to get a reminder about these Zoom calls.
Do you have a topic that should be discussed at a future meeting? Suggestions welcome!

Upcoming webinars and talks

Upcoming webinars and talks happening in the next week that you may be interested in!

WalkBoston’s WalkMassachusetts Network’s monthly talk 5/18, 1pm. This month, Chris Falcos will be joining us from MassDOT to present on their new safe speeds programs and efforts. Have questions about the program? Please join us if you can by registering here! If you can’t make it but want to see other topics covered at future meetings, you can fill out this feedback form at any time.
: Moving Massachusetts – Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in MA Session 2 “Framework.” 5/17 (Today) at noon! .
GBH – Next Stop – The Future of Mass Mobility – Event 4 – Mobility for All (Virtual). 5/23, 6pm–7pm. Accessibility is central to transportation. For people with disabilities and for our aging population, access is a deal-maker. While the Americans with Disability Act has been the law for decades, the MBTA and other transit agencies are making slow progress towards providing full accessibility. How is the MBTA prioritizing accessibility improvements, and what are the partnerships that are necessary to success? In addition, the advent of e-bikes have made cycling more accessible and convenient for many more people than conventional bikes. RSVP here.
Streetwise speaker series: “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads: Climate and transportation policy in Massachusetts” with Christian Milneil from StreetsblogMass. 5/18, 6pm. This is a hybrid event, in person at Aeronaut Brewery in Somerville with a Zoom option. A monthly speaker series with the goal of sharing wisdom on the path to complete streets. The renewed series is co-sponsored by the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee and the Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets. No RSVP required, Zoom link available here.

Webinar this Wednesday: Best Practices for Hosting a Virtual Walking Event

America Walks Presents: “Best Practices for Hosting a Virtual Walking Event”

DATE: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT

Panelists:
Bryan Romey, Walk with a Doc Program Coordinator
Anthony Fleg, Family Medicine Physician and Native Health Initiative Partnership Director
Brendan Kearney, WalkBoston Deputy Director

Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5342105200156786957

In a year that carried the undertone of general collective heartache and cancelled in-person events we learned a whole lot – and one thing we learned was the vast power and potential for virtual convenings and events to successfully connect people from all walks of life around walking, moving and advocating for healthy, people-first communities.

Hear from panelists from three different walking/moving organizations who have recent, hands-on experience and knowledge around developing virtual walking/moving events in our sphere. From the retrospective technical details to the future implementation and vision of what virtual convenings might mean for inclusion and improving community input – we’ll cover the full range of best practices for hosting virtual events that aim to promote physical activity and mobility for all people.

Walkability & Main Street Resilience Recording

Thank you to our panelists, Alia and Che, and all of you who joined us for Walkability and Main Street Resilience!

In case you missed it, the panel discussion was recorded and is available here. We hope you will watch and share it to learn ways you can help the main street businesses that make your community walkable.

If you want to learn more about Roslindale Village Main Street and some of the efforts happening in Roslindale that Alia shared, head to the RVMS website.

Remember to keep supporting your main street businesses, and advocating for enough open space for walking and shopping local:

Let your city/town officials know if you like how your neighborhood main streets are adapting to outdoor dining and providing more space for walking
If you see a conflict point between walking and dining, reach out to your city hall and advocate for more space
Support local businesses using the tips mentioned by the panelists, such as purchasing goods/services, or sharing and liking their social media content
Highlight what is working well. Share with @WalkBoston on Twitter or email: info@walkboston.org

If you work for a town, municipality, or small business in Massachusetts and would like to implement the ideas discussed during this panel in your community, check out some of these resources to get started:

Funding

City of Boston Reopen Fund (for small businesses)

MassDOT’s Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Program

Mass Development’s COVID-19 Response Round: Resurgent Places Funding

Solomon Foundation’s Streets for Recovery Grant Program

Additional Resources

MAPC Webinar on Navigating MassDOT’s New Grant Program

City of Boston Guidance for Temporary Extensions on Public Property

MAPC: Webinar on local permitting pre and post-COVID-19

NACTO: “Streateries” webinar on restaurants and physical distancing

More about current funding opportunities: