Consult LeLa, a consulting group dedicated to encouraging youth involvement in municipal planning processes, partnered with WalkBoston to lead a workshop series on walkability and equitable transit infrastructure, and conduct a walk audit on Blue Hill Ave in Mattapan Square. The goal was to encourage community involvement in the redesign of Blue Hill Ave that will expand transit, walking, and biking access. The workshops also focused on planning community events and presenting community findings and feedback to City of Boston staff.

On Wednesday, August 3, WalkBoston and Consult LeLa members led a walk audit for participants in the Blue Hill Ave Youth Workshop. Staff and participants walked a half mile from Mattapan Square towards the library, noting any key concerns about pedestrian and transit infrastructure. Key points of discussion included: extreme heat, lack of shade, high speed traffic, need for trash receptacles, and desire for bike lanes or biking infrastructure. 

Ish, one of the students involved in the Youth Engagement Committee with Consult LeLa, presented the data collected from this walk audit to City of Boston staff on Friday, August 26, 2022. On a day in Mattapan when the air temperature was 80 degrees, the surface temperature of a bus stop bench was 105 degrees & a sidewalk with no shade was 116 degrees. The surface temperature of a shady sidewalk under a tree was significantly lower: 92 degrees.

They also plan to share their concerns with other youth in the area by creating educational content to be shared on social media. We truly enjoyed working with Consult LeLa and the youth advocates and hope our partnership continues!