walkboston

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.

Golden Shoe Award Winners For March 2021 Annual Meeting

As presented at this year’s annual event on Zoom, March 24, 2021.

Karen Cord Taylor for her long term service as a committed Board member and fierce advocate for better walkability in her Beacon Hill neighborhood and the greater Boston community. Karen has devoted thirteen years to WalkBoston and has been part of so many wins as a WalkBoston Board member. Her dedication to clearing sidewalks and curb ramps of snow is particularly top of mind this winter. In addition to her advocacy work, Karen, a former newspaper owner and publisher, often used her editing skills to ensure our written communications were top notch. Karen was also instrumental in attracting and nominating wonderful new Board members, including our former Board President Emma Yashar. Your impact continues far beyond your 13-year Board tenure!

The MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces Program provided funds to municipalities that allowed them to quickly respond to the many mobility challenges highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the need for more sidewalk space to walk safely 6’ apart, to dine outdoors in unused parking lanes, and to reimagine streets as low speed, safe spaces for people walking and biking. The popularity of this program demonstrated the desire, need and capabilities of municipalities to implement quick build projects to make streets safer and more enjoyable for all. WalkBoston is a huge fan of this program and we would love to see the program continue beyond the pandemic! In fact, we have a call to action for all of you to help make this happen later in our program. Kate Fichter, MassDOT’s Assistant Secretary for Policy Coordination and Project Lead for the Shared Streets and Spaces Program will be accepting the Golden Shoe Award on behalf of the group. We also want to thank the Barr Foundation and the Solomon Foundation for not only funding technical assistance to municipalities, but also for truly leading program outreach to ensure that all municipalities had capacity to apply regardless of local resources or expertise. Help us say THANKS for Shared Streets and Spaces so these types of projects happen more often.

Finally, our last Golden Shoe Award goes to Frank Caro. Frank died unexpectedly in October of 2020. He was an extremely dedicated Brookline resident determined to make streets and spaces more hospitable to older adults. As the founder and co-chair of the BrookLINE Community Aging Network (CAN), Frank ensured that the needs of older adults were more integrated into the life of the town. His work earned BrookLINEan Age-Friendly town designation by the World Health Organization, the first town to do so in New England. In addition to Frank’s Age-Friendly work, he founded the BrookLINE Pedestrian Advisory Board, which continues to conduct research on pedestrian activities and needs. Some of the Board’s projects included sidewalks on Longwood Avenue, audible signals along Beacon Street, and an inventory of hedges interfering with pedestrian space on sidewalks. Carol Caro, Frank’s widow, will be accepting the Golden Shoe Award on Frank’s behalf. Read a post about Frank Caro by WalkBoston board member Anita Johnson.

WalkBoston 2020 Annual Report

WalkBoston is releasing its 2020 Annual Report after our Annual Celebration on Wednesday evening, March 24, 2021. If you missed the event, you can watch the Zoom recording. We encourage you to take part in our Call to Action to Say THANKS for Shared Streets and Spaces. Thank you to all who joined us and showed your support.

Recording of WalkBoston’s 31st Annual Celebration & Golden Shoe Awards (March 24, 2021)

Recording of WalkBoston’s 31st Annual Celebration & Golden Shoe Awards, held on Zoom on March 24, 2021. (Inspired? You can still give and be a part of the event’s fundraising effort!)

Agenda/Timeline:

Year in Review – Stacey Beuttell, Executive Director
A look back – Emma Yashar, Outgoing Board President
Looking ahead – Betsy Johnson, Incoming Board President
Presentation of Golden Shoe Awards
- Karen Cord Taylor – longtime WalkBoston board member
- MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces Program (with special recognition to the Barr Foundation and Solomon Foundation); accepted by Kate Fichter
- Frank Caro (in memoriam) – accepted by Carol Caro
Panel Discussion (starts at 0:28:06)
- Tracy A. Corley, PhD – Director of Research and Partnerships at the Conservation Law Foundation
- Mike McGinn – Executive Director at America Walks
- Jodie Medeiros – Executive Director at Walk San Francisco
- Alexander Train, AICP – Director, Department of Housing and Community Development for the City of Chelsea
Call to Action: Say THANKS for Shared Streets and Spaces – Brendan Kearney, Deputy Director

Thank you for all your support over the years!

Say THANKS for Shared Streets and Spaces

The MassDOT Shared Streets & Spaces and Winter Shared Streets and Spaces municipal funding programs have provided technical and funding assistance to help Massachusetts cities and towns conceive, design, and implement tactical changes to curbs, streets, and parking areas in support of public health, safe mobility, and renewed commerce.

This has created more places for people to walk, bike, and dine outside on a shorter timeline than many major infrastructure projects – allowing communities to respond to the needs of their residents more quickly. The grant program also made money available to convert temporary Shared Streets and Spaces projects to permanent facilities.

We all want to see more Shared Streets & Spaces projects in more places. But before that happens, let’s take stock of what is already underway! In conjunction with the Golden Shoe award WalkBoston is giving to the Shared Streets & Spaces program tonight, we’re rolling out a “Thank You” effort, and want you to take part.

We compiled a full list of projects funded along with project descriptions. Take a look at what has been implemented so far, and what is on the way.
Contact your local elected officials & public works/planning staff.
Let them know that you like the creative use of public space shown possible through the MassDOT “Shared Streets & Spaces” and “Shared Winter Streets & Places” programs (that you’ll hear more about tonight at our Annual Celebration), and that you want to see more!
Make sure they hear how programs that create space for people to walk, bike, and dine outside safely are a real win for your community, and how you, your neighbors, and other visitors will benefit.
Copy us on your message: comments@dev.walkboston.org
Not sure what to say? Here is a sample message. Keep it simple!

Thank you, _____, for [insert the part of the project description in your city/town that you like]. I really like these programs and want to see continued creative use of street space and a focus on walking safety with MassDOT funding support.
Thanks, Your name & address

If you’re tweeting your thanks to elected officials, tag us @walkboston and we’ll retweet your messages.
This idea came out of a discussion at our newly-restarted advocacy committee, chaired by Cacilda Teixeira and Matt Lawlor. Want to get involved? Send Brendan an email and he can connect you. We’d love your participation!