Author: walkboston

Huntington Village Center Walk Audit

Huntington Village Center Walk Audit

Volunteers and staff members in the Town of Huntington responded to a Healthy Hampshire Request for Proposal for walkability project funding. The focus of Huntington’s proposal was the planning and construction of a “River Walk” along the Westfield River to better connect residents and visitors with the natural assets in the region. The proposal also suggested an analysis of the safety and quality of existing walking routes currently used by senior walking groups and running groups in Huntington. These routes include the proposed River Walk site.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-WalkAudit-HuntingtonVillageCenter-Huntington

Signal Timing Recommendations

Signal Timing Recommendations

5/2017

11 ways to make Boston’s traffic signals work better for people walking

  1. Add concurrent signals at most locations. Concurrent signalization means that people walking receive a WALK signal in the same direction people driving have a green light (i.e., everyone can continue along Mass Ave). This should always be paired with the next item —
  2. Add a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) at signals to give people walking a 5-7 second WALK signal so that they can start into the crosswalk before people driving get a green light. 
  3. Automatic recall of WALK signals should be provided (this means that a WALK signal appears as part of each signal cycle without a push button) at all but rare, mid-block locations. Eliminate all non-functional and irrelevant push buttons. If middle of the night conditions warrant the elimination of WALK signals, change to flashing red signals.
  4. Short signal cycles should be the standard to make walking convenient, reduce delay and encourage compliance by walkers and drivers.
  5. High degree of consistency in signal operations should be used among as many locations as possible so that people walking and driving know what to expect. Perhaps there should be signage noting non-standard timing (e.g. “Wait for All Way Pedestrian Scramble” or “Heavy Turning Volume, Do Not Walk on Don’t WALK”)
  6. Addition of accessible audible signals with activation button should be provided at all signals.
  7. Countdown of full signal should be provided so that pedestrians know how much time remains before opposing traffic will get a green light. Flashing Don’t WALK and then solid Don’t WALK  should be based on appropriate clearance times.
  8. No “leading left” green arrows should be used. This sets up a dangerous situation for people walking who cannot see the leading left and think that crossing is safe, also people driving who turn on a leading left often block the crosswalks for pedestrians. If a protected left turn is required, have it at end of the green.
  9. Set signal phasing with recognition of pedestrian volumes, not just vehicle volumes (e.g. Park/Tremont, Dewey Square, Walk to the Sea). If technically feasible phasing should correspond with time of day and day of week (for example, mid-day Saturday Walk to the Sea, dozens of pedestrians must wait for a very long time while only a small number of vehicles pass by, leading to much crossing against the signal).
  10. Use stop signs to replace traffic signals in areas with light vehicle traffic and short crossing distances (e.g. Milk/Devonshire, Washington/Milk).
  11. After changing the timing for signals, post temporary signage near it: “We recently adjusted the signal timing at this intersection. Did we get it right? Let us know! Use BOS:311”
Old Hill Neighborhood Walk Audit Springfield

Old Hill Neighborhood Walk Audit Springfield

WalkBoston conducted a walk assessment in the Old Hill neighborhood at the request of Way Finders staff (formerly HAP Housing) and Springfield’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). WalkBoston is assisting HHS in its implementation of walkability principles throughout Springfield under a CDC grant known as 1422. Springfield’s Old Hill neighborhood also received a grant (know as the Healthy Hill Initiative) from the national awards program, BUILD Health Challenge that focuses on improving public health by addressing the 3 Ps of Policy, Physical Infrastructure and Programs. The Healthy Hill Initiative (HHI) is improving public safety by engaging residents of all ages in fitness activities that put eyes on the street and children playing in underutilized parks. Way Finders is one of the HHI partners.

Read the full report here:
WalkBoston-OldHillNeighborhoodWalkAssessment-Springfield

Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Assessment Holyoke

Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Assessment Holyoke

Holyoke is one of 18 communities participating in the MassDOT multi-disciplinary program to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety in Massachusetts. One of the components of the MassDOT program is to conduct walk and bike assessments that identify infrastructure challenges to biking and walking, and recommend short- and long-term improvements. These assessments are also a means of building local knowledge of the importance of well-designed bicycle and pedestrian facilities. WalkBoston and MassBike led a walk and bicycle assessment of two locations in Holyoke: the intersection of Beech Street at Resnic Boulevard / W Franklin Street and the Appleton Street Corridor between Sycamore Street and Chestnut Street.

 

Read the full report here:

BicycleandWalkAssessment-Holyoke

The key to BRT success? Walking.

The key to BRT success? Walking.

By Joseph Cutrufo

Joseph Cutrufo is a former member of the WalkBoston staff and
current Director of Communications and Connecticut Policy at Tri-State
Transportation Campaign. 

In March 2015, Connecticut cut the ribbon on CTfastrak, New England’s first
bus rapid transit system. CTfastrak features a 9.4-mile bus-only guideway
which runs from downtown New Britain through Newington and West
Hartford to its terminus in downtown Hartford.

CTfastrak has outpaced ridership projections so far. But the real test for
CTfastrak will be whether it can transform the way people travel in greater
Hartford, where 81 percent of commuters drive to work alone — even higher
than the national average of 76 percent.

Not long after the system launched, prospective riders bemoaned the
lack of parking near stations. Predictably, the Connecticut Department of
Transportation responded by building more parking.

But when people won’t use the system due to a lack of parking, we shouldn’t
ask, “Where can we build more parking.” We should ask, “Why can’t people
get here without a car?” In greater Hartford, the answer is simple: the
neighborhoods surrounding CTfastrak stations aren’t dense enough, and the
streets in station areas don’t safely accommodate walking.

Some in the CTfastrak corridor recognize these challenges. The
City of New Britain hired a consultant to run a series of public workshops
to identify what kind of developments would be most appropriate for the
city’s three CTfastrak stations. And in West Hartford, town officials amended
local zoning regulations to allow mixed-used development around CTfastrak
stations, where much of the land is currently zoned for industrial uses.

But in suburban Newington, the town’s zoning board passed a moratorium
on “high density development” shortly after CTfastrak service launched.

Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has set aside funds to help speed along
transit-oriented development projects, but ultimately the region needs a
more holistic approach to making greater Hartford a more walkable region.
The state had a chance to start the process through legislation in 2015, but
a bill proposing a “Transit Corridor Development Authority” was viewed
unfavorably by towns that saw it as a threat to home rule.

That won’t be the end of the movement to unchain the greater Hartford area
from car-dominant planning. One place to look for inspiration is the city of
Hartford, where a major zoning overhaul seeks to undo a half-century in
which the city’s parking inventory increased by 30,000 as the population
declined by 40,000 people.

This article was featured in WalkBoston’s Winter 2017 newsletter.

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