Category: Newsletter

Letter from the Executive Director

The last five months have been like no other. As COVID-19 continues to paralyze our mobility and economy, people walk to maintain physical and mental health, commute to essential jobs, and connect with people from a safe distance. Never has it been more obvious that sidewalks—typically five feet wide—are too narrow as we try to stay six feet away from each other. For the first 15 weeks of our COVID-19 experience, our Keep Walking weekly newsletter chronicled new neighborhood discoveries and made you laugh with silly walking videos, songs with COVID-19-inspired lyrics like “Stayin’ At Home,” and uplifting messages to keep you going.

Then, George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020 once again forced us to confront the horrors of police violence against Black and brown people, and acknowledge that police brutality robs Black people of the fundamental right to walk their streets without fear.

WalkBoston’s mission—to make Massachusetts more walkable—converges with COVID-19 response efforts and the anti-racism movement.

In the midst of this public health crisis, we are advocating for the repurposing of street space so people can safely walk, run, and roll. With fewer vehicles on the road, we called for a rebalancing of street space to immediately serve those most vulnerable. WalkBoston worked with MassDOT, AAA, MassBike, and others to make a plea to drivers to slow down as traffic speeds soared after volumes plummeted. We know that walkability goes beyond safe crossings and wide sidewalks. Walkable main streets are lively community places whose vibrancy depends on the businesses along them. In the wake of COVID-19, their role has intensified—WalkBoston’s Main Streets Resiliency panel discussion brought people together to strategize on how to support their local businesses as they face economic challenges during the pandemic. (June 24, 2020 panel video available at WalkBoston.org)

WalkBoston continues to work in Black and brown neighborhoods where racism has led to disparities in the quality of the built environment. Our work takes us from the Gateway Cities to Boston’s Mattapan and Talbot Norfolk Triangle neighborhoods among others. Our approach in these places draws on the expertise and desires of residents, community-based organizations, and municipal staff. Our definition of safe public spaces and our experiences in public spaces as a predominantly-White staff is not the same as for Black and brown residents. We commit to do more to better understand, identify, and expose the racist processes and policies that continue to deprive Black and brown residents of the safe, connected public realm others enjoy. Look for an upcoming WalkBoston email series on racial equity and walkability.

We commit to being better advocates for Black communities, in addition to working to dismantle the system that perpetuates disparities in the built environment. As an organization, we are actively investigating how to make anti-racist strategies and mobility justice central to our mission, and have committed resources to hiring outside help to lead us through an internal racial equity analysis, to help frame our upcoming strategic plan. This process will take time, but we are dedicated to fighting for mobility justice and will share our completed concrete plan.

Stacey Beuttell, Executive Director

This article was featured in WalkBoston’s August/September 2020 newsletter.
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January/February 2020 Newsletter

articles

“Snow clearance: my view (and queries) from my wheelchair”
By Amy Hunt/South End resident
“Newton’s snow evolution”
By Andreae Downs/Newton city councilor
“Digging in on snow”
By Wendy Landman/WalkBoston senior policy advisor

snow quotes

Well, I know now. I know a little more how much a simple thing like a snowfall can mean to a person.
—Sylvia Plath (born in Jamaica Plain)
Snowflakes are one of nature’smost fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.
—Vista M. Kelly
A lot of people like snow.
I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.
—Carl Reiner
When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels.
—Unknown

calendar

Registration or info for other events and public meetings can be found at walkboston.org/events

February 12, 2020 1-5PM
WalkMassachusetts Network 2020
South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc., 7 Bishop St, Framingham, MA 01702, USA (within a short walk of Framingham/ Worcester line.)

Our second in-person gathering of the WalkMassachusetts Network, at South Middlesex Opportunity Council in Framingham, MA (we will meet in their Cafe). This event is open to any local organizations working on walking! Free with RSVP. Please register by Wednesday, February 5th so we can plan for food.

March 25, 2020, 5-8PM
WalkBoston’s 30th Annual Party & Golden Shoe Awards
Boston Society of Architects
Fort Point Room / Atlantic Wharf 290 Congress Street, Boston
5:00 Eat, drink, schmooze
6:00 Program and Golden Shoes
Keynote Speaker: Mark Fenton
Tickets: $30 includes beer, wine and food.

Download the January/February 2020 Newsletter PDF

Digging in on snow

By Wendy Landman/WalkBoston senior policy advisor

One thing stays true for Massachusetts: It snows. And 11 years after it was written, WalkBoston’s report on better sidewalk snow clearance, Keep It Clear: Recommendations for Sidewalk Snow and Ice Removal in Massachusetts, remains shockingly relevant (download at walkboston.org/snow). While some cities and towns have adopted a more proactive approach to better clear sidewalks, walking after a snowstorm is still a challenge statewide.

Whether it’s from individuals with disabilities or parents who push strollers, each year WalkBoston receives calls and emails from people across the state—especially older adults—asking how we can help improve the conditions of sidewalks, curb ramps, traffic islands and paths.

While we would love to see municipalities take full responsibility for sidewalk clearance, today’s budget realities make this an unlikely scenario. However, the actions described below could significantly improve winter walking conditions at a much more modest cost.

Require municipal sidewalk snow clearance plans that set priorities for both public and private clearance, (municipalities)
Clear key walking routes—sidewalks and curb ramps—that provide access to transit, schools, public buildings, and senior housing, (municipalities, MassDOT)
Prioritize enforcement of private sidewalk clearance by zones that reflect walking demand. For example, homeowners in low-density areas with low demand might be exempt from clearing their sidewalks, while businesses in shopping areas with high demand would be ticketed promptly if they fail to shovel. (municipalities)
Develop engineering design improvements for curb ramps, intersections and raised crosswalks that specifically address the need to reduce slush and run-off pooling at the base of curb ramps. (MassDOT)
Establish protocols for snow plow operators to reduce amounts of snow piled up on curb ramps. (MassDOT, municipalities)
Create and disseminate a well-funded, multi-year public campaign about the importance of sidewalk snow clearance to the safety, health and economic strength of Massachusetts. (WalkBoston with MassDOT, Mass Department of Public Health/MDPH, and Executive Office of Elder Affairs/EOEA)
Develop guidance and legal mechanisms to help create a robust set
of volunteer and paid programs to recruit snow shoveling assistance for people who cannot do this work themselves. (MassDOT, DPH, EOEA, municipalities)

Massachusetts sits in a climate zone that is especially slushy—with many freeze and thaw days that make winter walking conditions particularly difficult. Better sidewalk snow clearance is a critical component of Governor Baker’s commitment to be an Age-Friendly state, to Boston’s GoBoston 2030 transportation plans, and to the quality of life and economic development goals of every community in the state. Together, let’s take action to keep our sidewalks clear this winter.

This article was featured in WalkBoston’s January/February 2020 newsletter.
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Join WalkBoston’s Mailing List to keep up to date on advocacy issues.
Like our work? Support WalkBoston – Donate Now!
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Newton’s snow evolution

By Andreae Downs/Newton city councilor

In the winter of 2007, it looked like Newton could never get its sidewalks clear, much less find a way forward. We were faced with dozens of snowed-in corners and complaints of impassable walks; hundreds of letters to local lawmakers and the papers; and of course, thousands of snowflakes, thawing, freezing, and making safe passage impossible.

Newton briefly had a snow clearance ordinance in the early 1990s, but it was quickly rescinded after a bad winter, fears of shoveling- related heart attacks, and a flurry of voter rage at having to shovel.

To get momentum behind sidewalk clearing and the passage of a new effective snow clearance ordinance, Newton needed a broad-based coalition of allies. These allies included parent and walker Alicia Bowman (now Councilor), Councilor Vicki Danberg, a committee made up of the Council on Aging, local synagogue leaders, and parent-teacher organizations, and help from WalkBoston.

Our efforts were multi-pronged. We did hours of research, including 11 community surveys conducted by the local League of Women Voters. Liability issues were cleared up (Papadopoulos v. Target Corp). A matrix showing what surrounding communities do gave the then-Board of Aldermen (now a Councilor) an idea of the possibilities. Speakers addressed lawmakers’ fears. And sidewalk snow became a mayoral election issue.

The first ordinance passed in 2011 was a trial, which was extended because it didn’t snow that winter. The mayor then hired a star team in the Department of Public Works (DPW) to train the 90+ City contractors who plowed snow often onto the sidewalks in better snow management practices.

To support the success of the trial ordinance, our coalition compiled lists of volunteers to help those who couldn’t shovel (with an option for disabled and low-income neighbors). We also put together a list of contractors who included sidewalk clearing with driveway clearing. Meanwhile, we tightened up the ordinances for sidewalk snow removal in business districts, and beefed up police enforcement. Quickly, our village centers became more walkable!

The DPW team tracked compliance and reported to the City Council. After a few years, the trial ordinance became permanent. We then shortened the compliance time for shoveling after a storm and refined the warning system. But there was still no non-compliance fine. A fine was finally passed in 2019. The mayor’s office will mail violation warning letters to each non-compliant neighbor to give property owners a chance to find a contractor, if needed, to cover sidewalk clearing.

This winter, if it snows, we will evaluate how Newton’s new ordinance—now with teeth—works.

Research and policies are available at walkboston.org/snow