About WalkBoston WalkBoston plays an important role ensuring walker- CHICANE TREES BIKE friendly/safe designs and has an impressive record LANES of getting cities, towns, state agencies, developers, RAISED institutions, and elected officials to provide for the CROSSWALK needs of walkers. Every additional member helps our message be heard. Join online at walkboston.org. We work to transform communities into more walkable CURB places and reintroduce people to walking as a con- EXTENSION venient, healthy and low-cost transportation choice. People who depend on walking most: lower income, elders, children, people with disabilities, and transit PARKED users especially benefit from our advocacy. CARS SPEED How we can help you CUSHION • Advise on walking improvements for your community. MIDBLOCK CROSSWALK • Provide guidance, moral support, technical assistance. making • Give a variety of presentations on pedestrian design and advocacy. Speed Kills: Small-scale fixes go a long way to slow traffic • Help set up advocacy groups and strengthen them. • Demonstrate how these techniques are working streets The human costs and economic consequences of The tools can be small in scale, relatively inexpensive, across Massachusetts and elsewhere. speed-related crashes are immense. In 2007, about and are easily tested and evaluated. Streets can be 31 percent of all fatal crashes were speeding-related, made safer by putting them on a “road diet,” reducing safe resulting in 13,420 fatalities. In Massachusetts, 15 to speeds and enhancing pedestrian safety. Techniques Thanks to our supporters 20 percent of all road fatality victims are pedestrians. include signage, pavement devices and paint. Physically Nationwide, the economic cost to society of speed- or visually narrowing a standard width lane by 1 foot Striders ing-related crashes is estimated to be $40.4 billion slows cars by 7 miles per hour. Eaton Vance MassPort per year, according to the National Highway Traffic Mass. Convention Plymouth Rock Assurance Ideas often start with neighbors and neighborhoods Safety Administration. Center Authority Trinity Financial where protection from fast-moving vehicles is acutely But it doesn’t need to be this way. needed. Gain support by getting together to talk and Strollers think of possible improvements. Look for data on Safety can be increased — for all road users — with Boston Society of Architects Partners Healthcare speeding and pedestrian crashes. Then begin working modifications and designs that slow down vehicles, Goody Clancy Planners Collaborative with your municipal agencies. HNTB Solomon Fund increase the visibility of pedestrians and bicyclists, Kleinfelder/S E A Tufts Medical Center and deter cu t-through traffic and speeders — the Ask whether your town is willing to adopt overall Consultants Vanasse Hangen Brustlin 1 bane of livability for urban neighborhoods and guidelines and make small-scale expenditures. Signs NStar WilmerHale commercial areas. and pavement paint are relatively inexpensive. Physical 8/12 80% street changes may require larger expenditures. Ask PROBABILITY OF Traffic calming utilizes for temporary traffic arrangements to test new ideas PED DEATH PER design strategies 60% VEHICLE SPEED for your streets prior to large investments. proven to reduce 40% traffic speeds and Proposals may seem simple, but change can take making massachusetts more walkable consequently reduce time. These extremely worthwhile investments may 20% the number of involve multiple decisions for municipalities. Be pedestrian deaths. persistent — it may save a life. 45 School Street | Boston MA 02108 | 617.367.9255 | www.walkboston.org making massachusetts more walkable 0% 20 mph 30 mph 40 mph Veh Policies Techniques Bike lanes: A striped or painted bicycle lane next to Street interruption: A barrier placed across a road- CHANGE IS EASIER IF MUNICIPALITIES ADOPT SOME SIGNAGE & MARKINGS parked cars or abutting the curb will make it safer for way at the entrance to a street, in the median or OVERALL GUIDELINES. Crosswalks: Signalized intersections and heavily-used bicycles as well as narrow the traffic lane. diagonally across an intersection partially or com- pletely closes the street to through traffic. Complete Streets: Streets should be designed to meet midblock crossings usually need crosswalks marked on Striping: Center line and edge line stripes can be used all users’ needs equally, not to prioritize vehicles. the pavement. A 10 ft crosswalk, with a vehicle stop to narrow the perceived lane width. The extra area One-way streets: Through traffic can be discouraged Limit cut-throughs: “Slow/local” streets can be des- line 4 ft in front of it, is ideal. Reflective markings between the lane marking and the curb can be used for by a one-way pattern that interrupts direct routes ignated to keep through traffic on the “main” streets. should be kept fresh and visible. Crossing locations parking, bike lanes or left open. through neighborhoods. should be carefully chosen to avoid traffic movements Sidewalks: Walkways are needed on both sides of that may make it unsafe for pedestrians to cross. the street for safety, wide enough [minimum 5ft BUMPS & BARRIERS Programs clear] to allow walkers to pass one another without Calmed neighborhood signs: A warning for drivers that walking single file. speeding constraints are in place in a local area. Rumble strips: Used as median strips or as stop lines, MASS GOVERNOR'S HIGHWAY SAFETY BUREAU [GHSB] these create tire noise and alert drivers to a change in HAS GRANTS AND PROGRAMS TO INCREASE SAFETY. Clear views at crosswalks: Parked vehicles can block Speed limit signs: Posted signs remind drivers of low road conditions. [Must not endanger cyclists.] Radar speed sign/trailer: A roadside LED display visibility. Keep parking back from corners so that speed limits in neighborhoods and school zones. pedestrians and drivers are more visible to one another. Speed cushion: This raised pavement device, midblock informs motorists if they are driving at unsafe Humor and eye-catching signs: Non-standard signs curb-to-curb, slows cars but includes spaces cut for speeds. Often used in school zones. Frequent/more WALK time: Synchronizing WALK signals can remind drivers that speeding is dangerous— bicycles and wider axles of emergency vehicles. Citizen radar tracking: Working with local government, and vehicle green lights allows parallel walking with exemplified by the “Where’s the fire?” signs designed vehicles, giving pedestrians more opportunities and residents track speed with radar guns on their streets. by children for Needham, MA. Raised crosswalk: A flat-topped pavement device at time to cross during the WALK phase. This reduces wait least as wide as a crosswalk and level with the side- Neighborhood education: Residents must be time for walkers, which is important since studies show Stop signs/all-way stops: This method can be very walk provides easy and safer crossing for walkers. instructed and reminded about pedestrian rights and people tend to wait only 30 seconds for a WALK light. effective in reducing speeds at intersections and obligations. Neighborhood safety concerns [speeding, Raised intersection: A flat-topped pavement device makes all road users conscious of others. cut-throughs, walker issues] must be discussed. Countdown signals: Countdown pedestrian signals occupying the entire square where two streets meet that show seconds remaining for the crossing phase Pedestrian signals/signs: An array of methods can make [site of many ped/auto conflicts] will slow vehicles. Driver education: Safe vehicle travel should be pro- are now required in all new signals in U.S. crossing safer: WAIT/WALK signals, flashing yellow beacons, moted through renewed emphasis and reminders Curb extension/bulb-out/neckdown: A sidewalk exten- Neighborhood plans: Carefully tailored plans for stop or yield signs, “Ped Xing” signs, in-pavement about driver-pedestrian rules. sion into the street [into the parking lane] shortens neighborhood improvements encourage non-auto flashers, or signals triggered by walkers. crossing distance, increases visibility of walkers and Police enforcement: Law enforcement agencies can travel, enhance neighborhoods and promote livability. In-street crosswalk signs: Inexpensive yield-to-peds encourages eye contact between drivers and walkers. enforce local safe vehicle laws, including those for posted speeds and traffic signals and signs. Building placement: Zoning policy can guide build- signs can be placed at the center line of a crosswalk. [Can also be used at a bus stop, allowing buses to stay ings closer to street lines to visually narrow a street. Prohibited turn signs: Prohibiting either left or right in a traffic lane to pick up/drop off passengers, rather Shared streets: These are roads with joint and equal turns [often only during peak traffic hours] can reduce than pulling to the curb]. More information rights for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, with no cut-through traffic and promote pedestrian safety. Midblock pinch point: Narrowing the road midblock signs or curbs. Drivers pay more attention and drive Be effective advocates: Organize. Collect information. with a curb extension/neckdown slows vehicles. more safely when they do not have priority. Provide alternatives. Have an event. Persist and LANE NARROWING [REAL & PERCEIVED] Chicane/alignment shift: Varying sidewalk extensions respect. Experiment. Have fun. Walk more and greet ADA requirements: All streets and sidewalks must your neighbors.