By Betsy Johnson
Stroll Bike Springfield was awarded a 2022 America Walks GM Neighborhood Change Grant.
Exploring the Magnificence in On a regular basis Walks
In 2014 our native planning company recruited residents from throughout Springfield to develop a Full Streets coverage. By summer season 2015, the Metropolis had did not undertake the coverage, so we began WalkBike Springfield. Inside three months, we bought the coverage handed! 9 years later, we’re nonetheless assembly month-to-month in an ongoing effort to enhance the protection of strolling and bicycling in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Profitable initiatives embrace making a bicycle community map, passage of a 25 mph default velocity restrict, passage of strolling security schooling for all second graders, helping the Metropolis to acquire state and federal funds for full streets initiatives, shared streets initiatives, and Protected Streets 4 All intersection and hall enhancements, and the constructing of Springfield’s first bike/skate park.
Springfield, Massachusetts situated on the Connecticut River, with a inhabitants of simply over 150,000, is the third largest metropolis in Massachusetts and business heart of western New England. Its roadways replicate 1960 – 70’s design – 4 lane arterials by neighborhoods, constructed to get of us out and in of Springfield fairly than to make sure the protection of metropolis residents. The main focus of our AmericaWalks and Protected Roads Alliance grant was one among these arterials – a 3.3-mile stretch of Roosevelt Avenue.
Roosevelt Avenue Neighborhood Change Grant Challenge
Roosevelt Avenue is residence to 2 faculties, 4 excessive colleges, two center colleges, one elementary college, seven main employers, quite a few different employers, senior housing and senior heart Springfield’s second largest park with pool & skating rink, two church buildings, nationwide guard amenities, and extra – to not point out the residential areas of 5 neighborhood associations.
We utilized for the grant as a result of we needed to be proactive, fairly than justresponding to roadway initiatives being undertaken by the Metropolis and State. By means of quite a lot of out-reach actions we gathered steered enhancements.
First, we developed a survey. This Google survey included illustrations and explanations of doable pedestrian and bike owner security enhancements. The survey was distributed to contacts at colleges, companies, neighborhood associations, and thru the WalkBike Springfield community. We created a presentation that we gave at three neighborhood affiliation conferences. On the conferences we collected surveys and recruited volunteers.
As a part of Bike Month, we carried out a “Bike Audit”. Massachusetts had simply enacted new weak customers laws, which requires all automobiles to offer cyclists, walkers and others utilizing the roadway 4 ft passing distance. To reveal 4 ft, we hooked up pool noodles to the bicycles and highway the size of Roosevelt Avenue. We additionally assessed the place a shared used path was possible versus protected and unprotected bike lanes.
We carried out three stroll audits. One was with the help of the Springfield Well being Division and the statewide pedestrian advocacy group, WalkMassachusetts. We recorded that the 4 lanes might readily be solely two lanes (highway eating regimen) as a result of a narrower part already exists going below an underpass. We noticed college students from the highschool operating throughout the highway to get to the sidewalk that exists solely on the other aspect of the road. We mused {that a} round-about might make a three-way intersection (with a excessive crash historical past) truly crossable by pedestrians.
A second stroll audit was held on the different finish of Roosevelt by WalkBike Springfield volunteers on an August Sunday afternoon. This enabled us to extra safely stroll (towards the site visitors) as a result of there aren’t any sidewalks for many of this mile part. A key success of the audit was to find out that the pedestrian name button on the busy Web page and Roosevelt intersection was not working (we waited by six cycles!) One of many members reported the failure to “311” and the Metropolis has truly repaired the sign.
The third stroll audit was with seniors from a senior house complicated, which is only one/3 mile away from the Metropolis’s new Senior Middle. Extra because of AARP for supporting WalkMassachusetts who was capable of help us with this audit. There’s a sign from the complicated throughout Roosevelt to Blunt Park the place the Middle is situated. However, the sign is timed for the scholars on the close by highschool – our seniors have been unable to cross within the allotted time. As soon as throughout the road there aren’t any sidewalks within the Park to the Middle. An total purpose of the undertaking is to determine the decrease value enhancements (lengthening the pedestrian part and putting in “pedestrians in roadway” indicators), in addition to the extra moderate-cost objects, reminiscent of truly putting in sidewalks.
We held a group discussion board. We despatched invitations and distributed flyers to the neighborhood associations, native companies, and colleges. Springfield Prep Constitution Faculty was our host. The big gymnasium enabled us the structure the 20 sections of enlarged Google map photos of all the 3.3 stretch of roadway. Because of the Pioneer Valley Planning Fee for creating the map sections. We began the discussion board with a presentation that summarized the findings from the surveys, in addition to an summary of the sorts of enhancements members might counsel. Utilizing sticky pads, of us then added to the map steered concepts for bettering security of Roosevelt Avenue for all customers.
Sixth, we’ve got began the compilation of steered enhancements. As talked about, a primary focus is an inventory of lower-cost objects reminiscent of modifying pedestrian alerts, putting in college zone signage, putting in radar detection velocity indicators, repainting crosswalks, and so forth. A second grouping are moderate-cost objects reminiscent of putting in sidewalks, putting in crosswalk beacons, putting in raised crossings, and portray bike lanes. The third grouping are enhancements requiring extra engineering reminiscent of set up of shared use paths, total highway eating regimen, intersection round-abouts, and new signalization, for instance.
Subsequent Steps
The undertaking has created momentum. We have already got requests to conduct extra stroll audits. We’ll proceed out-reach to the employers and colleges. We’ll extra previously current our suggestions to Metropolis and State elected officers and employees, and work with them to determine funding alternatives.
