Stacey Beuttell, WalkBoston Statewide Pedestrian Plan Municipal Resource Guide for Walkability Stacey Beuttell, WalkBoston

125 of 351 municipalities (over 35% of the state!)

2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE Mid-block crosswalks 2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE In MA and nationally, more pedestrian crashes occur when people are crossing the roadway rather than walking along it. 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur at mid-block locations MRG for Walkability, p. 9

2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE Mid-block crosswalks 2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE Inclusion signifies importance Guidance on enhancements and spacing Acknowledgement of generating land uses Crosswalks should be spaced 200 to 300 feet apart in developed areas, though up to 500 feet is acceptable. It is a best practice to provide a crosswalk on all legs of a signalized intersection. Generating land uses: People walking are sensitive to out-of-direction travel and may choose the most direct path even if there is no marked crosswalk Context-sensitive design and behavioral characteristics RRFB – prevalence, effectiveness MRG for Walkability, p. 16,17

2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE Speed limits/regulations 2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE MRG for Walkability, p. 8

2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE Speed limits/regulations Integrated speed management strategy Case-by-case basis: roadway users, adjacent land uses, existing operating speeds, other contextual elements Combine speed limit changes with roadway design changes Target speed vs. 85th percentile   2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE MassDOT has officially endorsed the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide (USDG), which advises engineers to design streets according to a target speed rather than designating speed limits in reaction to the 85th percentile operating speed. Target speed refers to the intended operating speed rather than the existing operating speed. NTSB also recommends a revised approach to setting speeds, as it is unclear whether the 85th percentile does not take into account other roadway users like pedestrians, or site specific characteristics like number of driveways or crashes, and it can lead to an undesirable speed escalation. “When a municipality desires to establish a speed limit below the default on a municipal roadway, they may submit a request to their appropriate MassDOT District Office. An engineering study is required. The posted speed limit may increase if the results indicate that the 85th percentile speed is higher than the posted speed.” Municipal Modernization Act 25 mph speed limit on municipally-owned roadways with thickly settled areas or business districts Municipalities can also designate 20 mph Safety Zones or municipally-owned roadways without MassDOT involvement Number of municipalities who have opted in MRG for Walkability, p. 23

2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE Speed limits/regulations Municipal Modernization Act Statutory (default) 25 mph speed limit Municipally owned roads Thickly settled or business districts Unless a special speed regulation has been established 33 municipalities have opted in https://www.mass.gov/info-details/speed-limits-in-thickly-settled-or-business-districts?auHash=iVpy4jlIz-kQ38LfllxwkTCqLUh97Q7IoygWsVWQxz8#municipalities-that-have-notified-massdot-of-opt-in-   2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE MassDOT has officially endorsed the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide (USDG), which advises engineers to design streets according to a target speed rather than designating speed limits in reaction to the 85th percentile operating speed. Target speed refers to the intended operating speed rather than the existing operating speed. NTSB also recommends a revised approach to setting speeds, as it is unclear whether the 85th percentile does not take into account other roadway users like pedestrians, or site specific characteristics like number of driveways or crashes, and it can lead to an undesirable speed escalation. “When a municipality desires to establish a speed limit below the default on a municipal roadway, they may submit a request to their appropriate MassDOT District Office. An engineering study is required. The posted speed limit may increase if the results indicate that the 85th percentile speed is higher than the posted speed.” Municipal Modernization Act 25 mph speed limit on municipally-owned roadways with thickly settled areas or business districts Municipalities can also designate 20 mph Safety Zones or municipally-owned roadways without MassDOT involvement Number of municipalities who have opted in MRG for Walkability, p. 25