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

2. 125 of 351 municipalities (over 35% of the state!)

3. 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

4. 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

5. 2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE
Speed limits/regulations
2018 MOVING TOGETHER CONFERENCE
MRG for Walkability, p. 8

6. 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

7. 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
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