Community Members Audit Walkability of Morningside Corridor
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A group of concerned community members walked a portion of Dalton Avenue on Sunday to see how it could be made safer for pedestrians.
Late last month, a man died after being struck at the corner of Dalton Avenue and Dartmouth Street. On Sunday, the Pittsfield Community Design Center hosted an on-site community crash analysis for possible long-term and short-term solutions.
"I think the idea that everything can be done immediately, instant gratification, is tough to overcome, but if you can take short, medium, and long-term actions over time and keep that momentum going, I think that's important," said Nicholas Russo, founder of PCDC.
The group met in the corridor and, using AARP's Walking Audit Toolkit, identified areas needing improvement on clipboards from the intersection of Dalton Avenue and Benedict Road to the roundabout.
On June 20, a 2013 Chevy Impala being driven by John Clark, 93, was westbound on Dalton Avenue when it collided with Luis Chin, 87, who was crossing the street, according to the District Attorney's Office. Chin died after being taken to Berkshire Medical Center.
One suggestion that came out of the walk was for the Traffic Commission to evaluate the city parking ordinance and see if visibility on the curved corner could be improved. Parking is supposed to be set back 15 feet, but there was a question of where the setback would start because of the curve.
Council President Peter White and Ward 2 Councilor Brittany Noto, who participated, were open to bringing forward a petition. White explained, "We could either look at that and make it blanket for across the city, or we could look at doing it just for this spot and doing a traffic order."
Russo explained that these are unobtrusive and quick moves that could be done before any infrastructure work.
"I was really inspired to hear we could take some quick action with legislative processes," he said.
"That can be something that can be done visibly, and it shows that there's a responsive city government."
Noto found the walk very informative and said there are many accessibility needs in the corridor.
"Simple things that able-bodied people don't think about," she explained.
"For example, for vision-impaired folks, we don't have the tactile ground surface indicators. We need those. When you press the button for the crosswalk, you don't get an audio signal, so that's important that we need to consider."
She and Ricardo Morales, the city's commissioner of public works, tested the crosswalk timing in front of Dunkin' Donuts and found you have 25 seconds to cross 44 feet. While this meets standards, Noto said this might be burdensome for elderly people and those using wheelchairs.
"And also, just some of the sidewalks really need to get redone," she added.
Standing near the Mobil gas station at the corner of Dalton Avenue and Benedict Road, Morales pointed out that there is no sign indicating the speed limit, but there is a sign that asks people to slow down because there is an urbanized area ahead.
This is just a block away from where the fatal accident happened.
"We're just telling you to slow down because now you're dropping down into a more dense area, but everything else doesn't tell you that," he said.
"There's a drop in the number of lanes from two to one, but if you're in that lane and it's green, you're still going to go at the same speed you were going, so I think this here is a prime area, and it's been in the back of our minds, to improve."
Before the group took off, Russo explained the process and purpose of the audit. He reported that AARP finds walkability important for all ages and abilities.
"They say that a community without sidewalks or with sidewalks, the end is not walkable. Streets that are too wide have multiple lanes or lack traffic lights are uncrossable, and public traffic stops that pedestrians can't safely access are essentially useless, and because the vast majority of the nation's roadways were designed to move cars fast, parks and mini streets are just simply unwalkable," he said.
"And I should say the words 'walking' and 'pedestrians' are inclusive terms. It doesn't have to mean you are using your two feet."
The Walking Audit Toolkit states that inclusivity is important to the walk audit process since streets should be usable by people of all ages, experiences, and abilities.
"After all, when a street is safe and accessible for someone with a disability or mobility difference, it is safe and accessible for everyone," it reads.
Tags: Morningside, pedestrians, road safety,
