Do you know why you drive the way you do?

As far as I can tell, all drivers speed. I do it; every single driver I've been driven by in the last year does it; you almost certainly do it, too. I find myself speeding for a lot of reasons, but they nearly all boil down to: I speed because I feel safe doing so. After all, if I didn't feel safe, I'd slow down, right?

That's the conclusion reached by An empirical analysis of driver perceptions of the relationship between speed limits and safety, a recent study at Purdue University. As the abstract states:

A key motivating factor in drivers’ tendency to exceed the speed limit is that they believe that the excess speed does not threaten safety. This paper, specifically studies this matter by using a survey that asked drivers how fast above the speed limit they feel they can drive before safety is threatened ... Estimation findings show that drivers’ perception of the speed above the speed limit at which they will receive a speeding ticket is a critical determinant of what they believe is a safe speed – suggesting that enforcement plays an important role in safety perceptions. Other variables found to be significant factors in determining the speed above the speed limit at which safety is first threatened include age, gender, being previously stopped for speeding, and drivers’ ethnicity.

This means that planners and advocates who want cars to slow down should focus not on speed laws but instead on changing drivers' perceptions. We don't want streets that are unsafe, but we do want them to feel unsafe, or just a little. For example, we know that narrowing the lane of traffic will slow driving speeds as drivers feel more constrained. Making neighborhood streets bumpy rather than smooth will discourage people from flying down the street far better than putting up a speed limit sign.

What are other effective ways you've experienced a decrease in your sense of safety at speed?

Contested Streets

Do you ever wonder what our cities will look like 10, 50 or 100 years in the future? I was recently watching the trailer for "Contested Streets: Breaking New York City Gridlock", which included some film clips from the early part of the 20th century, showing how city streets were shared by pedestrians and cars then, and, of course, now. I would dearly love to get a glimpse into the future to see what we're doing in 2088, but for now, I'll have to settle for looking back and thinking about planning well for a good future for our city streets.

If you're interested in seeing Contested Streets, but you don't want to buy the DVD, and you're in the Boston area, check out these screenings:

· Thursday, November 20, 2008, 4-5pm at the Harvard School of Public Health, Kresge G3 (Boston, MA)

· Thursday, December 4, 2008, 6-7pm at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Piper Auditorium (Cambridge, MA)

This movie is being offered as an extension of the "Bicycle Environments in the U.S. and the Netherlands/Denmark" class (Harvard School of Public Health). The showing of the movie is sponsored by the following groups in alphabetical order:

Harvard Urban Planning Organization at the Graduate School of Design (HUPO)
Harvard School of Public Health Post Doc Association (HSPH PDA)
Interdisciplinary Consortium on Urban Planning and Public Health (ICUPPH)
Livable Streets Alliance

Who uses sidewalks?

Who uses sidewalks?

We first think of walkers when we think of sidewalks, and typically able-bodied walkers at that. We might think of people of different ages, and with different goals to their activities -- some are on an errand and in a hurry, and some are just out for an aimless stroll or wandering with small children. Thinking of being at different paces makes me think also of runners, who frequently use sidewalks, too, and when they're crowded, runners wind up running into frustration, weaving amongst slower users.

Among less able-bodied people, we might see people with canes, crutches, walkers -- moving very slowly -- and people in wheelchairs and scooters -- moving quickly!

Speaking of wheels, I also see kids on kick scooters and the occasional person on inline skates. Probably my least favorite wheel-based travelers on sidewalks are people on bikes, who I always imagine must be equally annoyed by the pedestrians they encounter.

Are the sidewalks in your neighborhoods well designed for all the people who use them?

Watertown Walks! Belmont, November 15, 2:00pm

Rock Meadow - Belmont
Saturday, November 15th 2 pm

Join the Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety for a walk through this 70 acre parcel of conservation lands in Belmont, where we'll see meadowlands, wetlands and community gardens. Options will be available for a short walk, and a somewhat longer walk through BeaverBrook in Waltham.

Rock Meadow is located on Mill Street in Belmont. Pick up Mill Street where it intersects with Trapelo Road, turn right on Mill Street. Heading west, go .3 mile past the entrance to McLean Hospital. Turn left into the driveway to the parking area for Rock Meadow. There is a sign post on the road. If you get to the Concord Street intersection, you've gone too far.

By public transportation, take the #73 bus to Waverly Square. Walk west (toward Waltham) to the intersection of Mill Street, turn right. Follow directions as above.

Join WalkBoston!

As you know, I work (and blog!) for WalkBoston and we are a Massachusetts-based walking advocacy nonprofit working to improve the physical environment for walking and to encourage people to walk more for health and in their daily lives. It's pretty awesome.

And if you ever walk in Massachusetts, or you wish it were easier for you to do so, you should be a member! Membership funds help us do all sorts of advocacy, education and outreach, and, even more importantly, more members make our voice stronger in our efforts to make improvements.

To join, click here, read about the benefits (including, for people joining at the $30 individual level, a $25 Zipcar credit, so your WalkBoston membership is practically free!)

You know you want to :)

This post isn't about walking; it's about hope

[This post does not express the official views or opinions of WalkBoston.]

Last night, I was figuring that today I would write a cheery little post about walking to my polling place, chatting with a few people while waiting in line, and then walking to the subway to come to work, before exhorting y'all to be sure to vote today.

Imagine my surprise, then, when the line at my polling place was not only out the door (which has never happened in my time voting here), but all the way down the block and around the corner. "Perhaps I'll vote after work," I thought to myself. Imagine my further surprise to find myself not only tearing up, but on the verge of full blown crying as I walked by the long line of people waiting to vote.

I have largely been in denial this election season. I feel so afraid, after the last two presidential elections, that getting my hopes up will only result in their being dashed. And in neither of those was I so moved and inspired by any available candidate as I have been by Barack Obama. But even more, I'm grateful to have had my ideas about what's possible, politically, blown open this year.

Until even a year ago, I believed that I would not, in my lifetime, see the United States take seriously the presidential candidacy of a woman or a person of color. To have this happen not only when I'm here to see it but when I'm still in my early 30s amazes me, and it gives me hope. To see so many people in my neighborhood, where our individual votes matter rather less, given the inevitable allotment of Massachusetts's electoral votes to the Democratic party, speaks to inspiration and hope felt by many.

I want to hold onto this feeling when I feel stuck or discouraged in my political work, now and into the future. I want to hold onto this feeling even if I wake up tomorrow to find the election hasn't gone as I wish. I want to imagine that everything we work for is possible.

Halloween safety!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

I'd like to say I dressed up today, but I'm afraid I overslept and am dressed as just a boring old pedestrian, as usual. Oh, well.

But! I'm looking forward to tonight, when hordes of young (and not-so-young) children descend upon my neighborhood in search of treats. Last year, we had nearly 300 trick or treaters come to our house, so you can see that it's serious business in my neck of the woods.

Everywhere, though, Halloween is a time when it's important to take extra care moving about, whether you're on foot, bike, or car.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has put together these tips for Halloween safety. Check 'em out! And have a safe weekend!

Measure twice, cut once

Last night, I was walking down Elm Street in Davis Square past the bus stop in front of the Social Security office and Dunkin Donuts. As usual, there was a big crowd of people waiting on and around the bench for a bus. And since it was prime after-work time, there was a lot of car and foot traffic around and about, too.

The sidewalk there is about 8 feet wide, and it's an extremely high-traffic spot. Both the Dunk and the Social Security office have a lot of visitors, the bus stop, especially during rush hour, probably has no fewer than 10 people waiting at any given time, and often 20 or more. And, of course, there are a lot of people walking by on their way to or from engagements in Davis Square.

This sidewalk, I thought to myself as I stepped off the curb and into the street to get around the mass of people waiting for a bus, is insufficient. It's insufficient for any of the uses it sees at rush hour, much less all of them. And it leads to pedestrians stepping out into the street in order to get by, not to mention a lot of frustration and annoyance for all involved.

But what can you do about a sidewalk that's not wide enough? Obviously, taking down the buildings and pushing them back isn't an option. The best bet in this case, actually, is probably a curb extension, which would approximately double the width of the sidewalk and could provide plenty of waiting room for bus riders while clearing the rest of the sidewalk for through foot traffic. This would not lose parking, since the curb would extend into the bus zone, but it would mean that one lane of traffic would be blocked when buses stop to load and unload passengers, which would make it a hard sell.

This got me thinking about the importance of careful and thoughtful design at the beginning of any development. In most cases in urban settings, we're working within the constraints of previous decisions with regards to the built-environment, and that limits what we can do going forward. This will always be true, so it's super important for planners and designers to consider all the uses an area might see. These days, as we look ahead to increasingly costly personal-vehicle use, we know that pedestrian and bike uses of streets will represent more and more of the traffic, especially in dense neighborhoods where that's realistically likely to be a major portion of people's daily trips.

This is one of the reasons that I think the work of WalkBoston is so important. The decisions we make today have a real, immediate, and long-term impact on people, communities and neighborhoods. The fact that I have to step into the street to get through shows a failure in the past to effectively foresee the current uses, and that failure constrains how we can respond now. We're not always going to foresee in an accurate way, but it's incumbent upon us to think carefully about our decisions. At WalkBoston, we daily raise this kind of issue with urban designers and planners to keep all street uses on the table in the planning process.

Presidential Campaigns in Boston Walk: Saturday, November 1, 10:00AM

Hey! Do you have plans this weekend?

Oh, sure, we're all dressing up and handing out candy on Friday, but what are you doing on Saturday morning? How about a walk?

Join us for our Presidential Campaigns in Boston Walk this Saturday morning 10-11:30AM. ($10/members free)

Walk with Clint Richmond, author of "Political Places of Boston," to places where presidential candidates have campaigned with speeches, rallies, and fundraising since 1860. Sites will include the iconic "Cradle of Liberty," the 2004 Convention, and the backrooms of Boston politicking.

Meet at 60 State Street, T-accessible by the Blue and Orange lines, near the State Street Station stop.

Volunteer needed: graphic design for our enews

Here at WalkBoston, we're working on updating the format of our enews, and we could use a couple of hours of help from someone with expertise in graphic design for electronic communications. Is that you? Drop me a note!

Cold weather walking

Now that the weather around Boston is starting to get blustery and cold, I know a lot of people have a more difficult time motivating themselves out the door for a walk.

I know that, for myself, there are a couple of hurdles to get over when I'm thinking about walking in cooler weather. First, if I'm comfortable in my house or office, it's pretty tough to get excited to step out into the cold. If I'm a little chilly, as sometimes happens if I'm sitting still indoors, it's even more difficult to consider going out! The best way for me to encourage myself up and out, in either case, is to think about the good things about getting outside. If the sun's out, even if it's cold, I'll be glad for a hit of bright light. If it's grey, I just focus on feeling good through movement or getting errands done. I must admit, this doesn't always work, so if any of you have other ideas here, I'm all ears.

Once I'm feeling inspired to leave the house, there's the issue of dressing appropriately. In warm weather, all I have to do is put on comfortable shoes and be on my way. In the cooler months, there's the additional step of bundling up. Of course, I can't recommend this enough. Nothing will hamstring my decision to stay active in cold weather like one or two walks that see me arriving home with a case of hypothermia. If I do that in October, you're not going to see me leaving the house voluntarily until April, maybe May. So I'm a big fan of bundling up. I don't care if it makes me look silly (okay, well, I care a little bit, but I get over it) to wear a hat, scarf, gloves, three sweaters, and two pairs of long underpants under my winter coat. I understand this is particularly difficult for people who come from warmer climates. Trust me; having the right clothing for being outdoors makes a big difference in your experience of time spent out and about. SRSLY.

I'm a big believer in structurally encouraging myself to do the things I know I want to do, so I like to make plans to have hot cocoa at a coffee shop that's a pleasant walk from my house, for example, so I'm motivated (i.e., forced) to leave the house, but there's a built-in reward at the end. I mean, a reward beyond the satisfaction of getting up and moving around, which can be hard to get excited about when you're cozy on the comfy couch in the middle of winter, for sure.

Physical activity guidelines

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released their 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (that link will take you to the summary of their recommendations). In even more summary form: The findings won't surprise anyone. The recommendation is that people should engage in physical activity. Some is better than none and more (quantity, intensity, frequency) is better.

I have a couple of problems with these guidelines:

First, I believe the "some is better than none" message gets obscured by the "more is better" message. I see it as being easy for people to feel discouraged by their perception that they aren't doing enough, and thereby doing even less, because they're never going to reach the recommended amounts of activity, so what's the point? So, let me say: Some is better than none! Get up and walk around the block, or walk to the store, or walk around your house while you're talking on the phone or brushing your teeth or waiting for your spouse to get ready to head out the door. Making small changes to your habits can be an effective way to increase your activity level and make it easier to make larger changes.

Second, the guidelines are, predictably, in a very structured format. I mean, hey, that's what guidelines are, right? But I don't see this as a particularly organic way for people to integrate activity into their lives. I know there are people who look at it as a checklist item with a set-aside time-frame, and that's great, but for the rest of us, hearing that we should be aiming for 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity each week is a little abstract. What does that mean for me?

Finally, this is a great example of how we put our activities in different categories and don't let them blend between each other. Work for 8 hours a day, exercise for 30 minutes a day, sleep for 8 hours, etc. To my thinking, this makes physical activity a chore to be checked off a list rather than a pleasurable component of a good, healthy, happy life.

So, I know the US Department of Health and Human Services can't say something like this, and they might not even agree with it, but my guidelines for physical activity are a little more lax: Get up and move. Make it a habit. Make it a part of your life that doesn't take any serious thought or feel like a chore. Move because it makes you feel good, and it helps you see your neighborhood and your world or because it gives you time to think or not to think. Be active for yourself and for whatever reasons speak to you most. Want to join me for a walk? Let's!

Thursday, October 23: Pedestrianism in Belmont

Next Thursday evening at 7:30, I'll be speaking in Belmont on issues related to walking-friendly neighborhoods and snow clearance.

Join WalkBoston and representatives of other community and government agencies for an evening discussion of benefits of and challenges to walking in and around Belmont.

We'll be in the Belmont Public Library Auditorium at 336 Concord Avenue, Belmont MA.

And, of course, other neighborhoods or organizations that would like to have WalkBoston attend a meeting or event to talk about issues relating to walking, that's one of our favorite things to do!

Franklin Park walk, Thursday, October 16

Join me and others for a wonderful walk around Franklin Park tomorrow evening from 5:30 to 7.

About the walk: Follow trails past unfamiliar parts of Frederick Law Olmsted's renowned park with Christine Poff of the Franklin Park Coalition and with walkers from the Uphams Corner Health Center walking program.

Where to meet: Meet at the Valley Gates parking area on the main park road across from the golf course

How to get there: MBTA - Orange Line to Forest Hills Station, MBTA Bus #16 to Valley Gates

International Walk to School Day! Wednesday, October 8

Hey, parents!

Did you know that tomorrow is International Walk to School Day?

How are you going to celebrate it?

Greenway Inauguration in review

I'd like to tell you all about the fabulous activities and events that happened at the Rose Kennedy Greenway Inauguration this Saturday, but I can't, because I spent the whole time at the WalkBoston table, handing out stickers, maps, brochures and talking about the importance of a pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. We had beautiful weather, and loads of people stopped by and shared their stories of pleasures and challenges walking in their various communities.

By the end of the day, we'd handed out so many of our bright orange and green stickers that people from other parts of the Greenway came seeking us out wanting to know what they were all about.

Big thanks to our many volunteers: Georgette, James, Reggie, Karla, and Daniel!

Fall walking pleasures

Last night, I was walking home by one of my favorite routes, which takes me past a neighbor's house with a spectacular set of rose bushes, and then, serendipitously, through fall's first pile of dry leaves on the sidewalk.

I don't know what my neighbors do to get the blooms they do, but whatever it is, it's brilliant. Four or five times a year -- June through November -- the six rose bushes in front of their house are loaded with beautiful, wonderfully scented flowers. I love it, and I make it a point to walk by their house when the roses are in bloom so I can stop and smell them.

As fall approaches, another feature I enjoy in my walks is walking through piles of leaves. Now, I know this is an able-bodied pleasure, and the piles of leaves can be an issue for people who are less sure-footed or on crutches or in wheelchairs, and even for me, after a rain, a big pile of leaves represents a real slipping hazard. Still, I take a deep pleasure in wading through a pile of crispy leaves along my way.

Greenway Inauguration!

This weekend, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the park portion of the infamous Big Dig highway construction project, celebrates its official inauguration with a number of events and activities on and near the Greenway itself. I'll be representing WalkBoston there at a table in Dewey Square, and there's a whole slew of fun and interesting stuff happening, including lots of activities for kids. Check it out!

Safe walking habits

The last couple of weeks, I've been getting involved with our Safe Routes to School trainings at elementary schools around the state. In these, we go to elementary schools, train parents, teachers and other volunteers in the skills we want them to teach the kids, and then we all take small groups of kids out walking around the school to practice those skills and begin developing safe walking habits.

One of the interesting observations I've made in this process is what bad habits the adults have -- myself included! It's less urgent that adults have good habits in looking out for our own safety, because we are generally more observant and aware of our surroundings than your average 2nd or 3rd grader, but it presents a challenge to our volunteers to model good walking habits when their own habits demonstrate their own lack of concern with regards to, for example, making sure that cars in all lanes of traffic have stopped before they enter the crosswalk.

I've also noticed that over the course of working with 3 or 5 classrooms in succession, the adults get much better, smoother, and more comfortable with the material and enacting the behaviors we hope to impress upon the children. This makes me think how important it is that children be regularly exposed to safe walking in practice and also in discussion. Kids often know the right answer, even as they enact bad habits.

For example, I might ask a couple of kids at a crosswalk, "What do you need to do to cross safely here?" And they certainly know the answer is, "Look both ways!" But very often, looking both ways simply involves turning their heads without actually paying attention to what they see.

This is all a reminder to me to take more care with my own walking habits, and not to assume that cars will do what I expect them to do at crosswalks, traffic lights and other places that I encounter them as a pedestrian. It also reminds me, though, to talk about safe walking when I'm out and about with kids, rather than simply leading the way and figuring they'll pick up the right thing to do by osmosis.

PARK(ing) Day

Once again, I'm missing the boat by posting about something late in the game. Bad blogger!

A couple of us just took a short jaunt out of the office to check out the PARK(ing) Day park put together by the Trust for Public Lands and staffed by, among others, folks from LivableStreets.

What's the story? They've taken over a parking spot downtown and converted it to a delightful little park where people were lounging, doing homework, eating lunch.

Next year, I want to see a whole series of these scattered across the city so WalkBoston can lead a walk to visit them!