Somerville residents participated in a “walk audit” of Union Square recently with the aim of improving pedestrian safety. — Photos courtesy of PTAC

By Holly Simione

The Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee (PTAC), in collaboration with the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), the Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets (SASS), and Groundwork Somerville, invited residents to participate in a community “walk audit” of Union Square. PTAC is a mayor-appointed body of volunteer community members who advise and collaborate with city staff to make walking and public transportation in Somerville safer, sustainable, equitable, and accessible.

The event was held on Tuesday, April 29, and started from the Union Square MBTA station and walked through the Square to gauge pedestrian safety and make recommendations to improve overall safety in a highly congested vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian thoroughfare. Among community members were Harriotte Ranvig, SCPD Vice-Chair, and Commissioner Pauline Downing, both white cane users who demonstrated how the safety needs of blind people need to be included in street design.

The group was led by PTAC Chair Alessandra Seiter, SCPD Chair (and candidate for City Council At Large) Holly Simione, Arah Schurr, and Karen Molloy from SASS, Kenzie Ballard, Director of Community Engagement and Climate Resilience and Em Plotkin, Director of Youth Programs and Engagement from Groundwork Somerville. The group plans to share its findings in the next PTAC public meeting.

 “It was wonderful to see so many members of the Somerville community, from safe streets organizations to neighborhood groups to elected officials to individual residents, engage so genuinely and collaboratively with one another on an issue that affects their daily experiences. Union Square is clearly an area our community values deeply and would like to see made livable and accessible for all. What we identified last night were opportunities to improve safety and comfort for people walking in the short term, as well as feedback to incorporate into the longer-term vision for the Union Square streetscape. I am so grateful to all who made this event possible,” said Alessandra Seiter.