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Danvers plans Walk Massachusetts audit in summer after 18‑month grant kickoff
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Summary
Commission members said they have a Walk Massachusetts grant with an 18‑month window and are planning a late‑winter kickoff meeting with partners and a public walk audit in summer to identify pedestrian barriers downtown, at Liberty Tree Mall/Endicott Street and along the rail trail.
The Accessibility Commission reported on Dec. 4 that it has a Walk Massachusetts grant to conduct a public walk audit intended to identify accessibility barriers and develop community‑level recommendations.
Christy (Accessibility Commission member) described the grant timeline as an 18‑month window and said the Walk Massachusetts team will lead the audit: a pre‑meeting with partners in late winter, a public walk audit in the summer, and post‑audit workshops that produce suggested improvements. "They will pick a day and time and invite the community to come, and we pick whatever location it is that they start from," Christy said, adding the team will offer example solutions such as adding shade trees or sidewalk canopies to improve pedestrian comfort and safety.
Members discussed possible audit locations, including downtown Danvers, the Liberty Tree Mall/Endicott Street corridor (where recent interior changes have affected pedestrian routes to bus stops), and connections to the Danvers Rail Trail. Town staff contact Noah and Aaron Henry were identified as partners to coordinate with, and Walk Massachusetts may provide interns to review local planning materials. The commission plans to follow up by reconnecting with town staff and identifying partner organizations before the pre‑meeting.
Next steps: commission staff will share Walk Massachusetts slides and schedule a partner pre‑meeting; the public walk audit is expected to be scheduled for summer within the grant’s 18‑month period.
