Approximately 10 members of the South County Senior Center walking club in Deerfield attended a walk audit training on September 4. Staff from the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) offered the workshop, with funding from a Mass in Motion initiative to engage seniors in thinking about walkability and the built environment. After a presentation, seniors split into pairs and went outside to investigate the condition of local sidewalks, signage, street crossings, and other factors that can make walking safe and enjoyable - or unsafe and unpleasant. Afterwards, the group reconvened at the Senior Center and shared their observations over lunch.

 

Lisa White, Regional Health Nurse at FRCOG, organized the event and helped to facilitate it, along with Senior Transportation Planner Beth Giannini. Giannini is preparing a report on the participants' observations for the Town of Deerfield to consider as it develops its Complete Streets Prioritization Plan. Previously, Giannini led similar workshops in Northfield and Shelburne Falls, and says each time was a great opportunity to bring new faces into the planning process. "These are folks who care about their communities and really understand what walkability means. They're willing to help, they know the places where they're walking, and they seem thrilled to be asked." After the workshop in Shelburne Falls earlier this year, FRCOG staff incorporated the seniors' observations into the Complete Streets Prioritization Plan they were developing for Buckland, and also updated the Shelburne Falls walking map to reflect participants' feedback.