DESCRIPTION
The ‘loop’ around Indian Lake measures approximately 3 miles. There is a public park with boat ramp (Morgan Park aka Morgan’s Landing) and a public park with a beach (Shore Park) on the 3 mile loop. A city beach at the end of Clason Road is within about a block of the ‘loop’ as it is most frequented. Hundreds of walker s/runners use this path year-round. Residents of the greater Indian Lake area, individuals, and groups from two health clubs on the ‘loop’ as well as numerous organized fundraisers can be found using it on any given day.
The path takes the user along the shoreline of Indian Lake, through various neighborhoods, past 2 prominent war memorials and a business district.
There ‘loop’ around Indian Lake is approximately 3 miles.
PROJECT NEED
With master plans in place for Morgan Park, Shore Park and the Clason Road Beach, and the investment the City of Worcester and partners have made in Indian Lake, it is time to assess the ‘Loop’ to not only ensure it is a safe and accessible route for the surrounding neighborhood but it has an opportunity to become a desirable 'destination' for residents and visitors outside our immediate area. In 2019, the City of Worcester Public Works and Parks, Parks Division embarked on the development of the City's 2020 Open Space and Recreation Plan. A key piece of this plan highlighted the importance of access to the public spaces... ensuring that there were easy transitions between these spaces and neighborhoods, walkability, accessibility and connectivity. This project also offers the opportunity to document and highlight the vast fabric of our neighborhood history.
ACTION PLAN
ILWA board members began collecting basic data on improvements and the Loop project was submitted as a potential Independent Qualifying Project (IQP) at WPI. The IQP is one of WPI's primary degree requirements. It challenges students to address a problem that lies at the intersection of science, technology and society and is typically completed by interdisciplinary teams of two to four students working under the direct guidance of one or more faculty advisors.
WPI Independent Qualifying Project ‘Indian Lake Pathway’ (fall 2020)
This project was the most detailed IQP of the loop project so far. The main recommendations fell under the categories of sidewalks, parking, lighting, and Interstate I-190 bypass. In terms of sidewalks, a number of locations with difficult to navigate or damaged sidewalks were identified, and recommendations made regarding how to repair/replace/expand them. In terms of parking, it was recommended that on-street parking be limited to residents only and that public parking be reviewed to ensure a sufficient number of handicapped-accessible spaces. For lighting, replacement of ageing lampposts with solar-powered LED lights was recommended, as well as the installation of such lights in areas that not currently well lit, particularly the three parks. Finally, it was recognized that the edge of the lake along I90 is the least pleasant part if a “walking loop” is to be established, and a rudimentary design for a boardwalk to complement the sidewalks in this area was produced. It is noted that such a boardwalk is a “long term” goal and would require significant investment that would most likely be prioritized elsewhere. The path of the boardwalk is shown below.
Additional recommendations regarding accessibility, rather than health and safety, were also made. These include painting a blue stripe along the loop path, once it is established, similar to the red stripe that demarcates the “freedom trail” in Boston. Informational signage was also recommended for direction (e.g. “3 miles to the end of the loop!” or “you are headed northwest!”) as well as for information of historical (e.g. the history of the Norton Company) and environmental (e.g. regarding the local flora and fauna) of interest. Recommendations were made to connect the Indian Lake Loop with other trails, such as the East-West trail in Worcester. Finally, a basic GIS map that can be updated by the ILWA was created marking the location of suggested improvements.
There were a variety of other very recommendations made, such as hiring an artist to create a fun map illustrating the locations of local businesses; signage to link walkers to WRTA services; etc. Professor Aaron Sakulich served as student advisor for this project.
WPI Independent Qualifying Project ‘Indian Lake Mobile App’ (spring 2021)
This project was a brief follow-up to the pathway project and looked at developing a mobile app. The main takeaways were: a) To recommend the “Thunkable” platform for developing the app; b) recommending the layout of the app, including buttons where users could access water quality reports (such as those that Jackie Burmeister and Evelyn Mortimer have been producing), surveys (such as the fishing survey from 2020), the master plans for the parks from 2014, water safety information, and previous/current work that the ILWA has been doing. A donation button was also recommended! A barebones prototype of the app was created in Thunkable. Professor Aaron Sakulich served as student advisor for this project.
WPI Independent Qualifying Project ‘Developing A (historical) Archive for Indian Lake’ (summer 2021)
The main takeaways from this project were that a) According to a somewhat limited survey, a lot of people are comfortable using QR codes, if they were to be placed on signs or posters around the lake, in order to get more information, and b) Archivists at WPI might be able to assist us in documenting physical objects, finding historical newspaper reports about the lake, and maintaining a website. Some recommendations regarding specific platforms for creating a website were also made. Professor Aaron Sakulich served as student advisor for this project.
It is important to remember that this is not a guarantee of funding or implementation but an important way to engage people in the community and get ideas of what the future could be. We sincerely value the commitment WPI makes to our community and would like to especially acknowledge the great work of the students and their advisors.
