The City Council’s Committee as a Whole will be discussing plans for a redesigned West Newton Square on Tuesday. Wicked Local Newton’s Jonathan Damn tells us more about the project here.
Plans for the redesigned West Newton Square before City Council tonight
by Village 14 | Jan 3, 2017 | Newton | 11 comments
I am very excited about the conceptual plans for this project, which have also been well received by both local residents and businesses. The reconfiguration of the roadways, crosswalks and sidewalks, replacement of outmoded traffic and pedestrian signals, and addition of protected bicycle lanes will make West Newton Square much more pedestrian and bicycle friendly and safer for everyone. And the creation of a plaza at the corner of Washington, Watertown and Waltham Streets, as well as new landscaping, trees and lighting, and the expansion and enhancement of other public spaces in the square, will make it a more inviting destination for people who live, work, eat, go to the movies and shop there. The consultants and the planning department also deserve a shout out for their public outreach efforts, including three workshops, follow-up meeting with individuals, local business and small groups, and their effective coordination with the Councilors as well as the Transportation and Public Works departments.
Sounds terrific! West Newton Square has always looked like a missed opportunity. Great news that the city has plans for it.
This really is a great project and deserves to be funded and move ahead!
The road dieting of Wash eastbound at the 16 split will bottleneck forcing alternative C tier roads to accommodate unprecedented ‘play-thru’ traffic. Good luck Peirce schoolers.
I like the new safer access for pedestrians and bikers in the center design. Looking forward to Newtonville’s new design too – if only the frivolous lawsuit would be dismissed and Austin Street could start in the spring.
I view the West Newton plan with a little more trepidation now, given what we’re going through with the Auburndale Square “improvements”. There is no longer a “pedestrian exclusive” phase at intersections. The new signals, which were activated weeks ago, have concurrent crossing, which means cars have a green light while pedestrians have a walk signal, resulting in cars turning into a crosswalk while pedestrians have a walk light. This has resulted in many near misses, with both adults and the many children who cross these intersections daily. So after weeks of residents raising this issue, the city is going to add a 5 second “leading pedestrian interval” for the crossings. I hope they get it done before something terrible happens, and I hope it’s enough. I can’t see how removing the pedestrian-only phase improves walkability or safety.
Tricia,
The Auburndale “improvements” were done by a different firm (read: lowest bidder) with different goals in mind. The project did not have nearly as much community engagement, and did not adequately address complete streets principles.
Concurrent crossing is the latest trend, but the LPI is a must. Newton should have learned this already from the Newton Centre experience, and any engineers the city hires should know this as well! Concurrent crossing done right gives the pedestrian a shorter wait and more time to cross. With the right timing and safer intersection design (e.g. bumpouts and shorter crossings) this can result in better compliance for everyone and reduced traffic.
“Newton should have learned this already from the Newton Centre experience, and any engineers the city hires should know this as well!”
This is what is really infuriating about this situation. How could the City have allowed them to implement concurrent crossings without LPIs? Why did it take weeks of complaints from residents before they agreed to make the change? And why will it still take another week or more to implement it, when everyone knows it’s dangerous the way it is? There are at least 5 school bus stops in and around the Square, for elementary through high school kids, and 2 elementary schools in walking distance, plus Express Bus stops and a Commuter Rail station. How could the City allow pedestrians to be an afterthought in the plan?
I’ve read the plan as carefully as I can and believe it’s a 10 strike, grand slam home run, or whatever other slang, descriptive term you want to use. West Newton Square has been a mess since at least the early 1950’s. Sometime back then, Life Magazine identified the Square as one of America’s 2 or 3 most hazardous areas to drive through. It used to be even worse than it is now. I like everything from the new bike arrangements and the safer and greatly improved pedestrian crossings and walkways, and I particularly like all the new trees that will be planted. The only sad element is historical. I’ve been reading a pictorial history of Newton and the section on West Newton is particularly fascinating. At the turn of the last century there were several magnificent Second Empire, Queen Anne and Italianate police, municipal and general business and office buildings near the village center. These are all gone and that’s a shame because there was something very special about these old buildings from the late 19th century.
Does the City care about pedestrian safety? It sure does NOT seem like that’s the case based on the changes to the walk signals made in Auburndale Square. By allowing cars to turn into the crosswalk, and potentially plow into school kids who are crossing Comm Ave to get to a school bus stop or local shops, the city has prioritized the efficiency of commuter traffic over the safety of our kids… CITY LEADERS (including Stephen Simoglou, Traffic Engineer): PLEASE ACT NOW to rectify this situation. You’ve been warned about several near misses that have occurred in a short period of time. The Walk Boston model does NOT work effectively at these intersections.
This is now 5 years later, and there are serious problems with West Newton Sq, effecting pedestrians, traffic, safety and Bikers. Those city councilors who praised it to the hilt, and city planners as well, need to come off their “wishing something will work” attitude and start carefully thinking and imagining all the possible repercussions of a plan before voting their enthusiastic approval, see above 1st three comments. They are elected to be Gate Keepers of public safety not cheerleaders.
I’ll focus on one aspect; the bike lane from St. Bernards along RT 16, over the 16 overpass into the square. The bike lane keeps to the right on the overpass, part of it keeps to the right to enter the square on 16. This is good.
However, maybe halfway up to the crest of its rise, the lane suddenly branches out to the left, then starts up again in yet another lane to the next left lane, then another! to enter Elm Street. Never would I ride this route, where I’m directed to swerve three lanes across traffic on a bike with accompanying cars, with very poor line of site. The good news is that other bikers must have noticed this too, as I’ve never seen another biker on that overpass.
The moral of this story, be careful what you wish for and make sure you elect people who will “think and ponder” and not put your life in danger for their own pride in a project.