As part of the Newton-in-Motion transportation project, there is a demonstration of various Complete Streets ideas planned for Friday and Saturday, June 10 and 11th at Washington and Walnut Streets, weather permitting. Complete Streets are designed to make the roadway safe and welcoming for all users, including abutters, motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit commuters of all ages and abilities. This demonstration has been postponed twice now, due to the use of water-soluble paint markings, but hopefully the weather will cooperate this time!
From the city website:
This 2-day event will provide opportunities to test out a temporary traffic configuration made of movable parts showing tactics like curb extensions, parklets, and buffered bike lanes. This project is intended to workshop how temporary transportation projects could be utilized in Newton and give everyone the opportunity to see what some of these tactics look and feel like in real life. Kids welcomed and encouraged to participate!
Where will the buses stop for pickup/drop-off? Will I still be able to place my discarded pizza box on top of the big belly solar panel? Can I bring the kids to chalk their own lines in the roadway? Should I bring my own fold-up lawn chair? What time will lunch be served?
Same as before I’d think.
No.
No.
Knock yourself out.
Lunch is always served. Have a drink.
Came 10 pm last nite, workers were scurrying around setting up.
Already noticed a couple of problem areas in this morning’s traffic. Tractor trailers southbound on Walnut have difficulty in making the RH swing onto Austin – potential for rushhour gridlock esp. with the 3 crosswalks busy with exiting commuter railees.
The road diet slams business re: UPS store drop-off for heavy packages from citizenry and other businesses. Notice the UPS store recently installed an ADA assist door; catch a hint city planners..
I’d like to maximize seating areas and green space. So far not so much to look at except the bike lanes. Hoping for more throughout the day.
@Harry, please read carefully, this is a demonstration of how the city can evaluate changes without a shovel. It sounds like you were able to see the full benefit of the demonstration. I heard several comments from some firefighters testing the new curb locations. Again, seems this concept is working.
Note: The bus stop was moved down on the south side of Washington, next to the tent.
As I was walking around looking at the various traffic calming features I crossed Walnut twice in the crosswalk with the Walk light. The car that almost hit me did in fact stop short although the biker running a red light did not. As a frequent pedestrian, I feel it would be safer if we could ban bikes in the city as they have been more dangerous to me than cars.
I often pick up the 553/554/556 bus at the Walnut-Washington intersection — the corner where the east-bound traffic is. This morning, I found that the bus stop sign had been moved about 20 yards further down Washington, a considerable distance from the bus shelter. As we awaited the next bus, a fellow commuter and I pondered on this scenario: If it had been a stormy morning, and you were huddled under the shelter, would you then have to run the 20 yards or so through the rain to reach the bus once it stopped? Or, if you simply felt like sitting inside the shelter, would you run the risk of missing the bus because the driver might not see you in passing by on the way to the relocated stop?
As it turned out, the next bus arriving stopped at the usual spot — almost directly in front of the shelter.
I realize this is just an “experiment,” and that there’s a big-picture aspect to the whole thing, so perhaps fussing about 20 yards and a bus shelter is petty, but I really did wonder if this was a case of fixing something that ain’t necessarily broke.
Given the choice, I’d rather be hit by a bicycle.
@Adam, if there was a choice I agree. However bike riders in Newton seem to be less aware of pedestrians, and perhaps crosswalks, than car drivers so the one time I was hit it was a bike. Ironically when I was hit a couple of years ago I was in a cross walk.
I think I’m a very careful driver and I’m extra cautious when maneuvering around a bicyclist because I’m glad they are on the road, but concerned that I’m never certain what they will do or where they will turn. I have to be this cautious at my age. But during the past year, I’ve almost hit two bicyclists who ran red lights while I was proceeding through a green light. I’m seeing more and more bicyclists without helmets and many more that don’t seem to realize they are governed by the same rules as motor vehicles. On the whole though, automobiles are the major offender.
@Essteess, as it was explained to me, the Washington Street (eastbound) bus stop was relocated as part of the demonstration because in its normal location near the corner shelter, a stopped bus would partially block the intersection. In other words, moving the bus stop was done in the interest of motorist safety. Today, there was a temporary bus shelter (looked like a white tent) along side the marked bus stop. Perhaps it wasn’t yet installed when you were there?
@Groot, you clearly come to this with a bad experience (I hope you were not seriously injured) and some cyclists clearly aren’t following the law, but I disagree with your generalizations, particularly that cyclists are less aware of pedestrians, given the better line of sight and fewer distractions. Clearly, there are many more pedestrians who were hit by vehicles with stories to tell. I find it’s very difficult to take an objective view of these things without hard data. I think we all come to this with bias depending on what mode of transportation we’re using. It’s hard not to see motorists as the main offenders, though, and for good reason. Roadway users are ultimately driven by self-interest, and the infrastructure (as well as the protection of a large steel cage) heavily favors motorists.
I’m going to start a new thread. I’d encourage anyone who visited the Newtonville demonstration or used the roadway in any capacity during that time to post their thoughts there.