.@CityofNewtonMA @NewtonMAMayor calling for frequent, all-day commuter rail service with reconstruction of their 3 stations, highlighting TOD investments already in the pipeline that depend on it pic.twitter.com/eG2iruzmpt
— TransitMatters (@transitmatters) May 7, 2018
Jenna Fisher of the Patch reports that Mayor Fuller spoke to the MBTA control board today to make the case for upgrades to provide accessible, frequent transportation at all three of Newton’s Commuter Rail stations. In addition to advocating for Newton residents who need better access to transit, she made it clear that improved service is key to the Washington Street corridor vision to support future development.
The article reports new cost estimates for upgrading all three stations ranging from $46-55M, but does not explain the how the MBTA’s recent accessibility plan to redesign the Auburndale Station alone was rejected as wasteful and counterproductive, thanks to advocacy of the Transit Matters group. It will be interesting to see how the T’s new plans compare with the Transit Matters $11M counter-proposal from earlier this year.
Thumbs up! (I think Newtonville could get away with a single elevator for the inbound side and a switchback ramp using the spare space on the outbound hillside, even rebuilding that outbound platform this should be a significant cost savings… After all that was what was there originally (along with steps under a ped bridge that connected at Central Ave, the break in the fence is still there and the steps are in wood for maintenance workers now)). I think the big costs are project planning with these due to working next to an active highway and railway with no room to spare. Phasing this would be a nightmare…
MBTA can’t even provide decent and reliable service in downtown Boston, why does anything think they care about Newton?
The optics of mbta spending tens of millions on an affluent town when poorer towns are without service.. politically it will never ever happen
Yes, the commuter rail needs desperate improvements in Newton and even more so beyond. But as soon as I read the headline, I was wondering what the Mayor’s motive is. And then I read “she made it clear that improved service is key to the Washington Street corridor vision to support future development.” And there we go.
MMQC: “Motive”? How about the same motive that everyone in this city should share, which is to give residents, businesses and employees reliable transportation options. Why should anyone be against less traffic and improving our carbon footprint?
I applaud any improvement to what is, in effect, almost a third world commuter rail service. I hate to term it as such, but anyone who has spent time in Europe makes this unfavorable comparison between there and her. My one note of caution is in the timing. It took almost a full decade to bring the Newton Highlands Accessible project just to the planning stage it’s at now and that was only because of the spearheading efforts of Robert Solomon supported by some other members of the Highlands Area Council. The planning and development process for these kinds of projects and the long sequence of requirements to advance each of them suggests that a completion date is many years into the future and that’s assuming the funding is there.
Wow, Greg, did you not read the first part of my comment? It said, “Yes, the commuter rail needs desperate improvements in Newton and even more so beyond.” I’ve been a strong advocate for public transit my entire adult life. That wasn’t my point. And I am also an advocate of development! I just get a sense that Ruthanne Fuller advocates for Ruthanne Fuller. There are a dozen reasons to push for better public transit but she makes it about her pet project.
MMQC, it makes more sense to push for improved transit in the context of TOD and increased density. More people would use the transit, and that’s a stronger argument for investment. It’s also about much more than accessibility (though accessibility is a must). It’s about infrastructure improvements that will enable better service, for everyone.
Bob, we need to make sure the T doesn’t use its investments in accessibility unwisely. Look at what almost happened in Auburndale. If left unchecked, the T would have spent more than they had to on accessibility and degraded service. Don’t let it happen in the Highlands.
Vision ? Whose Vision ?
This city developed as a result of an existing transport system,.. evolutionarily. Transport came first, development followed. There was no visionary ( developer ), who demanded
It.
@blueprintbill… huh? The entire streetcar line was about development, specifically development for the upper middle and upper classes of the 19th century. It was entirely about real estate speculation.
The link between transportation and development is central to American suburban development, first with trains and then with the highway system. The only problem is that we abandoned one method for the next and left previous transportation modes to wither and die. New York and Toronto are both struggling with this now as they try to upgrade their systems to handle the influx of people to the city.
Cities around the world are trying to bring that link back by using value capture as a way to pay for transportation development. A bill is floating in the Massachusetts Legislature to put that in place here too, but it appears to have stalled.
bill, sure, the Newton villages were built around 19th c. railroads, back when there was demand for railroads. Beacon Street, Brookline and the development of Boston’s entire subway system (the MBTA is the successor of the West End Ry) is a counter example.
Letting a city be defined by transportation (cars) without vision or planning nowadays is how we get urban sprawl.
It seems the plan is to build single-track accessible platforms, but all 3 stations on the opposite track from where they are now (on the north side). This plan would be an improvement vs. the current situation and an improvement vs. the original Auburndale plan, but locks out any possibility of higher frequency or reverse-commute stops unless & until a second platform is added to each station. That plan seems short-sighted if a goal is to allow more transit-oriented development.
I’m not the only one holding that opinion: https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/t-notes-transitmatters-raises-concerns-on-newton-proposal/
Perhaps a good compromise would be to design but not necessarily build the 2nd platforms in the short term. The 2nd platforms could be at least partly funded by developments along the corridor over time.
For the folks in Newton whom are against development, which is almost always actually redevelopment, how do you suppose Newton maintain it’s tax base? If we stop supporting new growth and regrowth, a significant chunk of our tax base will dissolve over time. What’s left is a lopsided base comprised of mainly existing single family homes, which continue to rise in value, and subsequently yield higher property taxes. Can Newton maintain it’s services, schools, and infrastructure without new growth and regrowth? Is it realistic to think that you can just tax existing single family homes enough to support Newton? Why is it taboo to take an existing corridor like Washington Street and look to breath new life into it? Investments in public transportation make development more attractive, more attractive development means higher yields, higher yields means the developers have more flexibility in what they can offer and how they develop, and flexibility allows the community to help shape the kind of project they want to see. I applaud Mayor Fuller for recognizing this. Take stock of where we are. Newton is just east of Boston. It has great access from 128, 9, and the Pike. Bordering communities to the east are becoming built out, and development will continue to push east. Newton has an opportunity to use this momentum to help shape the kinds of redevelopment it wants to see, while protecting services and infrastructure, as well as maintaining a healthy balanced tax base which is vital for everyone who owns or rents any property in Newton.
@Randy – I agree … but turn that map upside down. east=west 😉
Newton is fortunate to have elected a mayor who not only is proactive in regard to Newton’s present but is also willing to push for Newton’s future – instead of languishing behind a desk or traveling while the MBTA, the state, and others make decisions that eventually require a reaction.
Questioning our mayor’s motives as she continues to strive to produce positive results for Newton is more than counterproductive; it’s a distraction.
Good catch Jerry. 🙂
Randy,
The development of more housing does not solve the taxation problem. It’s the dog chasing it’s tail. More housing means more city services, more school costs( more kids ), more traffic and the tax returns don’t cover the added expenses.
What needs development is the commercial real estate sector.
Why do you think Cambridge taxes are lower than ours?
It’s their commercial tax base,.. in spite of real estate holdings by Harvard and MIT !
How is it a distraction? To me, it seems like the Mayor is preoccupied with Washington Street development. In the past few weeks, she came out saying she wants to sell the police station which ties into her interest in Washington Street development and she “advocates for commuter rail improvements” which also ties into her interest in Washington Street development. Don’t get me wrong, because I WANT to see a new and improved Washington Street and I WANT commuter rail improvements, but I don’t want these things to be at the expense of other important issues. I feel like this is all she talks about.
Mayor Fuller is a super nice mayor.
A friend of mine who lives in Framingham and worked at a restaurant in Wellesley Hills commuted to work and back via the Boston-Worcester line said that the line was the worst line in the Greater Boston area based on his experience here and elsewhere/
Mayor Fuller’s request is definitely reasonable based on such outside objective observations. Do I assume correctly that the replacement of the Olympic class stairways at Newtonville and elsewhere would be part of the improvement?