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Meeting is tomorrow (Wednesday, October 13) 6 – 7:30pm on zoom. Be there or be ◻
Newton Commuter Rail Stations Accessibility Improvements Public Meeting
by Adam Peller | Oct 12, 2021 | Newton | 21 comments
Props to @MBTA for releasing digital materials before the meeting, rather than weeks later. This should help make the community discussion much more effective.
On to accessible Commuter Rail transportation in Newton! A long and winding — started at the grassroots level — road (or, track) will arrive at this critical juncture. Now, it is ensuring MBTA bigwigs understand more convincingly that public transit is THE LAW! They know from multi-million class action lawsuits losses through the past 16 years that the project will happen.
Peace.
I think that this is a critical moment for Newton. Three two-sided, accessible train stations in Newtonville, West Newton and Auburndale could really dramatically change Newton for the better. When all is said and done, this project sets the stage for a significantly improved public transportation experience in the future, with much better and more frequent access to highly developing areas of Boston. If constructed well, we will end up with three more truly transit-oriented village centers. This project will change how we use our on-street resources in these areas, may change our MBTA bus network, as well as the overall vibrancy, housing and lifestyle choices along this corridor and on the whole north side of our City! I hope that everybody can attend this and future meeting and be encouraging and hopeful!
If we get to see 20 minute schedules into south station 7days a week …
8 years from now, those against high density housing will have a little less to complain about
In the meantime, more high density housing should be built where convenient public transportation actually exists TODAY: waban, newton center
Looks beautiful – has no funding. Will that take another 20+ years?
I imagine it’s all contingent on federal funding, and we know how that’s going.
But imagine the north side of the city with superior public transit!
Some minor points I hope to hear more about at the public meeting:
* Why the Newtonville station doesn’t have access from the Walnut Street bridge for those coming from the south side of the village or north/south bus connections. There might be some subtle issues with the width available for the station as it approaches the bridge
* Pros/cons for a single platform between the tracks. Fewer elevators, but lots of track work probably means $$$
* Better bicycle infrastructure and connections. I’m guessing this is an oversight at these early stages, but let’s see access that doesn’t put bicycles going through parking lots or on sidewalks, and bike cages or bike rooms instead of racks.
I understand the doubt and frustration, but the only way we get this is if people push for it, and the first step is showing up for the call today.
There is a window here to make this happen. The work on the Pike over the next decade is going to cause delays. The Commuter Rail can be improved to lessen that hit. Having accessible stations is the law. There is money in a potential infrastructure bill and future similar bills. Let’s push and hope for the best.
Lucia –
As is well known, and in my presentation at the July 25, 2018, GLT public hearing with MBTA officials and MassDOT staffers attending, along with 125 concerned citizens, and in my writings there is $20 million “in the bank.” That funding was intended to begin the Auburndale Commuter Rail Station five years ago after nearly two decades relentlessly advocating by Rep. Kay Khan and some 200 residents of Auburndale and across Newton.
In addition, THE LAW compels MBTA bigwigs to fetch the funds! They know that after the 2006 $350 million class action lawsuit by eight persons with disabilities affiliated with the Boston Center for Independent Living. The suit is known as the MBTA/BCIL Settlement. Judge Patrick King has presented progress reports biannually (June; December) for years. I’ve attended several at the Transportation Building in Boston pre-COVID, and via Zoom since June 2020.
Also, let us remember that former Congressman Barney Frank hauled home $3 million for the reconstruction of the Auburndale T Station as he retired. Let’s get busy!
Attendance seemed good at the meeting. Hard to tell, since the MBTA doesn’t operate these meetings with full transparency, but there was about an hour of questions and they said “over a hundred” were in attendance. As with past meetings, it did seem more like a sales pitch than an open discussion or solicitation of feedback. Many questions were side-stepped or dismissed out of hand, but at least we’re at a much better point than we were a few years ago.
I wasn’t very satisfied with the answer to the question I asked. I feel that these stations, Newtonville in particular, needs to be a transit hub for people coming from the north and south. The concept plan presented, if you look closely, really is focused on serving people from the immediate area arriving on the sidewalk or arriving by car. Cyclists are given a simple bike shelter, and there was absolutely no mention of bus connections in the presentation. Many commented that there should be better bicycle accommodations, as we should encourage non-motorized transit. For buses, I was told that “buses are on wheels,” so it didn’t matter how they designed the station or where the entrances were sited. Apparently they expect buses to make loops around the train station when there are much better options available. An entrance on the Walnut Street bridge would make the connection easier for 59 riders and those coming from the south part of the village, especially for the disabled. One commenter even pointed out the benefits of locating the station on the other side of the bridge near Star Market, potentially with an entrance crossing the Pike. That idea was also dismissed by the presenters.
Also, as in the past, very little information was given on why the Walnut Street bridge needed to be partially rebuilt. It will surely drive up the cost of the project and become an obstacle. If memory serves, there may have been ways to design around the problem.
Adam
Did you get the impression the proposal was serious or simply a “design project” for consults to feed at the tough?
Ie the MTBA had unspent funds and simply slapped a fake design together as an excuse to spend $
“Design Project” There is no money to complete the design to 100% (or anything above 30%), no plan or money or schedule to actually build the 3 stations.
The MassDOT presenters flat out refused to commit to any future work on the project.
And pointed out the Framingham Line is not a priority for MassDOT.
@Bugek, feeding at the trough, no doubt. And yet, this step and getting the project to shovel ready is a prerequisite to making things happen. Congressman Auchincloss has been involved in the process lately, too. Should the infrastructure bill prevail, it’s not unreasonable to think it will get funded.
I think the prioritization comment was more about urban rail — frequent service and electrification — though station modernization and urban rail go together.
Lucia, I tend to agree. I tuned in late (last 30 minutes) and didn’t really understand the point of the meeting since so much is still unknown. And since they are grouping the three stations as one project that may create some efficiency, they referenced a two year build period per project so that might last maybe 5 years and all that is after the complete design. To me this sounded at least 8 years out dependent that funding is secured. Again, not sure what the point was
I appreciate the frustration with the pace, but unfortunately, this is the process. The next step is finding funding for 100% design, and ideally the entire project. This is where our local politicians will need to step up and help advocate in the state house and Congress.
8 years out is a long time. But the process has to begin somewhere. As some have already stated, these have the potential to be transformative for the three villages in question.
Fignewtonville
The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Why expect anything different after 30 years of begging the MBTA. Any funding will simply be squandered by OT, consultants and cost overruns.
We should just partner with private shuttle bus companies and create bus only lanes in Newton leading to the highway. This technically could be in place within a year.
Until we see a shovel on the ground, this should be considered a nothing burger.
I was delighted with the meeting and feel confident MassDOT would not have held such a meeting if they were not serious about moving ahead with this project. There is new leadership at MassDOT and perhaps what we are seeing is a reflection of that, in addition of course to the availability of billions of dollars in infrastructure funds, and MassDOT realizing whoever has their act together with a project ready to go is more likely to get funded.
I am not always in agreement with @emilynorton but in this case I agree that this was a great meeting. Most of the questions were answered, and though it may not have been what the questioner wanted to hear, they folks from the T seemed to have answers that made sense. I am sure if you emailed or did additional research one might even find the background materials that drove the answers.
As a Newtonville resident, I do hope that we don’t design this to death and slow it down in a way that it never will be built. These are incredibly land bound stations (especially Newtonville) so concepts of transit hubs will be hard to move on. And we will have to manage costs so things like mimicking the old HH Richardson stations are probably not going to happen.
I was especially intrigued by the notion of a rail turnaround up by Riverside to serve the commuter lines as a way of enhancing frequency within Route 95.
Lets work together to move to the next stage, rather than piling on with the ptoential issues. There will be plenty of time for that.
I agree with Councilor Norton as well, and Dave B. I do think they can do a better job planning for the bus routes, but that seems easy to fix later down the line. At this point, I’m not looking for beauty, I’m looking for functional and ADA compliant. This is how things get built now. Slow. Halting. But to give up just means we have completely unacceptable commuter rail stations, and in my view the eventual loss of one or more of those stops in the name of efficiency and ADA compliance.
Feel free to doubt the eventual project, but I don’t see how that does anything for Newtonville except condemn us to the status quo for the next 50 years. Or we can have new stations within 10.
As always, advocates/activists are the collective impetus for change that benefits all people far into the future whenever transit entities and municipalities and developers and so on DENY ACCESS to persons with disabilities. And that is exactly the action everybody will witness with the reconstruction of Newton’s three Commuter Rail T Stations. Yet do buckle up because we’re in “for a bumpy ride” (as actor Bette Davis said) with the NEW CREW we heard from last night. Obviously, a few (or all) of them are clueless as to the Congressional mandate whereby the MBTA is 21 years late on retrofitting/upgrading/updating its masstransit at the three Commuter Rail T Stations. A lawsuit is an option.
In addition, I continue reading and hearing about Congressman Jake Auchincloss’s “advocacy” or “involvement” in the long overdue reconstruction of the three Commuter Rail Rail T Stations. Where was he last night? I never heard him talk about Commuter Rail Stations in Newton while a City Councilor, nor currently as Congressman. At least former Congressman Joe Kennedy III showed up and spoke! And his predecessor Congressman Barney Frank hauled home
$3 million dollars for the Auburndale Commuter Rail Station project upon retiring. So, Congressman Auchincloss gets an F by keenly observant, active disability rights advocates on his lackluster performance.
Also, residents of Newton harbor a right to know and a need to know WHERE that MISSING $20 million dollars is! Taxpayers across the Commonwealth also must know where their dollars are relating to that $20 million dollars. I and other advocates intend on finding out as you heard me loud and clear last night. MBTA staffers last night were evasive and deflecting any questions regarding funding. Obviously, the new crew at the MBTA has much to learn.
Again, I will remind everybody and anybody not-in-the-know because you’ve not relentlessly advocated on reconstructing the three Commuter Rail Stations for nearly TWO DECADES, that FULL FUNDING for the ENTIRE project WILL be found and dispersed because the LAW compels MBTA officials to do so!
For example, when the question arose by a certain superb citizen as to “Why has it taken years to rebuild” Newton’s three Commuter Rail Stations, the answer by the gentleman MBTA staffer was evasive and inaccurate all in one response. Telling 100 citizens that the funds were not there is DEFLECTING, INACCURATE, and EVASIVE! We weren’t born yesterday. We know when a bureaucrat speaks as a bureaucrat.
The class action lawsuit by eight persons affiliated with BCIL in 2006 PROVES that $350 million dollars could and was FOUND! The law demands a transit entity FIND the funds. Ask Judge Patrick how that works successfully. Carry on!
@Dave B a transit hub could be as simple as a north/south bus connection. That shouldn’t be an afterthought for any design team. I did not find their answer compelling But yes, overall this is great stuff, hope it moves forward. The Riverside idea is an oldie but goodie. A game changer. Been discussed here on V14 and dates back to a circuit line from early last century. The spur was briefly used about 20 years ago when the central subway flooded.
To be honest – even though i’ve been pushing and pushing and pushing for these enhancements, I didn’t think we would get here. Just before the pandemic struck we had a meeting at the library where MassDOT said all they could do was one track accessibility with maybe one station with access to both tracks. They followed up later saying 2 tracks was out. The proposal is fantastic – accessibility and 2 track access. This will enhance our service and enhance the whole line. And – they have assured us they will get to the 100% design. As some have said – it is up to us to keep the pressure on. Representative Khan deserves a lot of credit but I also credit the Mayor. She is active at the state level and is i think incoming Chair of the Mass Municipal Association. However it happened it is a move in the right direction. If Congress ever approves the infrastructure bills i hope that Massachusetts will aggressively go after funds for this project.