The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is holding a public meeting Wednesday to present 75% design plans for a significant “pedestrian- and bike-friendly redesign of Hammond Pond Parkway” between Boylston St. (Rte. 9) and Beacon St.
(Image from the 25% review presentation.)
From the DCR flyer.
At this remotely held public meeting, the DCR team for this project and its engineering design consultant, BSC Group, will present the 75% design of a pedestrian- and bike-friendly redesign of Hammond Pond Parkway in Newton, from Boylston Street (Route 9) to Beacon Street. The proposed project will feature a two-lane road diet of this segment of Hammond Pond Parkway, a new twelve-foot bike/pedestrian greenway, native landscaping, historic lighting, new crosswalks and trail entries, a redesign of the Beacon Street intersection, and a new four-foot walking path on the eastern side of the parkway.
The meeting is this Wednesday, November 10th, from 6:00pm-7:30pm. Teams link. It does not appear that registration is required.
If I may editorialize, this is super exciting. This section of Hammond Pond Parkway absolutely does not need to be four lanes. It will be a wonderful place for a separated bike/pedestrian path.
It will be interesting to see what they do with the Beacon St. intersection. There is no real need for slip lanes.
(Image from the 25% review presentation.)
I share your excitement about this project. To add to what you already said: The Brookline section of HPP (south of Route 9) will also get bike lanes, but they will replace the wide dirt shoulders and the road will remain at four lanes.
This is so great! It will be a great biking connector.
BTW, historical note: Did you know that the original impetus for paved roads in New England came from bicycle riders? It was a really coordinated political movement. Along the way, the bikers got squeezed out by automobiles. It’s so great to recapture some of that lost territory!
More here: https://roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/the-petition-that-paved-america/
Currently most of the funding for upkeep comes from fuel taxes, for better or worse. In an all bike world, one would have to figure out a way to fund the bike lanes.
True, fuel taxes aren’t working out too well for us, especially when government refuses to raise them, and vehicles are increasingly (hopefully) getting more efficient and going electric.
Do fuel taxes really cover road maintenance costs? I think our roads are heavily subsidized. And I don’t have a problem having society subsidize bicycles and pedestrians even more than cars.
In Massachusetts, gas tax only covers around 50% of road spending, with other funding coming from general taxes. So cyclists are paying for roads even if they don’t own cars, because they pay general taxes.
https://taxfoundation.org/states-road-funding-2019/
What happens during BC Football weekends with this revision? Not that I particularly want to game plan around the needs of BC parking on the roadsides, but I’m assuming that will no longer be allowed.
This plan looks terrific, especially since Webster Woods was acquired. I’m having a hard time seeing the downside.
Great stuff. Been waiting for this a long time. Kudos to DCR for incorporating to feedback from public meetings, unlike some other state agencies…
@fig: There’s a glut of parking lots in the area, I’m sure they’ll work something out. It’s the best use of public lands. Plus, I maintain nobody benefits from this new amenity more than BC.
BC is winning big with this one – a beautiful walking path between two of its campuses.
I am also very excited about this project. I would note, though, that the revised design may look a bit different.
A fun value-added project within 1,000 feet, if the City of Newton and/or BC ever wanted to take up the cause, would be the north sidewalk of Beacon Street leading up to Tudor Road.
Pure pedestrian misery:
– decades’ worth of leaves that have never been raked
– low branches to poke everyone’s eyes out
– piles of snow in the winter that freeze up and never get touched
– a sidewalk barely wide enough for one person, so that whenever another pedestrian approaches somebody has to walk in the street at the apex of a blind downhill curve that motorists think it’s fun to straighten at 50 mph.
But heck, it’s only Beacon Street – it’s not as if it’s a major thoroughfare that pedestrians ought to have the right to comfortably use, or anything.
https://goo.gl/maps/P9bps9tDtEHrBdiJ7
https://goo.gl/maps/4oi1oUmS1wwdADVK9
One piece at a time, but think big @Michael: if you’re going to fix the sidewalk, how about adding a cycle track?
@Adam: yes please! Although having biked it for the last 30 years I’m admittedly grateful for the Beacon Street cycling corridor between Newton Centre and Audubon Circle in its current state – it’s now one of the least suicidal corridors in the southwest suburbs, with only a handful of remaining death traps (e.g. Chestnut Hill Driveway and the aforementioned F1 curve at Tudor Road).
A path alongside the roadway is nice but the roadway must not be reduced to a shoulderless speedway. The proposed design fails to accommodate all existing and anticipated traffic, in particular faster, fit bicyclists, and people on e-bikes and motor scooters. They will be a terror on the path and are best accommodated on a roadway with shoulders or bike lanes. The pedestrianized intersection crossings also will result in greater delay for bicyclists who might prefer to use the roadway. The path will not be maintainable in winter for bicycle use. Safe bicycling in winter requires a crowned cross section and drainage, not only plowing.
This path will not be different from any other mixed-use path in the area. You may dislike all of them, but I don’t think that’s the general public sentiment.
John, this is no different than most DCR roadways, and in particular Nonantum Rd. The old Nonantum was horrible. The new one isn’t all things to all people, but it works pretty well.
DCR is the best agency equipped to do path snow clearance in the commonwealth. Not that that’s always awesome, but it’s pretty good and could be better.
As for intersections delaying cyclists, there are only a couple intersections so that shouldn’t be a real problem here.
No, Nonantum Road is two lane with a flush median that can be used for overtaking and 3-foot shoulders. I agree that Hammond Pond parkway is overbuilt, but placing all traffic that cannot meet or exceed the speed limit onto a path with pedestrians and can’t be kept open year-round throws away the option of safe travel at intermediate speeds.
How many bicyclists ride on the travel lanes on Nonantum Rd?
Looking at the DCR Hammond Pond Parkway 75% plan, there’s a 3′ shoulder on the main roadway on each side.
Mike — You’re right about the 3-foot shoulder in the cross-sectional drawing. With two 11-foot travel lanes, that does meet the 28-foot minimum which I advocated. Nearly all bicyclists, myself included, ride on the path next to Nonantum Road, but I avoid it when ice and snow make it hazardous. As e-bikes become more popular, the problems with the traffic mix on the proposed path, and with its steep slopes, become more acute. I am not convinced that the width will be maintained throughout, and a couple feet more to meet bike lane standards would be nice, especially without the flush median like on Nonantum Road.
This looks like a comprehensive and well thought through proposal, something that would have been impossible to push past the finish line even a decade ago. The only objection noted in this post is the lack of all weather safety when there is icy buildup on the path. I’m puzzled by why anyone would even want to ride a bicycle on the relatively small number of days when this would be a problem. When I was 14, we did a lot of crazy things like riding bikes to Mount Monadnock, bicycle racing on Rte. 128 and speed racing down Prospect Hill and Bear Hill roads in Waltham, but we would never ride our bikes when there was ice and snow on the roadways. We were somewhat crazy, but not entirely foolish.
Bob, Exactly! Never, ever on ice, snow or, for that matter, in the rain. That goes for any two-wheelers. I sure learned the lesson a couple of times stupidly breaking this rule on a bike or motorcycle over the past 75 years!
Bob, when there is safe infrastructure, people can choose to ride in most weather. I think Newton can provide these choices, too.
https://youtu.be/ViaDwkkXzC8
Yes, I’ve been to Amsterdam and the bike infrastructure (and hoards of riders) is very, very impressive. But how does ‘infrastructure’ prevent two-wheelers from skidding on ice, snow or even on wet pavement, given their limited traction?
Alex, part of what makes the infrastructure safe is care and maintenance, including plowing & brining, if necessary. The Nonantum path is generally well cleared after snow storms. So is the separated bike lane on Western Ave in Cambridge.
Also, some riders use trikes for more stability, or install studded tires for winter riding.
There are countless videos showing how snow doesn’t stop safe cycling in European cities. I think Newton can provide the choices these other cities have.
Nathan. I think we are really on the same frequency because bicyclists can ride the roads on most days, even during winter. I was focused on those storms we get with seemingly more frequency where snow ends with heavy rain. This is followed by a deep deep freeze that leaves a heavy coating of ice which can take more than a day to fully clear, especially on side roads.
Bob, I have seen many employees of the malls ride their bikes on that side road. Not sure what neighborhood they’re coming from but yes they do not have cars and do bike to work.
@Jane H. I hope my response to Nathan addresses your point, as well.