The leaf-blower paradigm is all wrong

The we-make-money-from-fussy-over-maintenance-of-Newton-lawns coalition (otherwise known as the newtonleaves coalition) has a counter-proposal to the recently passed leafblower ordinance in the TAB. The essence of the proposal: let us use the gas-powered leaf-blowers,...

What’s got into @Setti?

Over on the Twitter, I follow both the @settiwarren and the @mayorwarren accounts. Generally, posts are pretty anodyne, like this one. Great to welcome the @Rockport team. Celebrating an exciting addition to our diverse and vibrant business community here in #NewtonMA...
Is safety a goal at Zervas?

Is safety a goal at Zervas?

What to do with the blue zone? That’s the big question regarding safety and traffic flow at the under-construction Zervas Elementary School. The discussion is equal parts encouraging and maddening. The answer should be simple: in the interest of safety and other...
Lower speed limits for Newton?

Lower speed limits for Newton?

New changes to state law would make it much easier for Newton to lower speed limits.One of the changes to come out of the flurry of last-minute legislating on Beacon Hill allows cities and towns to reduce a street’s speed limit to 25 MPH without getting state...

Learning from Chestnut Hill Square

Thankfully, there has been growing awareness in Newton of the need for good pedestrian accommodations in new development projects. With development like the Newton Nexus (on Needham Street at the former TripAdvisor site) coming on line, it would be useful to...
What beautiful bridge?

What beautiful bridge?

A while back, at one of the many meetings on future improvements to Needham/Highland St., I asked if MassDOT (Department of Transportation) would consider an adjacent, but standalone pedestrian bridge alongside the existing bridge, which may or may not end up with...