Sustainable Trainsportation Methods in Newton HighlandsImproving Transportation Resources while Reducing Traffic Congestion

Traffic congestion causes negative environmental impacts and diminishes the quality of life of Newton residents. Development and implementation of a comprehensive transportation plan will make it easier for people to get from place to place in Newton while mitigating the effects of automobile use and traffic.

Summary of Proposed Solution

Newton’s Comprehensive Plan outlines an integrated vision of transportation improvements, addressing roadway, traffic, parking, transit and pedestrian/bicyclist issues. We will implement key aspects of the Plant that will improve access to public transportation, enhance bicycle and pedestrian amenities, and reduce traffic congestion.

Discussion and Implementation Plan

Transportation issues often rank as a major factor in quality of life for Newton’s residents. Our City is known and valued for its pedestrian-friendly streets, pleasant residential neighborhoods, and vital village centers. We have excellent transit connections in the form of light rail (the Green line), commuter rail, and various bus routes. Many of Newton’s 1500 streets have sidewalks and both on-street and off-street parking is available.

It is our goal to maintain and enhance Newton’s transportation network and to make decisions on development and land use that respect the mobility needs of Newton’s citizens. Our vision is of a Newton with a well-maintained roadway network and an enhanced system of public transportation, bicycle accommodations, and pedestrian-friendly streets. Our future transportation system must be consistent with the character of our villages and communities and supportive of development that is sensitive to building good environments. It is our goal to promote transportation changes that are environmentally sound and consistent with conserving natural resources, while improving the health of our community.

i) Roadways and Intersections

Newton’s streets and roadways need to serve a variety of functions. We must strive to make many of our streets safe and comfortable for not only automobiles but for pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition to maintaining the infrastructure of our roadways and bridges, the City of Newton will work to develop design guidelines for walkable, environmentally sound streetscapes that promote pedestrian use and safety. New development and redevelopment should be sensitive to the community’s need for pedestrian and transit-friendly environments.

In our villages and commercial corridors, we will work to enhance the quality of our streets by implementing traffic calming techniques and pedestrian accommodations, such as bulb-outs and raised crosswalks at intersections. We will work with citizen advocacy groups to improve bicycle accommodations in key locations and that are associated with new and existing development. The design and reconstruction of Newton's streets will respect the historical nature of our communities and we will work to improve traffic flow. However, this will be accomplished without expanding streets by adding turning lanes, unnecessarily and excessively widening streets, and enlarging intersections. We will avoid the types of changes that result in higher automobile speeds and volume and that reduce pedestrian safety and comfort.

ii) Public Transportation

We need to expand mobility options for our citizens and businesses and improve the capacity of our public transportation system. Our commuter rail and light rail transit systems are excellent resources, but there have been no new expansions of rail public transit in Newton in over half a century. Having and using nearby systems of readily accessible and frequent public transportation can reduce energy consumption and reduce the burdens on our environment that are a result of excess automobile driving. Simply put, the more options Newton's citizens have for public transportation, the better our quality of life will be.

Two major corridors that will benefit from improved rail transportation are the Massachusetts Turnpike Corridor and the Needham Street corridor.

Enhance commuter rail in the Massachusetts Turnpike corridor: Our existing commuter rail access can be improved by enhancing the frequency of service and by improving our commuter rail stations. New stations can be planned for Riverside and for Newton Corner, both important transportation nodes and intermodal hubs of activity. Newton Corner has the potential for becoming a more transit oriented and pedestrian friendly village by extending electric trolleybus service from Cambridge and Watertown into Newton Corner and by adding a stop on the commuter rail line. In addition, the currently dysfunctional, high-speed automobile roadways that encircle the Turnpike at Newton Corner can be redesigned to improve safety and access for pedestrians and for those using bicycles and public transportation.

Implement light rail in the Needham Street corridor: The Needham Street corridor is a major source of economic activity for Newton and represents a significant portion of our City’s commercial tax revenues. However, its further development has been constrained by issues of traffic congestion and lack of adequate transportation resources. By implementing light rail in the unused railway corridor paralleling Needham Street, the City can realize new transit-oriented development that is environmentally sensitive and pedestrian-friendly. Light rail in the Needham Street corridor will provide Newton with a classic opportunity to develop “smart growth” in the corridor and create a new and vibrant mixed-use community.

This public transportation investment will not only help to improve transportation access to the Needham Street corridor, it will also have important economic benefits for Newton. Building a new light rail line in the Needham Street corridor is a cost-effective and realistic opportunity for Newton to stimulate appropriate modest development that will significantly enhance our commercial tax base.

In addition to supporting rail enhancements, the City of Newton should support measures to improve the efficiency and utilization of our bus system. Key north-south and east-west bus routes can be strengthened by improving service frequency. New routes can be explored that that provide interconnections between the Route 9 corridor and adjacent commercial and residential areas. The Washington Street corridor that runs between Wellesley and Watertown can also be studied for new bus service.

The City of Newton needs to advocate for our transportation interests at the state and regional levels. We will increase our input to organizations such as the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, the offices of the Central Transportation Planning Staff, and the Metropolitan Advisory Planning Commission so that they prioritize transportation decisions towards Newton. And we need to work towards enhancing our relationships with surrounding communities so that we can better address common transportation goals.

iii) Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodation

The design of our roadways and of our villages and corridors must respect the needs of those who wish to walk or bicycle around Newton. Roadway reconstructions and new development must be well-related to our goals to improve non-auto access for our citizens, as well as to maintain the safety and efficiency of our roadways for automobile drivers. And transportation decisions need to preserve the tranquility of our residential neighborhoods by working to diminish cut-through traffic on local streets.

New roadway improvements should avoid degrading pedestrian or bicycle accommodations in Newton. Similarly, new development that may increase traffic should be designed to maximize use by pedestrians and bicyclists. By implementing design principles that avoid roadway widening, maintain safe curb-radii, minimize curb-cuts in village and pedestrian centers, and encourage walking, Newton can go a long way to insuring that new development enhances our collective environment.

Our streetscapes should be pleasant and comfortable. This goal can be achieved by building wide sidewalks, planting street trees, and requiring that new development orients its main access towards pedestrian-friendly streets. Utilities should be placed underground. Pedestrian and bicycle interconnections between parcels and various land uses should be encouraged. Zoning rules that regulate parking need to be modernized to reduce parking demand while improving its access.

Pedestrian safety can be further enhanced through the use of pedestrian-activated traffic lights, as well as traffic-calming measures at conflict points, such as raised crosswalks and pedestrian islands.

Newton can also become a much more bicycle-friendly city. By encouraging safe use of bicycles to school and work, we can promote higher utilization of bicycles as part of an overall transportation plan. Certain roadways in the City are appropriate for accommodating bicyclists in well-marked lanes and others can be designated as specific “share the road” routes where bicyclists can travel safely. New development should be designed so that it complements and promotes bicycle use. We should also provide bicycle-activated traffic signals as a component of new street construction and reconstruction where appropriate.

iv) Smart Intersections

Major intersections should be upgraded to include traffic sensors and traffic-light control systems that reduce congestion and improve public safety by preventing gridlock and making most efficient use of available road capacity.

We will request funds from the Board of Aldermen for the purchase and installation of bicycle racks for Newton buildings and parks that currently do not have them by June 20, 2010. We will develop guidelines for walkable, environmentally-sound streetscapes by January 1, 2011. We will work with the state, MPO, and MBTA on public transit improvements, presenting annual updates on our progress. We will integrate bicycle and pedestrian improvements and smart-intersection technology into the design of all applicable roadway projects starting January 1, 2010.