Author: Jane Hanser

New RRFBs at Mt. ALVERNIA Road, the eastern terminus of the Carriage Road Two-way for Bicycles, Make Cycling Safer

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

The official eastern terminus of the Carriage Road Two-Way for Bicycles is located at the eastern side of the intersection with Mt. Alvernia Road.

Cyclists riding east on the Carriage Road, toward Boston College and Boston will find that the eastbound Carriage Road bicycle lane ends HERE.

New RRFBs – Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons – make it safer for cyclists to cross Commonwealth Avenue: and to continue east toward Boston College or the City of Boston via Commonwealth Avenue. And of course the RRFBs make it safer for pedestrians (and pedestrians who may be walking their bikes across the wide street).

Note green sign: “BIKE LANE ENDS” and right-pointing arrow. Note also the paved footpath and the manually-operated RRFB.

Fortunately there is an excellent paved pathway that is also ADA-compliant – that cuts through berm leading to Commonwealth Avenue; from there, you’ll now find an excellent crosswalk and RRFB (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon) located on both the north side and the south side of Commonwealth Avenue to get you further east. (See image below.)

View of the bench and the RRFB located on the north side of Commonwealth Avenue at Mt. Alvernia. Simply press the button, wait for the lights to flash, look both ways to ensure all vehicles have stopped and it’s safe to cross, and cross.

In the distance is College Road.

This is the south side RRFB, eastbound side toward Boston College, if you are beginning your ride at Mt. Alvernia on the south side. The motor vehicles in this image are heading west.

To cycle toward Boston College and Boston, continue from here.

Note in the image below, the Carriage Road at the top of this image. Note two pedestrian crossings: one at the east side of the intersection with Mt. Alvernia Road coming, and one on the south side of that intersection. Note also that on the south side of the intersection with Commonwealth Avenue, two separate roads, College Road and Old Colony Road come in.

There is one RRFB on the north side of the pedestrian crosswalk leading across Comm Ave at College Road, the formal eastern terminus of the Carriage Road Two-way for Bicyclists, and one RRFB on the south side. There is also one RRFB on the north side of the pedestrian crosswalk leading to Old Colony Road, and one at College Road. The four RRFBs work in tandem. When a person presses the button at Colony Road, the College Road RRFBs also flash.

View of the pedestrian crosswalk across Commonwealth Avenue and the RRFBs at Old Colony Road on the north and on the western side of the berm opening.

We hope that the City of Newton and the City of Boston will work together to make it safe for bicyclists to continue east along the Carriage Road, to where the Carriage Road ends, just before the Boston College MBTA Greenline“ “B” line station and Blue Bikes station.

Eastern/Boston College END OF THE CARRIAGE ROAD. Carriage Road into Newton on the right. Commonwealth Avenue on the left.

Valentine Street Gets a Pedestrian Crosswalk, a Makeover, and More, at the Carriage Road

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

Before

At first, for drivers of the Carriage Road, the STOP sign was too far from the intersection. We had it moved closer to the intersection and DPW installed a second STOP sign on the right side.

Also, for southbound drivers of Valentine Road, there was no stop sign before the Carriage Road, with its many runners, pedestrians and bicyclists.

The only existing STOP sign was located at Commonwealth Avenue.

So DPW painted “DO NOT BLOCK THE BOX.”

Still drivers would stop and wait in “the box,” thus blocking pedestrians and bicyclists from travel east/west.

DPW added a STOP sign on the right, but it was under the tree limbs and not particularly visible, esp as drivers were coming out of a bend in the road. So a second and larger stop sign was installed on the left. It too didn’t help much to get drivers to stop.

A Pedestrian/Bicyclist sign was added for drivers from Comm Ave, by DPW engineer, Zach Bosch.

We observed there was no STOP sign along Valentine before the Carriage Road. We docketed for one, and it was approved and A STOP sign was added on top of the “DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION” sign.

No STOP sign before the Carriage Road
STOP sign added above “DO NOT BLOCK Intersection.”

STILL drivers continued to pass straight through the intersection. That’s when we asked Chief John Carmichael from the Newton Police Dept. if he would meet with us on-site. He did, and he also brought along several other officers.

We looked at the shrubbery and the overgrown shrubbery that pedestrians had to walk through. Chief Carmichael agreed that shrubbery needed to be cut back to allow a clearer path for pedestrians. He also saw the cobbles as problematic. (See before and after, below.)

Before

After working with Parks and Recreation to keep these bushes off the sidewalk.

Before

After working with Parks and Recreation to trim bushes and trees so pedestrians can safety and comfortably pass.

With Chief Carmichael and the three other officers from NPD, we stood at the intersection of Valentine and the Carriage Road and continued to observe the Valentine Street drivers going right through the two STOP signs, amazed that this was occurring even though there were four police officers standing there! We surveyed and discussed the effectiveness and location of the single existing stop sign on the Carriage Road, and its location so far from the intersection.

We also surveyed and discussed the effectiveness and location of the single existing stop sign on the Carriage Road, and its location so far from the busy intersection.

Chief Carmichael agreed that 1) the STOP sign needed to be relocated closer to Valentine (see left image) and 2) a second stop sign added on the right (see right image). DPW did both.

Only one stop sign, and too far from the intersection
Stop sign moved closer to intersection; AND second STOP sign added, to the left.

Chief Carmichael noted that a pedestrian crosswalk needed to be installed at the base of Valentine Street, before it intersected with the Carriage Road. After the Carriage Road was repaved in 2023, new ADA-compliant curb cuts are installed. A pedestrian crosswalk was installed across Valentine, as well as several others: One was added across the Carriage Road berm to the east of Valentine and then across Commonwealth Ave, for people wanting to safely cross Commonwealth Avenue; and another one was installed to the west of Valentine across the berm from the Carriage Road and then across Commonwealth Avenue.

As hoped, this, in combination with the other improvements, has been effective in changing driver behavior to STOP the motor vehicle before reaching the intersection with the Carriage Road.

Additional improvements at the heavily-traveled Valentine Street were also made, with the re-paving of the Carriage Road. RRFBs were added along Commonwealth Avenue to both pedestrian crosswalks, both east and west of Valentine St.

Across the berm to Comm Ave.,
Across the berm to Comm Ave

Bluebikes Docking Stations Along the Carriage Road in Newton

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

Did you know that FOUR Bluebikes docking stations exist along (or one block from) the Commonwealth Avenue Carriage Road in Newton? Bluebikes allows those who do not own a bike, or who do not have a bike accessible to them at the time of need, to rent a bike from one docking station, cycle to where they need or want to go, and drop the bike off at another docking station near their destination.

A Bluebikes brigade, Marathon Monday

The Bluebike network extensively covers locations as close as Brookline, Cambridge and as far away from Newton as Malden and Arlington. The network map can be found HERE. When you click on any station, you will learn how many docking stations there are, how many bikes are available, and how many e-bikes are available.

Currently THREE docking stations exist along the Commonwealth Avenue Carriage Road in Newton and ONE docking station is conveniently within one short block of it. East to west, these FOUR docking stations are:

“BOSTON COLLEGE T”

This docking station is open all year long.

Located in the triangle by the MBTA at the end of the Green Line B (“Boston College) branch.

Opposite the Dunkin’ and other shoppes.

If this is your starting point to head west, Commonwealth Avenue is to the left; the Carriage Road is to the right.

“CENTRE STREET AT COMMONWEALTH AVE”

This coming winter, check to see if this station is being serviced.

Located west of Centre Street, in the village of Newton Centre, on the footpath between Centre Street and Grafton.

“NEWTON LIBRARY”

One block south of the Carriage Road, along Homer Street, at the intersection of Beacon St and Homer.

This coming winter, check to see if this station is being serviced.

View toward Homer Street, the City Hall Park, and the Commonwealth Avenue Carriage Road.

View toward the Newton Public Library.

“AUBURNDALE”

Located in front of Starbucks, in the village of Auburndale, just west of Lexington Street.

This coming winter, check to see if this station is being serviced.

View across Commonwealth Avenue toward Dunkin’ Donuts.

View east toward the N/S cross street of Lexington St. To the left of the footpath is Starbucks.

For other Newton Bluebikes docking stations, click HERE.

Intersection Markings: How Are those Green Dashed Bike Lane Lines Made?

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

Conflict Points

The intersections are the most dangerous locations along the 5 miles of the Carriage Road. The potential for crashes and conflicts between eastbound or westbound bicyclists, runners and pedestrians and northbound or southbound motor vehicles is highest at these intersections. The new green dashed pavement markings for eastbound bicycles and bicyclists are intended to increase the awareness and visibility of eastbound bicyclists at these locations and the existence of bicyclists and other vulnerable users in general.

At locations with a bike lane approaching the intersection, the bike lane should continue through the intersection into a receiving bike lane on the far side.

But How Are Those Green Stripes Made?

For more information, click here.

Manet and Mt. Alvernia: Green Bike Lanes Now Include Two More Intersections

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

Due to water main work, the striping through intersections of the Commonwealth Avenue Carriage Road and Manet Road, and the Carriage Road and Mt. Alvernia could not be done. We are pleased that the water main work has been complete and DPW has completed the required green paint for the eastbound bike lanes.

Here they are:

The Carriage Road Crossing Manet

Heading eastbound toward Boston: Crossing Mt. Alvernia Road

Heading eastbound toward Boston

Legally, this is the eastern terminus of the Two-Way for Bicycles.

The two-way for bicycles do not legally extend east past Mt. Alvernia. Bicyclists are asked to take the footpath to Commonwealth Avenue and proceed east from there.

We are working on extending the two-way past Mt. Alvernia to Boston and Boston College.

Stay tuned.

Beaumont Avenue: Western End of Footpath from Centre St

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

Though it’s across the street from City Hall, it is was included in the City Hall Sidewalk Restoration Project. We’re glad it was!

View across Beaumont, looking east.

View across Beaumont, looking west.

New sidewalks, new bollards, new ADA curbs wide enough for wheelchairs, runners and bicyclists to safely head both east and west at the same time.

The Boston Marathon 2025 Newton

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

The legendary course began in Hopkinton, MA and ended 26 miles later on Boylston Street in Boston, MA but the legendary HEARTBREAK HILL is in the heart of the City of Newton! Thousands of Newtoners came out to Commonwealth Avenue to cheer on the runners. Come see some images from the 2025 and the 2024 marathons as the runners made their way along miles 16 to 21, some of the most difficult of the entire 26-mile route of the famed Boston marathon.

Emergency Vehicle? NO Parking by the Berm!

The Beauty of Bristol Mini-Park (between Chestnut and Bristol)

2025’s Lead Men (Approaching Cedar St)

Talkin’ about Our Generation

Some repose, exactly as Frederick Law Olmstead designed it!

The Blue Bikes Brigade!

City Councilors Hard at Work

Thank you. See ya’ll next year!

Ribbon-cutting Celebration of Carriage Road Two-Way Bike Lane

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

Timed to occur National Bike Month, and the morning of the first workday of Bike to Work Week, this bike breakfast and ribbon-cutting that occurred Monday Morning, May 13, 2024 was an amazing and enjoyable time for all.

Read the FIG CITY NEWS article Celebrating 14 years of efforts to improve bike safety on the event.

Watch the NEWTV Two-Way Carriage Lane Officially Opens: “After years of advocating, The Commonwealth Avenue Carriage Road was officially opened as a two-way bike lane on Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with all those who helped make this possible.”

Thank you again to our great Newton sponsors: Heartbreak Hill Running Club (Comm Ave & Centre St, Newton Centre), The Roasted Spoke Bicycle Shop (Walnut St at Washington St, Newtonville), Rosenfeld Bagels (Centre St at Piccadilly Square, Newton Centre), and Blackers Bake Shop (Comm Ave Carriage Road at Irving St, Newton Centre).

You’re invited!

Join Mayor Fuller, City Councilors and members of the bike community who made this happen as we celebrate the new bike lane on the Carriage Road with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Coffee and refreshments* will be provided to kick off Bike to Work Week. Sponsors of this event include our local businesses Heartbreak Hill Running Company (638 Commonwealth Ave, Newton Centre) and The Roasted Spoke Bike Shop. (260 Walnut St., Newtonville). Gratitude to Newton’s own Bike Newton (where membership is free!) for co-sponsoring this event and helping with set-up.

Event time: 8am – 9:30am.

Location: Beaumont Ave at the Carriage Road. Bike parking (and MWRA water truck to fill up water bottles) provided.

*Refreshments Certified Kosher; freshly baked goods donated by Rosenfeld Bagels and Blackers Bake Shop

MassDOT’s Map of Shared Streets Network

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

You can now find the Commonwealth Avenue Carriage Road on MassDOT’s map of Bicycle/Pedestrian Priority Roadways!! This is a great map of existing bike infrastructure. It also shows planned bike infrastructure.

Visit Massachusetts Priority Trails Network to locate Newton and the Commonwealth Ave Carriage Road, from Mt Alvernia in the east to Higgins Street in the west. You’ll be able to zoom in on any specific location along this entire route. Or just click on the map below.