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.
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.
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.
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 Commonwealth Ave Carriage Road Two-Way for Bicycles is now officially designated the Commonwealth Greenway. You can find a description and detailed map of the trail on TrailLink.
Commonwealth Greenway Newton. 6 miles of wonderful. Walk, Bike, Roll.
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.
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.”
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.
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
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.
Have you driven by, biked, run or walked on the Carriage Road between Bristol and Chestnut? This area, now called Bristol Mini-park, was officially created on Feb. 24, 2021, when this proposal passed Traffic Council unanimously. It is the permanent closure of this 330′ of roadway to motorized vehicles. From now on, it is open only to pedestrians, runners, and bicyclists.
The idea for this goes back to 2015, when the City was struggling to stop the number of crashes occurring at the intersection of the Carriage Road and Chestnut St. For several years Traffic Council had tried to solve this by passing a “Right Turn Only” at the corner. But the crashes continued, as drivers along the Carriage Road violated that restriction, and drove straight across Chestnut.
Realizing the solution was to close this stretch of road to motor vehicles, which was possible as there were no driveways this entire block, I suggested this idea of closure to Councilor Andreae Downs, who then docketed this before Traffic Council. It passed unanimously.
In November 2022, Parks and Recreation planted fourteen 4C trees (Capture Carbon Commemorate COVID-19) in the berm here. These beautiful flowering trees, Syringa Reticulata, Syringa Snowcap, Prunus Sargentii Spring Wonder and Prunus Sargenti Rancho, are now thriving and we look forward to pink and white blooms next season, and in subsequent years.
Parks, Recreation and Culture under Commissioner Banks located beautiful large boulders at the entrance to this mini-park in 2023. We hope this will be a template for future decoration of the park entrances, both at Bristol and at Chestnut.
Our first official event in this mini-park, the Bicycle Lights Giveaway at Bristol Mini-Park, took place on Sunday, October 15, 2023. A highly successful event, it was co-sponsored by BikeNewton and MassBike. The MassBikes Lights Brigade aims to brighten up cyclists across Massachusetts by distributing sets of front and rear bike lights. and this was the first ever such event in Newton!
DPW removed the cobbles along the Carriage Road. While some bemoaned the loss of the cobbles with their mystique, this is a tremendous improvement for public safety. The Carriage Road is now safer for pedestrians, runners, people with disabilities, and bicyclists (whose tires sometimes could get stuck in between the cobbles). Some day we hope for funding to add flowers and foliage in the berm to further adorn the Carriage Road.
