Category: pedestrian-friendly

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

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!

Bristol Mini-park

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

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.

My idea for this goes back to 2015. The City was struggling to stop the number of vehicular 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 of the CR and Chestnut. But the crashes continued, as drivers along the Carriage Road violated that restriction, and drove straight across Chestnut.

I realized 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 (TC161-20) before Traffic Council. It passed unanimously.

My having connected with Parks and Recreation, in November 2022, Parks and Recreation planted fourteen beautiful flowering 4C trees (Capture Carbon Commemorate COVID-19) in the berm here. These trees, Syringa Reticulata, Syringa Snowcap, Prunus Sargentii Spring Wonder and Prunus Sargenti Rancho, are now thriving and adding gentle pink and white blooms, to continue next season, and in subsequent years.

Next, Parks, Recreation and Culture under Commissioner Nicole Banks located beautiful large boulders at the entrance to this mini-park in 2023. We hope this will be a template for future decoration or theme 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!


We look forward to the development of this area as a place of rest and repose, shade, and reflection, and more special events like the Bicycle Lights Giveaway to keep cyclists and others safe when cycling, running or walking in the dark.

For additional coverage of this topic, please click HERE.

Legal Two-Way Non-motorized Bicycle Travel on Commonwealth Ave Carriage Lane “North Drive” Passes Traffic Council 5-0 TC112-20

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

There are several landmark projects occurring in the City of Newton. One is called the “Commonwealth Avenue Carriageway Redesign” project. It is not to be confused with the “Commonwealth Avenue Two-way for Bicycles.” Information about the “Commonwealth Avenue Carriageway Redesign” can be found : here: Commonwealth Avenue Carriageway Redesign. It’s fully funded through MassDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, and construction is supposed to begin in 2023.

TC112-50 Passes Traffic Council

TC112-50, which requested action to allow legal two-way bicycle travel on the Commonwealth Avenue Carriage Lane between Woodbine Street and Mt. Alvernia Road, passed last night, Thursday March 17, 2020. Support among the five members of Traffic Council was unanimous. The mandatory 20-day appeal period, ending April 6, came and went with no appeals. This project is also known as Commonwealth Avenue Carriageway – 2-way Bike Travel.

The measure was co-docketed by Councilors Andreae Downs, Jake Auchincloss, Alicia Bowman, Andrea Kelley, Mark Laredo, Marty Markiewitz, Emily Norton, Pam Wright, Vicky Danberg, Josh Krintzman, Maria Scibelli Greenberg, and Rick Lipof.

Impact of This Historic Vote

This historic vote will have far-reaching impact. It will positively impact bicycle and pedestrian safety. It will help Newton reach its Climate Action goals. It will:

  • Help fulfill Frederick Law Olmstead’s goal of a linear park along Commonwealth Avenue “to which people may easily go when the day’s work is done, and where they may stroll for an hour, seeing, hearing, and feeling nothing of the bustle and jar of the streets where they shall, in effect, find the city put far away.. “;
  • Support the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Task Force’s mission of providing safe routes for school children to get to and from school;
  • Make life more pleasant for all who walk, run, or bicycle along the Carriage Road, whether eastbound or westbound;
  • Help fulfill the Carriage Road’s potential as the unique resource that it is.

The five voting members of Traffic Council were Newton Transportation Coordinator David Koses; City Councilor Alicia Bowman; representing the Police Dept, Sgt. Wade; citizen representative Jeremy Freudberg; and from Newton’s Dept. of Public Works, Transportation Engineer Isaac Prizant.

Newton residents and community leaders Scott Oran, James Purdy from the Newton Energy Commission, Jenn Martin from SRTS, and Jerry Reilly from Village14 and Newton Nomadic Theater all spoke eloquently to support passage of this motion. I am grateful to each.

With the 20-day appeal period now in the past, with no appeals, the City will begin making the street signs, such as the smaller STOP signs for the bicyclists heading east.

Thanks go out to all who played a part in this momentous vote.

Jane Hanser

2nd Public Discussion “Commonwealth Avenue Carriageway – 2-Way Bike Travel” Thursday Nov. 4, 2021

Posted By: Jane HanserPosted On:

Mayor Fuller approved the commission of a consultants’ report on the Commonwealth Avenue Carriage Way 2-way for bicycling. This report is now complete and was submitted to the DPW Engineers. That report is available to the public on the Transportation Planning web page. That report was discussed by, and has the support of the Complete Streets Working Group, and the Transportation Advisory Group (TAG), and representatives from Safe Routes to Schools Task Force and BikeNewton. I will be providing my own comments to DPW and Transportation Planning tomorrow, 11/25.

The 2nd Public Meeting is scheduled to be led by Nicole Freedman of the Planning Department, on Thursday, November 4, 2021, 5:30-7pm via ZOOM.

You can download the flyer here.

Please come out and support this project! We know our children and others ride legally eastbound. And they need to be able to return home safely, the same way.