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I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving break (and before that a happy Diwali, which we celebrated at City Hall).
This newsletter contains my November update for Ward 5 and beyond. Thank you Ward 5 voters for not only re-electing me to a third term but also giving me more votes in Ward 5 than any of the 18 citywide Council candidates listed on the Ward 5 ballot, whether contested or uncontested. I take this as confirmation that you are satisfied with the job I am doing as your City Councilor and want me to continue doing what I am doing.
The new term will begin on January 1 (and before then we still have an incredibly busy Council schedule to close out this session). Your new Ward 5 team in 2024 will be me, Andreae Downs, Rena Getz, and School Committee Vice Chair Emily Prenner. We don’t yet know our Council committee assignments for the term. The incoming Council has not held leadership elections so far.
Thank you to departing Councilor Deb Crossley for her 14 years of service to Ward 5.
I am also encouraging everyone to donate to the campaign committee of Ward 6 Ward Councilor-elect Martha Bixby, who is having to pay for lawyers to defend herself (and our city’s election integrity in general) from a frivolous recount petition alleging that the Ward 6 election was stolen, much like the claims by the former President. There is no realistic possibility of a result of that margin in a four-precinct race changing on a recount unless every single machine was so broken that we needed to run the entire city’s election over again. I would never discourage a recount for a legitimately close race where there could credibly be an error, but this recount petition is a dangerous sign for Newton. There is absolutely no evidence being offered to support the allegations being made to justify the recount. Councilor-elect Bixby will also need volunteers to participate in the recount process on December 2. Let us know if you want to help.
New Chestnut St sidewalks
You might have noticed that as part of the ongoing comprehensive Chestnut St repaving work there are brand new, paved sidewalks for the first time ever on some sections of the east side between Beacon St and Commonwealth Ave. (Some spots were not feasible for us to add paved sidewalks at this time.) This followed years of community meetings and public input on pedestrian safety and better crossing options in this twisty, slow, scenic roadway stretch. Thank you to Councilor Andreae Downs for leading these efforts. Work on the road itself will continue next year.
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon safety
Newton has recently installed another 20 plus Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at crosswalks around the city, including at Chestnut St/Amherst Rd/Tamworth Rd in Ward 5. The Newton Safe Routes to School Task Force, at the urging of the Newton Police Department following some recent collisions and near-misses, is working to help educate drivers and pedestrians about how to use these new crossings and why they are there.
Two key things to know: If you are a pedestrian, you should be pushing the button to activate the beacon. (And obviously use your judgment to make sure it is actually safe to step into the crosswalk after activating the beacon. Try to make eye contact with the driver if possible) If you are a driver, by law you do still have to stop at any crosswalk with a waiting pedestrian, even if they have not pressed the button to activate the beacon.
These beacons exist to help draw your attention as a driver to the fact that someone is waiting to cross and to get you to slow down, but you legally (and for safety!) should be doing these things anyway, and so you should not be relying solely on whether or not the beacon is active. It is not the same situation as an intersection crosswalk with a traditional walk signal tied to a traffic light, where the pedestrians are waiting for you.
If you are a driver, no matter where you are on our city streets, if you are moving too fast to be able to stop safely for something unexpected that appears in front of your vehicle after you spot it, then you are likely driving too fast in general. The City of Newton is trying to improve visibility at many crosswalks, but we should all be striving to drive more safely and defensively regardless. I know this is a work in progress for most of us, but it never hurts to remind each other.
Pedestrians and drivers alike should be especially careful when approaching an RRFB-signaled crosswalk with more than one lane in each direction. You might have difficulty seeing around a car in one lane to be able to check the other lane to confirm whether it is safe to cross or safe to drive through the crosswalk.
If you are driving and see another vehicle slow or stop at a crosswalk, you should of course assume they have a good reason for stopping, and you should never try to go around them. That is why we had to start installing flex-post barriers in Waban Square to try to discourage drivers from impatiently passing vehicles that were stopped for children crossing before and after school. I think this should be common sense, but …
Pettee Square Traffic Work
The Pettee Square (Chestnut St/Oak St) Intersection Improvement Project in Newton Upper Falls is moving forward. This project will create an attractive, functional space for residents, local businesses, and Greenway users. Improvements include wider sidewalks, new streetlights, updated traffic signals, narrower roadways, and a raised, simplified intersection at Oak Street and Chestnut Street. Minor drainage work will take place fall 2023 with additional construction in spring 2024. Construction is expected to be substantially completed by fall 2024. This project is significantly supported by competitive grants from the state’s MassWorks Infrastructure Program.
Northland construction update
Work is continuing at the Northland Needham St site in Newton Upper Falls, and you can read a recent progress update from the Northland/Community Liaison Committee, covering the topics of the adjacent Community Splash Park, the South Meadow Brook culvert/drainage improvement/daylighting project, and underground utilities work.
NSHS Athletic Fields and Lights
In late October, I participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated athletic fields and recently installed lights (donated by the Booster Club) at Newton South High School. The old fields were in dire need of replacement and had become dangerous.