By Linda Scott
Watertown Resident
This is in response to the very thoughtful letter by the Watertown Business Coalition, a group that has the difficult but rewarding task of working with all local businesses, the city government and the public at large to be a partner in shepherding Watertown into a successful future.
Coalition members, I read your letter, and there’s lots to agree with, but there are lots of things to be concerned about. First, I like your trademark positive approach to the work ahead, and I echo your call for more data:
Improved traffic flow:
You list improved traffic flow, and yet our City government is unwilling to take the time to test out some of the changes before making them permanent. Haste makes waste. Why not take the time to test these road concepts, as has been done in other communities, before spending our increasingly dwindling municipal money on what could be potentially a failed concept? It’s almost like our City Manager is in a hurry.
Enhanced walkability:
Enhanced walkability … where some of the plan includes bikes, motorized scooters and pedestrians sharing the same space, which decidedly does not “improve pedestrian safety.” Ask anyone who walks the river path … yet another concept to be tested before fully implemented.
Increased green space:
Increased green space by reclaiming roadway for access to the river. This idea is very seductive, but at what cost? We’re trying to change our Square from being a pass-though center … by making one of our small neighborhoods a pass-though neighborhood instead? I don’t know about you, but I think traffic belongs in the Square, not in a neighborhood where small children live and play. Could we try this rerouting temporarily before we totally commit to it?
Your three points of support:
I’m glad that you support a “Central Parking Plan,” not a garage per se. Your minds are open. Personally, I know no one who decides to visit a community because of a parking garage, but I do know lots of folks who’ll avoid that scenario. Already, parts of Newton and Waltham are beneficiaries of Watertown residents’ business, because they have a post office and a parking lot.
Finally, your items to be addressed are really important! Let me focus on items one and three:
1 – We Need Parking Data
I totally agree! As we run headlong into a major, five story parking garage with no data, it’s similar to our road reconfiguration with no testing!
More than a year ago, a Watertown resident (repeatedly) asked our City Council for the following information:
“Does the city have data on motor vehicle populations.” Specifically, I requested the following data points for the city of Watertown:
- Total numbered of MVs parking in the city.(All Inclusive).
- Average Number of MV’s per household.
- Average Number of MV’s per capita.
2 – How many of the new apartments have been leased without provided off street parking?
3 – If the units without parking do not rent, what is the city plan? (Open parking on all public ways?)”
So far, no response from the City Council or the City Manager. Wouldn’t these be important numbers to know?
And another Watertown resident’s questions that have gone unanswered:
How many cars are registered to Watertown?
How many of our City employees commute by car into Watertown?
3 – Strong and Transparent Communication:
“The mere fact that we are talking about this as a community is a win.”
The community is talking, but is there anyone listening? If you open the link at the bottom of this letter, you’ll see what the public comments have been so far…not very enthusiastic overall, I’m afraid.
But we could have predicted this from the City-hired consultant Jeff Speck’s comments early on at the Watertown Square Charrettes two years ago. I’m paraphrasing here: He said that there were a lot of people who indicated that they did not want a parking garage in the Square, but they (Speck et al) were the experts, so too bad.
The link at the end of this letter is what has been shared thus far by residents, and it isn’t positive, overall. Yet, the City proceeds without course correction. It would seem that it’s enough for the City to provide opportunities for public feedback … they’re just not committing themselves to considering it.
A suggestion was made to conduct a city-wide survey to assure that this “demonstration project” (aka huge five story parking garage) is the will of Watertown residents. This suggestion was made to the City Council by Bruce Coltin and Josh Rosmarin and was based on Bruce’s keen observations in this blog post: (See. https://thebattleforwatertown.blogspot.com/2025/10/watertowns-crisis-of-mistrust-and-man.html).
It seems that our city manager finds a survey “too expensive.” A quarter of a million dollars spent thus far on a parking garage project, but apparently a legitimate survey of Watertown residents would break the bank. With little public support and few if any answers to public questions, this is what we’ve got to show for our quarter of a million.
Link to pubic comments: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59e50be849fc2b3fd20a30cb/t/6a29ff0c7de2382de129860e/1781137164880/WSQ+Received+Comments+as+of+6-10-2026.pdf
There’s a meeting at the library on Monday, Aug. 10th from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Come, but if you can’t attend in person (and maybe even if you plan to attend), contact your City Councilors. Here’s the link to all of the councilors’ e-mails: citycouncilors@watertown-ma.gov
They will be responsible for the ultimate decision, and I’ve seen them bow to the will of the people before. It just has to be loud enough and repetitive enough for them to hear it!