Transportation

MassDOT Holding Meetings on Changes Mass Pike at Allston Interchange

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced that the public meeting for the I-90 Allston Interchange Improvement Project scheduled to be held in Brookline on Tuesday, December 12, will now be held in the Auditorium of the Pierce Elementary School in Brookline. This venue change is at the request of the Town of Brookline due to logistical considerations and to ensure there is adequate space for attendees. Signage will be in place at Town Hall to notify attendees of this venue change and the full schedule of upcoming public meetings for the I-90 Allston Interchange Improvement Project is as follows:
December 12, 2017, 7:00 p.m.
Auditorium, Pierce Elementary School
50 School Street, Brookline
January 3, 2018, 6:30 p.m.
The Morse School
40 Granite Street, Cambridge
Last week, MassDOT officially filed the Draft Environmental Impact Report for this project with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and is now hosting several public meetings in order to provide information to the public on the DEIR. Information on how to obtain an electronic copy of the DEIR is posted on the project website and paper copies of the DEIR will be provided to the Copley, Faneuil, Honan-Allston, and Brighton branches of the Boston Public Library, the State Library of Massachusetts, and the Main and Central Square branches of the Cambridge Public Library. In response to public requests, MassDOT has extended the public comment period to January 19, 2018, so that all interested parties will have ample time to review the document and provide detailed input.

Government

Watertown Gets Grant to Test Dedicated Bus Lanes on Parts of Mt. Auburn St.

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Watertown officials announced Wednesday that the Bar Foundation, as part of its BostonBRT initiative, has awarded the community a grant to conduct a pilot project testing bus rapid transit (BRT) features in collaboration with the City of Cambridge and the MBTA. The pilot will seek to create a faster and more reliable commute for more than 12,000 daily bus riders on routes 71 and 73. The pilot, which will take place during 2018, will take bus riders out of car congestion through the creation of all-day dedicated bus lanes for significant segments on Mount Auburn Street between Belmont Street and Fresh Pond Parkway. It will also include inbound “queue jump” lanes to give buses
priority in intersections on Mount Auburn Street and Belmont Street near where they meet, and timed traffic signals where feasible so that buses get more green lights. The pilot is a temporary demonstration.

Government

Town Hosting Meeting on Making Watertown More Pedestrian, Bike and Transit Friendly

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The Town of Watertown will host a meeting about Complete Streets, and discuss where the concept should be implemented in town. 

Complete Streets helps make the streets more walkable, bikeable and more public transit friendly, according to the announcement from the Town. On the meeting agenda:
• What are Complete Streets? • Where should Complete Streets projects be implemented in Watertown? • Next Steps in the Prioritization Plan Process
The Town’s Complete Streets Prioritization Plan meeting will be on Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m., in the Town Council Chambers in Town Hall, 149 Main St., Watertown.

Government

Concerns Raised About Narrowing Mt. Auburn St. & Making it Safer for Bikes

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The latest proposal for the major overhaul of Mt. Auburn Street was unveiled by traffic engineers at Monday night’s Public Works subcommittee meeting, and they were largely met with skepticism and disappointment. The first detailed draft of what the redesigned Mt. Auburn Street could or would look like was presented in June by the traffic engineers from WorldTech Engineering. It included removal of lanes, called a “road diet” in some areas and added bike lanes along the roadway.

Government

Meeting Monday Will Discuss Major Redesign of Mt. Auburn Street

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A major redesign of Mt. Auburn Street, including a proposal to reduce the lanes to one each way, will be discussed Monday night by the Town Council’s Public Works Committee. 

The meeting is at 7:15 p.m. on Monday, November 20, 2017 in Town Hall, Administration in the Richard E. Mastrangelo Council Chamber 149 Main Street, Watertown. The Town sent out the following information:
The Watertown Department of Public Works will provide an update on the progress in designing elements of the Mount Auburn Street project at the Public Works Committee meeting. The project team will follow up on comments from the June meeting and provide an update on the project timeline and design. The Mount Auburn Street project has a dedicated website.

Arsenal Street Corridor

Residents Worry About Impact of Changes to Watertown Square, Charles River Road

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Residents living between the Charles River and North Beacon Street, east of Watertown Square, packed the Town Council Chambers well past seating capacity Tuesday night because they are concerned about traffic near their homes and how the area could be impacted by the Watertown Square Improvement project. A study of the Arsenal Street corridor for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) by consultants from VHB identified several improvements that could positively impact the major artery through the east side of Watertown. VHB’s Laura Castelli said that residents who attended public meetings about the Arsenal Street Corridor study overwhelmingly supported making improvements to Watertown Square the top priority. One major change proposed to improve flow through Watertown Square would be to remove Charles River Road from the mix, at least in one direction (in or out). The project was originally scheduled for the medium term, Castelli said, because it was thought the town would have to wait to get state road improvement funds, but it was pushed forward because it will be part of the I-Cubed project.

Government

Watertown Officials Hoping Watertown Yard Can be More Rider Friendly

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The MTBA’s Watertown Yard is the starting point for several bus routes, including the express buses to Boston, and Watertown officials believe it can be improved to make it a nicer place to catch the bus, and perhaps someday the Watertown TMA Shuttle. In September, MBTA officials lead a tour of the facility located on Galen Street, just south of the Charles River from Watertown Square, for Town Councilors, State House representatives and Town officials. Some of those on the tour that day met Thursday evening for the Town Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Transportation. The general feeling was that Watertown Yard is a large facility that is not being used to its greatest potential. “What struck me is the tremendous opportunity to improve transportation in Watertown,” said Town Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli.

Government

Plans to Improve Watertown Square Intersection to be Discussed at Meeting

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The Town will be making improvements to Watertown Square which may include major changes to the intersection. A meeting will be held for members of the public to get more information and to give their input. The meeting of the Town Council’s Public Works subcommittee will be held on Monday, Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers in Town Hall. The Town sent out the following announcement:
The Town of Watertown is redesigning Watertown Square to improve traffic operations and safety.