Around Town

LETTER: Local State House Delegation Discusses Pending Bills, Housing, Transportation & More

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Photo by Rita ColafellaSusan Falkoff of Progressive Watertown moderated the discussion with Watertown’s State House delegation, from left, State Rep. Steve Owens, State Rep. John Lawn, and State Sen. Will Brownsberger. Last Sunday, Progressive Watertown held its All Member Meeting at the Apartments at the Coolidge School. The event included a discussion and Q&A with State Senator and President Pro Tempore William Brownsberger, seven-term State Representative John Lawn and two-term State Representative Steve Owens. 

The discussion was moderated by Progressive Watertown co-chair Susan Falkoff, and the initial intention was to learn where the Progressive Mass priority bills are in the legislative pipeline. This was a substantive discussion in which housing, the Watertown Square re-design, MBTA issues, the Make Polluters Pay initiative, and transparency in government were among the topics covered.  The audience saw a delegation that  is very aligned and has a very good working relationship with one another. The two representatives had just finished working long and hard on the state budget. The budget is now with the Senate. After introductions, the legislators were asked to talk briefly about an issue they are excited about working on.

Around Town

MBTA Announces Services for Monday’s Boston Marathon

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The MBTA announced service information on Monday, April 15, the day of the 2024 Boston Marathon. Every year, the MBTA prepares for the Boston Marathon across all departments in many ways. It supports the annual event with increased service to accommodate spectators and runners, acknowledges the crucial role of public transit during this celebratory time, and expresses sincere appreciation for its ridership and dedicated workforce. Behind the scenes, a dedicated team of MBTA leaders from various departments, including operations, track, signals, and safety, will be monitoring the system throughout the day, ready to troubleshoot any unforeseen issues that may arise. The MBTA’s Security team will have representatives in the Unified Coordination Center, located at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters in Framingham, which serves as the central hub for public safety operations on race day. The Transit Police Department will also continue to monitor the system with robust support available as needed. Additional staff and Transit Ambassadors will be strategically positioned throughout the system to assist with passenger flow and answer any questions or concerns from riders. Riders are encouraged to hold handrails and use care and caution while traversing stairs and escalators due to anticipated crowding and high ridership. Additional porters will also proactively identify and address cleaning needs throughout the system, from sweeping floors and disposing of trash to maintaining restrooms and replenishing supplies.

Around Town

Bus Stops Have Moved for 3 MTBA Routes at Watertown Yard

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Stops for three MBTA bus lines starting and ending at Watertown Yard have been moved to fit the new street configuration off of Galen Street. The 52, 57, and 504 buses have moved to a different area of the MBTA’s bus yard. The former stop near Nonantum Road has closed, and buses have new pick up and drop off areas. A picture of the old Watertown Yard bus stop exit onto Galen Street. It has been completely blocked off and stops have been moved.

Around Town

OP-ED: MBTA Service in Watertown Takes the Cake: Worst Service Ever!

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MBTA buses operating in Watertown Square. (Photo by Mark Pickering)

By Mark Pickering

When it comes to MBTA service, residents in numerous Boston neighborhoods and abutting communities would love to say they have the worst. They’d be wrong. Watertown “wins” hands down. A Boston Globe article (“Missed connections at Nubian,” Feb.

Around Town

MBTA Announces New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Service

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The following information was provided by the MBTA:

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) today announced that free service on all modes will be available after 8 PM on December 31 through the end of the service day to help support safe celebrations on New Year’s Eve. Full holiday service schedule information is available at mbta.com/holidays. December 31: Increased New Year’s Eve Service:

·       Subway: All subway lines will operate on a Sunday schedule with increased service after 3 PM. ·       Buses and The RIDE: Buses and The RIDE will operate on a Sunday schedule. ·       Ferry: Charlestown ferry services will end at 6 PM.

Government

First Drafts of Watertown Square Redesign, Changes to MBTA Discussed at Design Workshop

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Some of the preliminary sketches for a redesigned Watertown Square prepared by the consultants. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

All day, Wednesday, hundreds of residents gave their opinions about what they want Watertown Square to look like when it is redesigned, and the City of Watertown’s consultants showed some first efforts at ways to improve traffic flow, as well as the pedestrian experience in the area. Urban Designer Jeff Speck showed a packed room several options for ways to change the design of roadways in Watertown Square. Some included roundabouts, some opened the roadway around the Delta to all traffic (not just buses as it is now), and many altered the roadways leading into the Square. By eliminating some of the spokes going into the main intersection would make traffic lights simpler, said Ralph DeNisco, a traffic engineer from VHB.

Around Town

OP-ED: MBTA has Terrible Track Record of Providing Service to Watertown Square

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An MBTA Bus drives through Watertown Yard. (Photo by Mark Pickering)

By Mark Pickering

The city is out to revitalize Watertown Square and has set out a series of meetings aimed at getting feedback from the general public. The overall effort will look at making the square more attractive to walkers, merchants and developers looking to address the housing crisis. The issue of transportation is a key part of the package. Even our urban neighbors note that car traffic has taken over Watertown Square – which could be the worst such intersection in Greater Boston.