Importance to Newton

Why Is the Carriage Lane So Important to Newton?

Linear Park

The Carriage Lane embodies Frederick Law Olmstead‘s vision for the Emerald Necklace, a “ground 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 from them.” Olmstead, designer of the Newton Centre playground, designed this as the final gem in the 6-mile necklace that begin in Jamaica Plain, Boston.

Alternatives to the Automobile

Directing resources toward the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians has been important for a long time, though long ignored. COVID showed us that the Carriage Lane, which spans the entire City of Newton from Weston to Boston, is the perfect location for people to get from place to place AND to keep social distance from each other. It is a linear park that provides an existing and popular place for people to bike and to walk, to get exercise and to find alternatives to the automobile. With increasing traffic, it’s important to limit the heavy traffic on our roadways.

Linking Neighborhoods

Because this linear park extends from the border with Boston to the border with Weston, it is accessible to the majority of Newton residents, and also to those who come to Newton to work and go to school.

Sustainability and Climate Action Plan

Newton has made a commitment to creating a framework for sustainable living and to meet its goals set forth in the Climate Action Plan. The Carriage Road provides an avenue for sustainable transportation for so many. Most of the MBTA bus lines that travel N/W through Newton (for example, the 52, 58, 505 and 558) cross the Carriage Lane, and thus it provides great connections for those who want and need to use multiple modes of transportation. One stated strategy of The Newton Citizen’ Climate Action Plan is to “Continue to expand the network of low-stress and protected bicycle (or micromobility) lanes.”

Priorities include:

"Create a low stress network for walking and biking. Safe and pleasant routes should connect people to village centers, schools, parks, and transit. The network can be routed along greenways, through public parks and on low volume streets to provide safe and pleasant routes. o Work with neighboring communities to continue transit routes such as, bike paths and bus lanes, across City lines."

The Bicycle/Pedestrian Network Plan

The Carriage Road is an essential part of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Network Plan. It is, and increasingly so, a highly desirable path for runners, walkers, and bicyclists. The improvements we have made make it safer for all, whether they be (local traffic) E/W drivers, pedestrians, runners, or N/S drivers. Bicyclists and pedestrians, whether they be looking for exercise, recreation, or a route to work or school, or traveling eastbound or westbound, can now feel safer.

Local Traffic Only There is no signage indicating “Local Traffic Only.” However, little by little, with additional stop signs and other measures, such as bike lanes striped through the intersections) to slow down speeds, the vehicular traffic along the Carriage Lane is almost exclusively local traffic only. Homeowners and those who live along the Carriage Lane have benefited from this. It is a safer space for children and for those of all ages who live along it and who seek its use for recreation and sustainable transportation.

Separating the Faster Cyclists from Kids and Others

Legalizing eastbound bicycle traffic will keep our kids (and others) off the arterial and faster, more congested, roadways, such as Commonwealth Avenue, where drivers go at speeds of at least 25 mph, even 40 mph and more. And many bicyclists are and have been cycling eastbound along the Carriage Lane for just this reason – to avoid danger.

Drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists can coexist along the Carriage Road. The changes and improvements of the last 8 years, which we describe in our blog, which have produced slower driver speeds and less cut-through and non-local traffic, show that this is possible.

Funding Given that so many bicyclists are already biking eastbound, the City engineers in the Transportation Division need to be provided with the resources to really embrace our goals of safety, sustainability and accessibility. That includes funding and staffing. We are off to a great start! And we hope to see funding allocated toward smart design modifications so other non-signalized and signalized intersections, can be made safe and safer.