Fwd: Washington Street Pilot Updates - Tuesday, Sept 2nd

[Julia Anne Malakie]

FYI, this week's updates on the Washington St Pilot.

Notably, these include shifting some sets of parking places on the eastbound side further to the right, to address Fire Department concerns about accommodating ladder trucks.

Of the ones I measured when the repainting was in process, most were shifting about 2ft to the right, taking the space from the buffer between the parking and the bike lane. Near Ascend, the shift was 16".

I had noticed earlier, that some drivers had been parking further to the right on their own even before the repainting! This was early August:

Regards

Julia Malakie

Ward 3 Councilor

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From: City of Newton <washingt...@newtonma.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, September 2, 2025 5:16:36 PM
To: Julia Malakie <jmal...@newtonma.gov>
Subject: Washington Street Pilot Updates - Tuesday, Sept 2nd

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Read about important updates for the Washington Street Pilot

Washington Street Pilot Updates - September 2, 2025 Welcome to another Washington Street Pilot project newsletter update! Exciting things are happening as we hit the home stretch of project installation, nearing completion. And again, thank you to everyone for your patience during installation and to those who provided valuable feedback on their experiences along the Washington Street corridor. Phase 3 - What's Been Completed: Crosswalk at Walker Street facing west   Bus platform at Eddy Street facing west Crosswalks: Crosswalks have been painted and completed The crosswalks connect pedestrians between the north and south sides of the street at: Chestnut St, Armory St, Cross St, Eddy St, Brookside Ave, Walker St, and Lowell Ave Bus Platforms: New, accessible, raised bus platforms are located on the south side at Armory St, Eddy St, and Lowell Ave These bus platforms allow for easier and accessible bus boarding and deboarding Reflective posts are installed on the platforms for driver visibility Temporary bus signs have been placed at these bus platforms Handrails will be installed at the bus platforms in late fall Pedestrian Refuge Islands: Islands have been installed at crosswalks -- these allow for pedestrians to cross one lane of traffic at a time, giving them a safe space to wait for traffic to stop before continuing their crossing. This helps unlock safer access to the south side that previously would require crossing four lanes of high-speed traffic at one go. Planters: Added solar lighting in the planter and reflectors around the perimeter for additional visibility. Bus platform at Eddy Street facing north   Cyclist using the shared use path Map of new bus stop configurations. Click here to view the map on the website. Phase 3 - Refinements Based on Feedback: We've heard from neighbors, users of the roadway, businesses, City Councilors, emergency responders, and other city partners. Given what we've heard, the following refinements have been made: Clear Lane Markings at Lowell Ave At the Lowell Avenue intersection, dashed lines now extend across Washington St heading eastbound to guide drivers into the two receiving lanes Improved Sight Lines A handful of parking spaces on the north side have been shifted to give drivers better visibility when exiting driveways and side streets. Emergency Access Improvements Working with the Newton Fire Department, some adjustments in roadway markings were made to better accommodate ladder trucks. These include shifting marked parking spaces (east of Armory Street on the south/Mass Pike side) further away from the travel lane. Are you a Newton North High School Student? Visit the webpage below for information on travel tips for getting to and from school using the new Shared Use Path. Be on the lookout for goodies just in front of the Walker dog park on Wednesday mornings throughout September for your morning bike/walk/roll commute along the shared use path! NNHS Travel Tips How Can I Find More Information? For continued updates and detailed information, please visit: http://www.newtonma.gov/washingtonstreet. To see past newsletters with valuable information, scroll down to “construction updates” and click the date listed with information as the project has progressed. Additionally, under the construction timeline, find an FAQ document with more information. If you are receiving this email, you have indicated interest in receiving Washington Street Pilot related updates. If you would like to unsubscribe, you can do so any time by clicking the unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email.

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