Hammond Pond Parkway in Newton Reimagined

By Richard B. Primack
 

“Now I yearn for one of those old meandering dry uninhabited roads which lead away from towns… Where my spirit is free.” 

- Henry David Thoreau in his Journal.

 
Hammond Pond Parkway in Newton is a highspeed four-lane road with no sidewalks that bisects the Hammond/Webster Woods and is dangerous to cross. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has proposed a complete renovation involving reducing the current 4 lanes to 2, and creating a 12 foot wide landscaped pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists  on the western side of the parkway.  A new crosswalk would allow people to cross the parkway safely.

The parkway will be reduced from 4 to 2 lanes. A landscaped pedestrian and biking path will be built along the west side of the parkway.

Nicole Freedman, Newton’s Director of Transportation Planning, approves, “We are very supportive and excited for this project. It is taking a road that is overbuilt and unsafe and turning it into a gem.” 
 
Traffic studies by the DCR suggest that reducing the number of lanes will not affect traffic congestion, though speeds will likely be reduced.
 
Some local residents were concerned that these changes would create more congestion during rush hours and divert traffic into nearby neighborhoods.  Newton Councilor Lisle Baker urged the department to, “try out some things before building and find out it doesn’t work.”

There are concerns that these changes might increase traffic congestion at the Beacon Street intersection.

This is a condensed version of an article that appeared in the Newton Tab.