Field Notes: Fall News 2022

Dear Friends, 

Clocks back, leaves piled, soccer goals (soon to be) stored away can only mean one thing, right? Yes! It’s time for the Fall issue of Field Notes! 

Our focus is usually on the Albemarle fields, pool, playgrounds, woods and brook, but…what about the roads? Safer crosswalks and improved traffic flow would make our park more accessible. 

MassDOT identified the Albemarle/Crafts intersection as a “high-crash cluster” requiring the attention of the Highway Safety Improvement Program. Last June they led a Safety Audit meeting there, as well as on Albemarle/North and North/Crafts – and the final report is both attached and linked here.

Was Friends of Albemarle at the audit? You betcha! We spend time in these intersections – by car, foot, bike, or all three, and have children crossing this high-crash cluster intersection daily, if not 2-4 times daily for school and sports. This is one high-crash cluster close to our hearts.

Knowing that there is an extensive list of 34 recommendations is a helpful start to a safer neighborhood. The next steps? Prioritizing and advocating for change. 

The Six Safety Issues

1. Speed Limits and School Zoning

2. Intersection Geometry and Conflict Points

3. Lighting

4. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations

5. Intersection Signalization

6. Drainage

Of the 34 recommendations, we’ll highlight 5 with a rating of “High Safety Payoff” and one extra, just for you. What do you think of these? Read the rest in the attached.

1. Consider establishing a 20-mph school zone along Crafts Street and provide school zone flashers, and a 20 mph Safety Zone along Crafts Street from Waltham to Washington St. (abutting Fessenden School, Albemarle Fields, Avery Woods, triangle park, Ed Center). 
2. Consider reconstructing the northeast corner of the Crafts Street at North Street intersection to provide tighter curb radii and help reduce vehicle speeds, improve sight lines, and provide a safer crossing for pedestrians and cyclists. 
3. Consider adding painted crosswalks across Albemarle Rd at all four intersecting segments with North St.
4. At the intersection of Crafts Street at North Street, consider installing a blank out No Turn on Red (NTOR) sign for the Crafts Street westbound approach, to control right on red conflicts during the pedestrian phase; and a NTOR on the North Street southbound approach 
5. Consider installing an APS push-button system and countdown pedestrian indications at Crafts Street/North Street. 
6. Evaluate current roadway lighting and upgrade/replace any existing lighting structures at the unsignalized pedestrian crossings to increase visibility of pedestrians and cyclist; and improve roadway visibility. Street lighting can be incorporated into the traffic signal mast arm design, if a traffic signal is preferred. 

We’d like to see all 34 goals achieved, and those are 6 good places to start. So…let’s get started!

To advocate for these updates, let your city councilor know about this report [city councilor contact list], and tell them it’s important to you – not just for those living in this ward [ward map], but for ALL OF NEWTON, since this is the most heavily used playing field in our entire city of 90,000. 

Speak up in support of the upcoming Albemarle traffic calming and bike lanes project and the planned traffic signals and other work for Albemarle and Craft funded by the SRTS Infrastructure grant. Here is the project website, which is not updated: https://hwy.massdot.state.ma.us/projectinfo/projectinfo.asp. The traffic signals and any intersection reconfigurations will need to be approved by the Public Facilities sub-committee and then full City Council. 

Finally, the override vote in March will include money for sidewalks and safer streets, not to mention fields and parks. Consider supporting it!

Last but not least, here’s a calm fall view of the park for you: Leaves & Mist.