In a public meeting on April 10, the MBTA presented a conceptual design for an accessible, single-platform commuter rail station in Newtonville. The design features a station platform placed between the tracks to accommodate trains in both directions. A bridge built over the track would be high enough to accommodate catenary wires for future electrification of the diesel commuter trains. Riders would also have ground-level paths across the tracks and could reach the platform by a stairway or either of two elevators (to allow for continual service when one elevator is down or undergoing maintenance). Ramps down to the station platform are unfeasible because they would need to be 300 feet long (the length of a football field).
For safety and to reduce the need to modify the Walnut Street bridge, the station entrance would be moved off that bridge to Washington Street between Central Avenue and Beach Street. The platform length would be reduced from 800 to 400 feet to save money. The MBTA said only local trains no longer than 400 feet would stop at the Newtonville station.
A single-platform station between the tracks requires the MBTA to spread out the tracks 22 feet apart. The MBTA said it was unsure whether the cost of realigning the tracks would be more or less than an alternative of building two platforms with four elevators, so both the two-platform and one-platform proposals are still under consideration. The two-platform station would allow for an entrance closer to the Walnut Street bridge.
After the MBTA was not awarded a Federal grant to renovate all three Newton Commuter Rail stations, the Federal Transportation Administration recommended the MBTA reapply for a grant to renovate one station. The MBTA selected Newtonville because it has the highest ridership and the greatest potential for housing development. In January, the MBTA applied for a Federal All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) grant for the Newtonville Station.
The MBTA expects to fund the station renovation with money from the ASAP grant and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Capital Improvement Program. It does not expect to ask the City of Newton for money.
The MBTA gave no future date for a more complete presentation on the Newtonville project.
(See the meeting recording, presentation slides, and past meetings on the project web page.)
After the MBTA presentation, elected officials and residents spoke.
Congressman Jake Auchincloss reminded the MBTA that he had secured $7 million in the 2023 Federal budget for the project. He recently spoke with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on the importance of the project in three areas: supporting transit-oriented development, unlocking East-West rail, and meeting ADA compliance. He stated that it is critical that the MBTA reinsert and prioritize funding for the Newton Commuter Rail project in its 5-year Capital Improvement Plan to demonstrate alignment of State goals with the Federal goals.
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller asked the MBTA for a commitment to improving all three Commuter Rail stations and reminded the State that Newton is doing its part to support transit-oriented development. The MBTA did not comment.
State Representative Kay Khan reiterated the Mayor’s request and noted that she has been working for 30 years to improve accessibility to Newton’s Commuter Rail stations. She noted that the difficulty of getting to the stations impacts ridership. She expressed concern about the move of the station entrance to Washington Street and asked how it would impact local businesses and parking. She also asked if funding could come from the $85 million State Transportation Bond Bill she and Senator Cynthia Creem worked on. The MBTA emphasized that this was just a conceptual design and that it would look into her questions.
City Councilor Susan Albright asked that station access from Walnut and Harvard Street be kept. The MBTA said a 400-foot platform would have a single point of access. Bridge access is steep, and the MBTA prefers to have access from Washington Street.
Councilor Albright said the MBTA asked Newton to wait on using mitigation money from the Trio development for a fence and art project between Washington Street and the Commuter Rail. She asked when could the City start this project, and the MBTA said that it did not know and would look into it.
Councilor Tarik Lucas reiterated Councilor Albright’s request for the fence and artwork and asked for the station project to include a sound wall and trees on the north side of the Mass Pike. He said that the north side of the Pike is very loud and has no barriers, especially after MassDOT removed trees along Washington Street. The MBTA thanked him for his comments but made no commitment.
Councilor Pamela Wright asked how long it would take once money is available. The MBTA said that it did not want to speculate. The single-platform design requires more design work, and the two-platform design is closer to completion and can be more quickly modified. If the stations are kept open, the project may take 4-5 years, and if stations are closed for construction, possibly 3 years. The MBTA emphasized that these are very, very preliminary estimates.
Councilor Josh Krintzman reiterated the importance of improving all three stations and asked what can be done to speed up the process. The MBTA said that funding is the critical piece. MBTA representatives noted that it is well known that the system is under great financial pressure. In addition, the speed of building is limited by worker-safety requirements because the sites are very constrained and live trains will be running through the sites.
Councilor Krintzman asked which station would be next in line for renovation, and the MBTA said that it did not know.
Councilor David Mickley requested that the chain-link fence that had been on the old wooden stairs be replaced for safety reasons. The MBTA said that it will look into whether a chain-link fence is feasible on the new stairs.
Councilor Julia Malakie asked if anything could be done to improve the other two stations to make them look more welcoming. The MBTA replied that it had a budget only for basic maintenance on those sites.
Scott Oran, developer of 28 Austin Streeet, asked who made the cost estimates and whether the estimates were available for public review. The MBTA said that design consultants made cost estimates and did not say if the cost estimates were available for public review.
The Newtonville Area Council and local residents repeated the need for a sound barrier and beautification on the north side of the Pike.
