The City Council is preparing to vote on Newton’s Walk, Roll & Bike Network Plan — yet there has never been a formal public hearing on the final version. For a plan that could reshape traffic, parking, and neighborhood access across the city, residents deserve the chance to see and comment on what’s actually being proposed.
The only citywide presentation took place in June 2023, when the plan was still in its early concept phase. That meeting showed rough ideas and preliminary goals — not the detailed network maps, design standards, or cost projections that now define the proposal. Since then, the plan has grown considerably in scope, but residents have never been shown the final version or invited to ask questions.
When the Public Facilities Committee voted on October 22, 2025, to advance the plan to the full Council, the discussion did not include updated traffic data, emergency-access analysis, or public testimony.
Mayor-elect Laredo has pledged to bring transparency and genuine public engagement back to City Hall. The Council can honor that commitment right now by holding a formal, well-noticed public hearing before any vote on this sweeping plan. Residents, businesses, and first responders deserve an opportunity to be heard before decisions are made that will affect every corner of Newton for years to come.
Carolyn Gabbay
Newtonville
