Construction of a much-anticipated traffic calming project at the intersection of Waverley Avenue and Franklin Street is underway.
For years, abutters had noticed the high volume of traffic accidents at the intersection and pushed the City to implement a speed-reducing raised table. The project was approved by the City Council in May 2024.
The project’s final design indicated that the roadway surface would be raised to the same level as the surrounding curbs and sidewalks, which raised concerns about pedestrian safety. Director of Transportation Ned Codd said that in order to resolve the issue, the implementation of bollards — vertical posts that serve as traffic barriers — was necessary.
“The raised intersection design is very effective at slowing and calming traffic; however, because it elevates the roadway surface to sidewalk level, there is a risk of drivers ‘cutting the corner’ on turns and driving through sidewalk and pedestrian zone areas,” he said. “Bollards are an effective countermeasure to slow vehicles through the turn and create a protected pedestrian zone.”
In a February statement to Fig City News, Codd said that discussion surrounding the placement of bollards was ongoing and that the Department of Public Works had been coordinating with abutters, as well as City Councilors, to determine their placement.
In an August 20 statement, Codd said that bollard placement has since been finalized.
“In response to abutter comments, the number of bollards was reduced to six, and the City will install decorative metal bollards,” he said.
Newton resident David Hedison, who lives near the intersection, played a significant role in advocating for the construction of the raised table. For months, he documented the accidents that he observed, emailing the pictures he took to local officials.
Hedison said that he is excited to see progress being made.
“We are thrilled that things are moving forward,” he said. “We are hopeful to see if [the raised table] will help reduce accidents and make [the intersection] safer for all people — drivers, bikers, pedestrians, and even animals.”
Similarly designed raised tables have made measurable improvements in traffic safety across the city.
In 2021, a raised table was installed at the intersection of Beethoven Avenue and Puritan Road near the Zervas Elementary School. Codd said that prior to the table’s installation, traffic data collection on Beethoven Avenue indicated that the 85th-percentile speed — the speed at which 85 percent of drivers were traveling at or below — was 36 miles per hour (mph), 11 mph over the 25 mph speed limit.
Codd said that data collection in 2022, after the Beethoven/Puritan raised table had been installed, indicated that the 85th percentile speed on Beethoven Avenue had dropped to 27 mph, which he termed “a significant decrease.” (The speed limit has since been lowered to 20 mph.)
Theo Younkin is this summer’s Fig City News managing student intern, a rising senior at Newton South High School, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the NSHS Lion’s Roar.
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