A petition was sent to the Mayor on February 15, 2023 requesting immediate short-term actions be taken to address safety concerns on streets near Albemarle Field. More than 230 Newton residents and taxpayers are calling on the City to address concerns raised in the Roadway Safety Audit conducted in the Spring of 2022 by Howard Stein Hudson. Led by the Friends of Albemarle, the petitioners request the City to consider the 34 recommendations from the Audit in the near term such as the adoption of a 20 MPH safety zone on Crafts and Watertown street that includes the intersections with Albemarle, the Eddy and Eliot intersection, and installation of signage alerting drivers of these limits. The petition also calls for more directed patrols, particularly during arrival and dismissal times for Day Middle School, and installation of lighting and other measures to reduce vehicle speeds.
“We ask that a committee determine urgently, by Friday, March 17, what solutions from this list of recommendations that can be undertaken in 2023 to bring much-needed ease to this scary situation.” The City of Newton has a responsibility to ensure that people are able to walk, bike, and drive to Albemarle and the surrounding area without such clear and present danger.
