Rail Service to Newton Upper Falls and Needham
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RAIL SERVICE TO NEWTON UPPER FALLS AND NEEDHAM Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee T R A N S P O R T A T I O N P L A N Light Rail Extension in the Needham Street Corridor Submitted by Srdjan S. Nedeljkovic, M.D. Rail Opportunity Page 1 Project Description and Overview An overview follows of the proposed light rail line from Newton to Needham, via the Green Line. Rail service is warranted because this corridor joining Newton and Needham has a high (growing) density of residential, commercial, and office development. Overall, the number of jobs, the residential density, and the number of commuters to the urban core supports the feasibility of light rail access. Finally, with the re-establishment of light rail transit, there is an opportunity to create less auto-dependent and more pedestrian friendly transit-oriented “village” environments along the corridor. The Plan: a general overview The rail line that is proposed would parallel Needham Street in Newton, from Cook’s Corner to the old Newton Upper Falls depot, and then continue into Needham parallel to Highland Avenue. The proposal advocates for a dual track and electrified line, providing service via the Fenway portal of the Green Line, into Copley station, and then continuing to Park Street. It should connect with the MBTA “D” line between the Eliot and Newton Highlands stations. An intermediate station should be created at Newton Upper Falls, with a terminal station in Needham, either at Needham Heights or in Needham Center. The possibility of other intermediate stations could be explored, such as one that would be placed at the end of Chandler Place, near the new Avalon at Newton Highlands apartment complex. Recently, the MBTA studied the feasibility of extending commuter rail service into Needham and to Route 128 via this corridor. The MBTA study concluded that the commuter line would incur a high cost and stimulate little further ridership along the Needham commuter rail line. Instead, the study supported that a pattern of travel from Route 128 to the Green Line, as already provided by a jitney private bus service, would be more favorable in meeting demand. One reason presented in this study in support for the Rt. 128 to Green Line connection is the shorter travel time to downtime Boston via this route as compared to the West Roxbury – Forest Hills route. Currently, there exists a partially abandoned railroad grade behind Needham Street. This is a remnant of the old NY-NH-Hartford line which served as both a commercial and freight line well into this century. A portion of this line has been re-established for commuter service into Needham and Needham Heights, via West Roxbury and Forest Hills, and continues to serve that purpose today. At the present, the railroad from Needham Heights to Newton Upper Falls is used for infrequent freight service, which is almost non-existent, with a spur passing accross Needham Street just west of the former Polaroid complex. The tracks continue to the Boston Edison substation at what was formerly known as Cook’s Corner, near Curtis and Ramsdell Streets. In the past, the railroad merged with the Boston & Albany line (now the Riverside “D” line), between the Newton Highlands and Eliot stations. There is now about 100 yards of missing tracks at that old juncture. Rail Opportunity Page 2 In the early 1970s, the MBTA conducted a study planning future projects, called the CASS study. One of these projects involved looking at bringing rail service to Needham via Newton Upper Falls using the right-of-way paralleling Needham Street, with “D” line trolley cars branching off after Newton Highlands and continuing to Newton Upper Falls, crossing the Charles River, and terminating in Needham. Instead, the MBTA decided to proceed with the current scenario: heavy rail commuter service from South Station, through Forest Hills, into West Roxbury, and terminating in Needham. Since that study 30 years ago, tremendous changes have occurred along this corridor. Traffic has increased, accompanied by a boom in both commercial and office development that has occurred along the entire Needham Street corridor and in the Needham Industrial Park. More recently, a number of new large-scale apartment and condominium developments have been built near the old rail line. It has become increasingly difficult and costly for residents of Newton and Needham neighborhoods to travel into Boston. Commuters coming to Newton Upper Falls and Needham Street suffer through congested roadways, numerous safety conflicts, and a pedestrian-hostile environment. There is a consensus that the seemingly unbridled growth and traffic congestion have led to a general lowering of the quality of life in this area. There is evidence that this has translated into lower commercial and residential desirability and valuations in this section of Newton. Benefits of Rail Linkage: Many planning organization, including the Newton Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee (CPAC), recognize that well-planned rail facilities exercise a decidedly positive effect on local and regional economies. These effects may include new and expanded business, increased employment, a stronger local tax base, higher real estate values, greater safety, decreased air pollution, therefore lower health care costs, and possible heightened tourist revenue. Rail facilities can enhance economic activity in a number of ways: 1) Improved access to business for a potentially significant pool of customers. 2) Increase the public’s sense that a community is a safe and desirable one in which to live. This perception will tend to attract businesses and new jobs. 3) One strategy to combat major forms of pollution. 4) Reduce the multiple costs associated with automobiles and sprawl. Rail facilities are cheaper to build and maintain than the automobile infrastructure. This includes lower accident rates, which in turn reduces related costs, such as those for police, medical care, and insurance. 5) Those who use rail transportation rather than the car can save money, some of which is then reinvested in the local economy. Rail corridors and stations are a sound investment in the future economic growth of a community. They attract new businesses seeking a stronger customer base. Rail facilities can attract people by the hundreds or the thousands. A number of analyses have demonstrated that those who use these facilities spend money. The proximity of a rail facility has also been shown through surveys and economic analysis to increase local property values. This is exemplified by the increase in values in West Somerville in the decade since the Red Line extended to Porter Rail Opportunity Page 3 and Davis Squares, compared to the remainder of Somerville, as well as increased values along the Old Colony lines which opened in the late 1990’s. Economic vitality is not measured by the retail economy alone. In Newton and elsewhere, employees and residents see value in being able to choose the train as a mode of transportation. Employers have a built-in incentive to encourage employees to take the train to work, because this is more economical than automobile parking. Thus, there is a correlation between improved rail facilities and a more robust local and regional economy. There is a strong positive contribution to economic vitality at the local as well as regional level. Policy Concerns and Transit Many communities in this country are facing policy decisions regarding transit. The Newton Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee has been formed with one of its missions being to make recommendations regarding transit in Newton. The Newton CPAC strongly supports the proposal to extend rail service along the Needham Street corridor. Both the public and our elected officials are voicing greater fears about the sustainability of our automobile- dependent society. There are concerns about obvious issues, such as traffic congestion and preserving the environment, but a growing issue is that of quality of life and social equity. Issues of Concern supporting light rail transit to Needham Traffic congestion: The number of vehicle-miles driven by the population continues to rise at an alarming rate, unsustainable by increases in roadway infrastructure. A recent study points out that in the largest 39 U.S. metropolisis, the number of lane-miles of roadway increased 13.4% in the last decade, while the vehicle-miles driven increased 31.4%. In some towns, there are now more cars than people! As a result, traffic congestion is growing at rates of up to 60% per 3-5 years. Public opinion in most suburbs, including Newton, suggests that traffic congestion is among the key problems faced by communities. Some of the worst traffic congestion is now found in the suburbs of major cities. The social costs of traffic congestion are significant and include wasted time and energy, increased accidents and reduced economic productivity. Some estimates place the cost at $73 billion per year, or 2% of the GNP. Meanwhile, highway departments have learned (often the hard way!) that you cannot build your way out of congestion. New or expanded roads only stimulate demand, and the result is even more traffic. Environmental concerns: Air pollution is largely a product of our auto-dependent society. Cars are responsible for 40% of manmade hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions (which cause photochemical smog) and 70% of carbon monoxide emissions. The wear of tires and road dust contributes other damaging particulates to the air we breathe. Roadways and parking lots consume over 30% of developed land in the U.S., leading to premature loss of open space and wetlands, oil spill damage to the environment, and water pollution from draining automobile fluids and road salt. Currently, Rail Opportunity Page 4 about 50% of the petroleum used in the U.S. is burned by motor vehicles. Noise pollution has left neighborhoods next to expanded roadways devalued.