By Mark Pickering
The former Watertown Square rotary was one of my big obstacles while I learned to drive a small delivery truck. Once through that wild intersection, I had to make my way past the trolley tracks still-embedded in Galen Street during the late ’70s.
That’s why I enjoyed Councilor John Gannon’s remarks at the July special meeting on the Watertown Square Area Plan. I, too, remember learning how to drive through that rotary.
Much has changed in the business district since then. However, the services the MBTA delivers have not improved. Rather, they’ve kept going downhill.
In the ’70s, several work crew members and I once stopped in on a Watertown Square dive bar labeled the Brew and Chew. The “chew” was chips and a plastic-wrapped hot dog. There was nothing to recommend it, and the place also looked ugly on the outside.
Never did go back.
However, years later I knew the chef who helped Stellina restaurant take off in the ‘80s. He told me about clearing all the grease and assorted stuff out of the “Brew” bar. Now gaining Stellina was a Watertown Square upgrade, for sure. Getting rid of the rotary was another.
Taken as a whole, the business district had improved much over time until the pandemic hit. Prior to COVID-19, the parking lot behind CVS could be packed on a Saturday night. Stellina, a mainstay since ’80s, closed not long after the pandemic hit.
Now, Watertown Square is on an upswing again. Allowing for more housing in the square is both necessary, under the MBTA Communities Act, and a key way to bring a new upgrade.
For its part, the MBTA is still stuck in the Brew and Chew era. In fact, the T never did upgrade its service after it closed down the “A” branch of the Green Line in 1969.
There had been a trolley stop in the T’s Watertown Yard, on the south side of the Charles. Today, the Watertown Yard looks worse than ever, and its parking lot for commuters looks somewhat abandoned and is overgrown with weeds.
So, I’m alarmed that there has been no discussion about public transportation in the previous two special meetings on the Watertown Square Area Plan. In recent years, hundreds of condos and apartments have been built near to Watertown Square and its bus lines. Not to mention there’s a new city that has grown up on Arsenal Street.
This has not seemed to move the dial in public transit’s favor. Why? I’d point to this: MBTA service Watertown is substandard when compared to both the surrounding communities and to Boston’s neighborhoods. So people don’t use the T to commute.
My family of three (including our 8-year-old) only has one car. We have needed the T to step up – to do a better job. It hasn’t happened.
Therefore, as it stands now, the worst aspect of Watertown Square is that the T provides substandard service. That’s the pressing issue of the moment.
In addition, the Watertown housing crisis is an urgent matter as well.
However, the redesign of the Watertown Square’s traffic pattern lacks that urgency. Encouraging bicycle use is good, but it does not seriously address the commuting issue.
The MBTA is the big problem. This has not gotten the attention it deserves during the June and July special meetings of the Watertown Council and Planning Board.
Mark Pickering is a veteran of the local news business, having worked on the business desk and the opinion pages of the Boston Herald.
I agree. When the City of Watertown goes to the trouble to redesign the Square and change our zoning, as per required by the state, the state should plan to up the quality of the T. Even building the minimum 1000+ units in the square will be a strain on the few buses that we have. Why can’t we demand better T service in exchange for providing housing to meet the state’s goals? I remember the rotary too, and the current planning is a great improvement. But building housing near the MBTA won’t help with traffic if the service remains as poor as it is now.
Mr. Pickering is right. The MBTA’s poor service is a “big problem.” The City Council and Planning Board can pay cheerleading lip service to public transportation, but neither entity can get people out of their pollution belching behemoths and on to buses and the T, if service is not reliable. Riders routinely receive alerts of service delays due to traffic. Frequently, the first trips of the day out of Watertown Yard warn of traffic induced delays. Twenty-minute delays from the get-go. Drivers seem to prefer sitting in crawling traffic than being part of the solution.
Most reasonable people are aware that we have a looming 2050 net-zero carbon deadline, and the state has to figure out how transportation is going to meet the deadline. As things stand, the plan, if you can call it that, is to have consumers buy electric cars. What’s more the state wrote laws that require the big utilities to generate a certain amount of clean energy every year, and the state doesn’t care how the power sector does it, but the electric power sector will be held accountable for meeting the benchmarks.
Some public transportation advocates have suggested that the Mass Pike and Interstate 93 should be treated like power plants that generate pollution, and require that the amount of pollution they generate be reduced by 50 percent by 2030. That way the Mass. Department of Transportation would have to curb their highway project and road-building mentality and invest in, let’s say, high-speed rail between Boston and Springfield to take trips off the turnpike. Electrifying the commuter rail system, that now runs on diesel, would likely reduce trips on Interstate 93.
What if benchmarks are not met? Well, then, MassDOT or any transportation polluters would be hit with sizable penalties, hefty enough to pay for expanded MBTA service.
Transportation advocates routinely ask themselves what it would take to get commuters to use the MBTA instead of driving? What if, for starters, enough people believe the system can work and pressure the secretary of transportation and the MBTA general manager to make it work. If people continue to settle for the idea that change is impossible, it will be impossible.
Since the city doesn’t control the MBTA, there’s not much that city officials can “discuss” about the T at Watertown Square Area Plan meetings. We’ve already heard from the Planning Dept. that they’ve been in regular contact with the MBTA throughout the planning process so far. I remember at least two public meetings in 2023 where an MBTA representative attended.
If you want better service on the MBTA, the *only* way to effect change is to lobby your state rep, state senator and governor. And do it every single day. They’re the ones who control funding for the MBTA, which is the major determinant of the service levels. Carping at the city-level won’t improve anything.
If this OpEd is a disingenuous attempt to halt the Watertown Square Area Plan process until the MBTA improves service significantly, this is a red herring. Of course, we must walk and chew gum at the same time. AND WE MUST CHANGE THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS IN THE SQUARE, THEY ARE CURRENTLY UNSAFE FOR MANY CONSTITUENTS.
Mark, I totally agree with you. I do not know how to influence the T; I certainly do not know how to improve the service. We need faster, more reliable service and also more routes serving the suburbs; not every trip is to or from Boston or Cambridge. If you have ideas about what we in Watertown can do, I would very much like to hear them.
No matter what we think about all the details involved in reviving the Square, getting better service from the MBTA is definitely key. They have not been proactive and many people don’t have confidence they will actually do what will be needed to provide better transportation going forward.
The MBTA, like many government agencies, is in a severe financial crisis and doesn’t have the money to do what needs to be done to make it really functional; the upgrades and maintenance are way behind because money wasn’t spent in the past and now it’s catchup time.
Due to their lack of safety measures in place, the federal government mandates that the MBTA hire hundreds more employees with all their increased pays and benefits to make the system safer for workers and commuters, and still there have been stories on the news that workers ended up on the tracks with trains coming toward them.
Someone in their infinite wisdom bought trains from China and they haven’t kept up with the production, so now another ‘wise’ state person authorized them to pay extra bonus money to China to speed up the manufacturing process. And what happens as we need replacement parts? Are they going to be available in a timely manner when we need them?
With all the problems the system has, what are our chances of actually getting our needs met in our little City? And if those needs aren’t met, how can we plan to build a high amount of housing to a point that we are not really allowing much parking in them and have no alternatives to get people where they need to go in a timely manner when the system fails us.
We have no control over the state agencies that oversee so much of our lives. We need to proceed cautiously with the plans for the Square. If people move into any new housing units hoping that public transportation will be available when they need it and those needs aren’t met, we could have a lot of empty apartments, people buying cars and parking on our neighborhood streets, or have a lot more Ubers and Lyft cars zipping through our City.
If we build to an unreasonable count, once it’s done, it can’t be undone! There is a quote, “A reasonable man needs only to practice moderation to find happiness.” I think this is a reasonable approach to what local governments should do also to make their citizens lives better. Let’s not plan to the max here when we don’t have the answers to many questions.
I agree and second Mr. Pickering’s comments regarding the lack of focus on public transportation during the planning discussions of the new Watertown Square. From my point of view, it certainly looks like the private automobile will still “rule” over public transportation after the square’s redesign. It seems like Watertown residents view transportation as just “sliding in behind the wheel of their personal car.” Twentieth century thinking?
Michael Schade
Beautifully stated! The improvement of the MBTA system is of utmost importance. The success of any town or city depends on it as we try to lessen the use of our cars.
Greetings,
A little known fact is that municipalities, served by the MBTA, are assessed on an annual basis for services rendered. Sad, but true, that the City of Watertown actually pays the MBTA, for the substandard service that its residents receive.
According to the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, as presented by City Manager, George Proakis, the MBTA Assessment for Watertown is projected to increase 2.75%, on an annual basis.
Fiscal Year 2024 Assessment = $2,447,477.00
Fiscal Year 2025 Assessment = $2,618,391.00
Be mindful: Projected to continue increasing by 2.75%….. It’s difficult to accept that the citizens of the City of Watertown, only reap unsatisfactory MBTA access for their taxpayer dollars.
Best,
Angie
Angeline Maria B. Kounelis
Retired District A, East End, City Councilor
Reminder that comments must be signed with your full name.
Time to bring back the Route 502 service to Copley and stop the once former weekend and holiday combined 502/504 service. I’ve been taking the 504 since 2003 to get to the Financial District and the bus used to run every 5 minutes during rush hour. Now it’s every 15 if you’re lucky and we go via Copley. I joke with my coworkers that I feel like I’m on a tour bus every day through the city. What’s not funny is how Watertown will build all of this commuter-friendly housing, but continue to provide commuter-unfriendly bus service. Also, can we talk about how we need to take our lives in our hands when taking a left on to Nonantum out of the parking lot area? I might bring my own weed whacker and just handle the overgrowth myself. Bottom line- if this continues, people will choose to drive (even if it’s to get to a reliable commuter rail service) or live elsewhere. If a car is the only method of getting around Watertown, then this affordable housing will remain as vacant as the life science buildings!
Angie, you always provide much needed details and facts with your comments. If we are already paying those high fees to the MBTA, we may be paying a lot more in the future even if they don’t provide more or better services.
The state is mandating what we do in Watertown on housing based on the MBTA law, but yet they aren’t forceful with what the MBTA does and how it does it. Our state’s budget is in big trouble as is the MBTA’s. I have doubts they can fix either with their current approach to continued spending in every line of the budgets.
The T is giving free rides to people inconvenienced by the closing of the Sumner Tunnel during its repairs. That is all well and good, but that’s a lot of lost revenue that could help out on funding the system. In many areas of Boston residents are getting free rides too if they are in low-income areas. Maybe reducing their fees would be a better choice as it would allow some income to offset the costs of running the buses, trains, etc.
More people are leaving or considering leaving MA because of the high costs and taxes. The more people we lose, the more of our tax base gets eroded.
Our State Auditor was successful in getting a ballot question added to the election ballots in November. (Massachusetts Authorization of State Auditor to Audit General Court Initiative #23-34) If we approve it, it would allow her to audit the accounts, programs, activities, functions of all departments, offices, commissions, institutions, and activities of the state legislature and any authorities or districts created by the state legislature. I think this is a good start to seeing where our money is actually going as many of us think ‘Bacon Hill’ doesn’t really represent the people and what we want. Let’s hope this helps with transparency and maybe funds can then be diverted to better areas of need and taxes will be better controlled. Fingers crossed!
I must resoundingly endorse Mr. Pickering’s call for more and better public transit in Watertown. The MBTA Communities Act is supposed to spur transit oriented development. That goal will fall flat on its face without better transit. Redesigning Watertown Square to reduce traffic blight is pointless without serious transit upgrades.
So far the MBTA Communities Act is all stick and no carrots. If communities don’t comply, there are consequences. But communities that comply should be rewarded and supported in making their development work by receiving enhanced public transport.
Steve Owens has told me that the MBTA has agreed to return to 15 minute headways on our bus lines. We must demand 10 minute headways. Our future depends on Watertown residents being able to show up at a bus stop and board a bus within a short amount of time.
The MBTA must also provide us with transit that reaches areas of Watertown that are not currently served such as the Pleasant Street corridor.
As a classic street car suburb, the Watertown we know today was created by the electrification of the trolley lines in 1912. It is time for a major update and enhancement of our transit to provide for our future.
I tried to bring up this very topic at the last virtual planning meeting and I was cut off before I could get that point across.
There are 2 commuter rail stops in Belmont and 2 in Waltham, but none in Watertown. It takes forever to get to Kenmore, Central, or Harvard on the 57, 70, and 71 buses, respectively.
We’re building a commuter rail line to Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford which will carry perhaps 1,000-2,000 passengers per day, according to figures I’ve seen, yet continue to neglect higher population density neighborhoods like Watertown, Everett, and Dorchester.
The thought of building more subway lines never seems to enter the minds of our lawmakers. Just think of the benefits we could see from a line that ran from Sullivan Square Charlestown, to Union Square, Somerville, then straight down Prospect St. To Central Sq., Cambridge and on through Western Ave., Arsenal St., and Main St. to Waltham Center and 128. We’d be connecting jobs in Cambridge, the new Harvard science campus and business school, all of the development near WGBH and the Bruins & Celtics training facilities, all of the Arsenal Street development, downtown Waltham attractions, and jobs along 128. If I can see the potential, why can’t our officials?
Raise the gas tax a modest amount and start funding decent, fast rail service.
If the state is going to mandate more housing – which we need – then keep up the State’s side of the bargain by expanding subway service (and not another “Silver Lie”).
As a side note, we are falling WAY behind other cities that are going big on rail transit. Los Angeles, Toronto, and Montreal are just a few.
I totally agree with you and I think the subway line you mentioned would be awesome!
However given that the MBTA is barely keeping it’s head above the water and any attempts to fund it further have failed over the years, I’ve lost all hope at this point. We can’t even get reliable bus service these days let alone a whole new subway line. It’s a really depressing state of affairs.
Since we have little direct control over the MBTA and state-wide initiatives to fund it, my thinking is that we should densify the inner suburbs, especially Watertown, through zoning reform which would make for an even more compelling case to build new subway lines. Densifying would surely put a strain on our transportation system (and prove that a car-based transportation system is not feasible), but maybe things need to get worse before they get better.
I don’t follow the commenter’s logic. Make quality of life horrible to prove that changes are necessary? Traffic in Watertown has gotten bad enough. Why make our lives miserable to prove a point?
We should all be committed to pushing the Commonwealth to do the right thing now. After all, as Angie pointed out, Watertown contributes to the T, Watertowners pay taxes to the Commonwealth and many of us also pay at the fare box. It is time for the Commonwealth to do the right thing.
Unless we can get the T on the right track (pun intended) Eastern Massachusetts faces a dystopian future. Not to mention that our economy will be blighted.
The Mass Pike is jammed in both directions at many times of the day. Ditto for Route 93, etc. This condition is unsustainable. There is little room for deterioration. Sorry, this is a very bad argument is increasing density.
We both agree that transit needs to improve. We both want the same thing. I just wholeheartedly disagree that we need to wait for transit to improve before we build more housing. We need housing now. There is a housing shortage and housing prices and rents are way too high. There is a sense of urgency to this housing crisis that I don’t feel like you’re taking very seriously.
Any new housing we allow now via zoning reform won’t be built for years or even decades from now. A lot can change in that time. And we SHOULD be fighting for better transit in that time. I think the better approach is to upzone FIRST and then make the case for better transit instead of the opposite approach. Zoning is the only thing we can actually control at a local level, so let’s do whatever we can in our power to create the most transit oriented place possible. Transit works best with high density! So let’s start there. No more single-family exclusionary zoning in Watertown. Legalize triple deckers. More apartment buildings on important corridors like Arsenal St. Build bicycle infrastructure to curb the amount of cars (it has worked wonders in Paris over the past decade). These are all things we can do at a local level.
If we don’t, more and more people will be forced out into the distant suburbs and doomed to a life of car dependency. You bemoan the Pike and 93 being jammed with traffic. Well, what if more people could live right in Watertown instead of being forced into distant suburbs? That at least gives the potential that those people could walk, bike, or take a bus. I’ve only used a car 12 times so far this year, but if I couldn’t live in Watertown I’d be using a car far more frequently and probably driving into the city instead of biking like I do now.
Scott the crisis involving the MBTA is every bit as critical as housing. The failure of the MBTA to provide first world service holds back every aspect of life in Eastern Massachusetts including our economy. We cannot wait. Vast commitments must be made ASAP. We will succeed with no other goals otherwise.
BTW, I am concerned about housing, but mostly from an affordable point of view. The zoning and building that you are talking about will not help much with that–at least in the short term. That will take decades. Meanwhile folks of modest means will be driven from Watertown.
If the private sector will not build affordable housing other than that which is mandated, either the mandate must increase (and linkage) and government must start to build affordable housing. Probably both things and more.
The outflow migration you mention will happen. If we don’t take action to build housing that critical workers and service workers can afford, Watertown will follow Cambridge and lose most of its middle and working classes.
Much of the migration however will eventually be to places like Mass. and Cass.
As a historical note, along with the “A” line trolley, which stopped in the Watertown Yard on Galen Street, there was a commuter rail spur off the Fitchburg Line that stopped at a station where Tresca’s is now. It rejoined the ‘Fitchburg Line in Waltham.
All the track and infrastructure, including a bridge across the Charles River has been removed. Our Community Path follows, in part, this railroad right of way.
The point is that we had better public transit at one time. We are being asked to increase our population with no transit promised in exchange. That forebodes bad outcomes.
As soon as the Feds move beyond oversight of the T, it will go back to its old ways as Mr Bulgers Transit System, in other words, a place for political patronage.