Arsenal on the Charles

Athenahealth Reveals Plans to Cut Number of Cars Coming to Arsenal Site

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Athenahealth released details of how it will seek to reduce the number of people driving to work alone, and it will participate in the town’s effort to bring a shuttle to Watertown. 

On Wednesday, the company that owns the Arsenal on the Charles released its Transportation Demand Management plan that was created as part of its proposal to redevelop the former U.S. Army facility on Arsenal Street. The plan calls for the company to employ a full-time, on-site Transportation Demand Management Coordinator, as would any subsequent owner of the complex. It will also join MassRides, a group that will “encourage healthy transportation options for employees.” Athenahealth’s plan said the company will participate in the Watertown Transportation Management Association, which is likely to include a shuttle. The company said it would contribute in a proportional way with other developments in the area.

Government

Watertown Looks Around at Other Towns for Ideas to Improve Transportation

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Local efforts to improve transportation when Watertown officials have little influence on the MBTA can be tough, but they looked at what some neighbors are doing for inspiration. Transportation directors from Newton and Waltham, as well as a consultant who works on transportation plans, came to a forum on June 16, organized by the Watertown Pubic Transportation Task Force, the Town Council an the Department of Community Development and Planning. Both Waltham and Newton have completed extensive transportation planning efforts and are close to making recommendations a reality. Watertown will be embarking on such a transportation planning effort soon. Ralph DiNisco, principal of transportation planners Nelson Nygaard, gave some advice to Watertown. “Plan for things you want, not the things you are afraid of,” DiNisco said.

Government

Forum Will Educate Public About Transportation & Traffic Issues in Town

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A local group wants to give residents a voice in how transportation and traffic in Watertown looks in the future, and will hold a forum to educate residents about transportation planning. Traffic and public transportation have become big issues in Watertown, and will be even more vital as developments go up on Arsenal and Pleasant streets. So, the Watertown Public Transit Task Force, the Town Council and the Watertown Community Development and Planning Department will organize a forum on Thursday, June 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library. The event is free and open to the all residents, employees and business owners in Watertown. The goal of the forum is to increase the shared knowledge about what modern transportation planning can do in municipalities like Watertown to improve local transportation and ease traffic congestion.

Government

Council Subcommittee Searches for Ways to Cut Down on Use of Cars

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A Town Council subcommittee searched for ways to cut down on the use of vehicles in Watertown, particularly driver only trips, to reduce the traffic in Watertown as town grows. For future development projects, and some recent ones, the town will require a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan, but councilors on the Transportation Committee struggled with ways to encourage businesses and large residential complexes to reduce their use of vehicles at their meeting last Tuesday. A TDM can have many features, including having an on-site manager to oversee the program, discounted transit passes, car and van pools, guaranteed rides home for those using transit or carpools, flexible work hours and contributions to a shuttle bus. The TDM numbers are based on the traffic studies done by developers before the project is approved. Director of Community Development and Planning Steve Magoon said the traffic created by a project rarely exceeds the numbers in the study.

Government

New Transportation Committee Looking at Improving Bus Service in Town

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Ways to improve MBTA service in Watertown was one of the top issued discussed during the inaugural meeting of the Town Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Transportation last week. 

The Council has been focused on the issue for the past few years, and it became such a thorn for regular users that a citizen group – the Watertown Public Transit Task Force – formed to advocate for improvements. Some headway was made in 2014 when MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott came to visit town to see the problems facing Watertown’s T users. A change in governors and a historically bad winter that gridlocked the MBTA meant that Scott was out and Watertown lost its connections in the state’s transportation agency. “She’s gone. A lot of people have changed.

Government

Schools, Development, Transportation Priorities for Town in Next Two Years

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Among the key areas of focus for the Town Council in the new term will be improving Watertown’s schools, deal with the development boom and seek to improve transportation, Town Council President Mark Sideris announced at Monday’s inauguration ceremony. Sideris, the Town Council (Michael Dattoli, Aaron Dushku, Susan Falkoff, Lisa Feltner, Angeline Kounelis, Anthony Palomba, Vincent Piccirilli and Kenneth Woodland) and the elected or re-elected School Committee members (Eileen Hsu-Balzer, Kendra Medville Foley and Candace Miller) and Library Trustees (Sheppard Ferguson, Penelope Peoples and Timothy Tracy) were sworn in at the event held at the Arsenal Center for the Arts’ Charles Mosesian Theater. Development has been the top issue in town, particularly in the areas east of Watertown Square along Arsenal Street. Two major apartment projects have been approved along Arsenal Street and a new hotel is going up near the malls. Zoning for two areas that could change the town significantly continue to subjects of hot discussion: the Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD) in the area of the two malls in town, and the redevelopment of the Arsenal on the Charles.

Government

Are Shuttles Part of Watertown’s Transportation Future?

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With the MBTA service in Watertown not meeting residents’ and workers’ needs, and a growth boom underway people are looking for ways to improve transportation in town. 

One option often brought up is a local transportation management association (TMA), which could run shuttles and provide other transportation assistance. A forum about TMAs  held at the Watertown Free Public Library drew around 100 people. The event an initiative of the Watertown Public Transit Task Force which co-sponsored the event along with the Watertown Belmont Chamber of Commerce. In recent years large developments have been built on and near Pleasant Street, and more recently along Arsenal Street. To deal with the new homes and businesses, the town has explored creating a TMA to provide transit along these two corridors, said Assistant Town Manager and Director of Community Development and Planning Steve Magoon.

Government

Find Out About the MBTA’s Plans to Improve the 70 Bus

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Find out about measures being considered by the MBTA to improve service on the 70 bus line. The Watertown Public Transit Task Force will hold a public meeting Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at Watertown’s Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., in the 3rd floor Rehearsal Room. MBTA Service Planner Melissa Dullea will be on hand to give a presentation about some of the possible measures to improve service on the number 70 bus route. The WPTTF will unveil its Bus Incident Report Survey.