Newton’s Public Safety and Transportation Committee discussed traffic safety on Dudley Street in response to recurring speeding, collisions, and limited public maintenance options.
“It’s a beautiful road, but it’s challenging,” Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Yeo said.
Dudley Street is endowed with the unique status of a “scenic road,” meaning that certain modifications to the road require city approval, according to Massachusetts General Law.
The road’s narrowness, however, coupled with a general lack of visibility due to obstructions by foliage, has resulted in recurring accidents since 2022. Tight traffic and regular speeding have only furthered the risks.
“It has become more and more dangerous,” Ward 8 Councilor Stephen Farrell said. “A lot of it is private land, so we also need to have owners take up some responsibility.”
The committee emphasized how public intervention is highly restricted due to the private ownership of surrounding grounds.
According to Newton Director of Transportation Ned Codd, the street has nonetheless been a high traffic-calming priority since 2018. Suggested measures for traffic safety have included targeted police enforcement, the purchasing of speed tables, and the installation of speed-limit signs.
Ward 2 Councilor-at-Large Tarik Lucas suggested cheaper options, such as painting speed limits on the road.
“The police can’t be there 24/7, but the painting can,” Lucas said.
Speed limit signs would also be a lower-cost solution, according to Newton resident Jacob Silber.
“If people don’t respect drivers, maybe they respect drivers respecting signs,” Silber said.
The committee also discussed the establishment of a permit parking program in Newton due to the high demand for on-street parking.
“It seems unfair that some streets have available parking, and some streets do not,” said Ward 5 Councilor Andreae Downs. “It seems like it’s not fairly allocating those space resources.”
Ward 4 Councilor Randy Block suggested collecting data on the management of parking permits in nearby towns.
“To legislate without knowing any of it seems foolhardy to me,” he said.
The committee would examine if surrounding towns have permits allowing street parking, bypassing the winter overnight parking ban. This ban, implemented in December 2023, remains in effect in Newton from Dec. 1 to March 31 and states that it is unlawful for non-emergency vehicles to park on public spots between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. at night.
Block also asked about the exact number of residents lacking on-street parking.
“That is apparently not a piece of information anybody has,” he said. “Collecting it won’t be easy, and we probably wouldn’t be 100 percent accurate.”
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