Newton Carriageway Biking and Walking Path Design

This exciting project is one of several in and around Newton that aim to add high-quality, fully separated bicycle facilities to Route 30 and upgrade the existing pedestrian facilities. Using the Right of Way (ROW) that the existing Commonwealth Avenue carriageway currently occupies, this design provides dedicated biking and walking facilities and improved crossings along a corridor that is already popular with cyclists, runners, dog walkers, and users of other non-motorized modes. Through close collaboration with the Riverside Greenway Working Group and other community members, HSH developed an alternative that maximizes greenspace, provides safe and comfortable biking and walking facilities, and adds several new and enhanced crossings across Commonwealth Avenue, while balancing the needs of abutters such as Lyons Field, which generates high parking demand during little league games.

The successful planing project led to an accelerated design process to coordinate with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT’s) bridge replacement project over the Charles River.