Two of the large, rust-colored planters that lined Washington Street through West Newton and Newtonville now sit on the Carriage Lane along Commonwealth Avenue. Others are on their way to Kennard Park, and the city says it will fill them with brighter plantings in the spring. If you drive between Chestnut Street and Lowell Avenue, you have probably noticed the gaps where they used to be.
As the most visible and most debated piece of the Washington Street Pilot, the planters were an easy first change, and their removal makes the bigger decision easier to see. In its October 7, 2026 update, the city said the spring adjustments will address "some of the curviness of the roadway while preserving the popular shared use pathway." The two-way path along the Mass Pike side is the settled part. This fall's meetings are about the travel lanes next to it.
What the Pilot Put on the Street
The pilot covers the stretch from Chestnut Street in West Newton to Lowell Avenue in Newtonville. It added a two-way shared-use path on the south side of the street, separated from traffic by curbs and flexposts. It also cut the road to one travel lane in each direction with turn lanes where needed, and added in-lane bus platforms, shorter crossings with islands, and planters and greenery. The city built it on purpose from paint, planters, and modular pieces so it could be changed later.
The design came out of the city's 2019 Washington Street Vision Plan. A Newton Beacon column from July 2026 reports that construction was substantially finished in summer 2025 at a cost of $2.8 million. Because the design was built to be adjusted, the city can move planters in a single season and reshape the lanes the next spring without tearing up the street.
What the First Year Measured
The city's first evaluation compared fall 2024 counts, taken before the pilot, with fall 2025 counts, taken after. The technical memorandum is dated January 28, 2026 and runs 363 pages.
| Measure | Before the pilot | After the pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Most common speed band | 30–35 mph, fall 2024 | 25–30 mph, fall 2025 |
| Daily vehicle trips on the corridor | About 14,874, fall 2024 | About 12,039, fall 2025 |
| Reported crashes, September–October | 6 in 2024 | 3 in 2025 |
| Bicycle volumes | Fall 2024 baseline | Up an average of 27% across the project area, fall 2025 |
| Weekday parking use | No comparison published | Averaged 61%, fall 2025 |
| Travel time over the 0.9-mile segment | Fall 2024 baseline | No more than one minute longer, fall 2025 |
Two caveats travel with these numbers. Streetsblog Mass pointed out that the crash totals are small enough that the drop could be statistical noise. It also reported that two of the three 2025 crashes were single-vehicle collisions with roadside objects. The Newton Beacon column added that several big construction projects were underway in the corridor during the count period, which could have affected the results. Traffic counts on side streets showed no increase from drivers cutting through. Snow clearing on the corridor, including the path, went well during the January and February storms that came after the study.
The measured results back the path, while the roadside objects drivers had to steer around are what the city is now removing or reshaping.
What People Said
Opinion did not follow the counts. The Newtonville Area Council ran a corridor survey early in 2026 that drew 861 responses, 58 percent of them from West Newton or Newtonville. Forty-five percent favored going back to the old layout, 31 percent wanted the pilot made permanent, and 24 percent wanted it modified. The council's own summary notes that the survey was not a scientific sample and may have been shaped by organized advocacy groups. It also asks why perceptions and measurements differ so much.
Parking and visibility near Trader Joe's in West Newton came up early. In summer 2025, the Charles River Regional Chamber reported that every member comment it had received on the road diet was supportive, citing easier crossings and calmer traffic.
The city has already made smaller fixes in response. Fig City News reported in August 2025 that staff planned to designate the space in front of Trader Joe's for MBTA pickup and drop-off and to remove one nearby parking space so drivers could see better when leaving the lot. A February 2026 staff update listed more changes. They included removing parking spaces near Lowell Avenue and Trader Joe's, adjusting a lane width in West Newton, revising pavement markings and signs, and adding object markers to the planters.
Why the Planters Went First
Mayor Marc Laredo took office in January 2026 and held listening sessions on the corridor. In an April Newton Beacon interview, he said he backed the protected bike lane but objected to other elements of the pilot. He named the large round metal planters in particular, saying he thought they made driving harder.
The mayor's August 20 update turned that view into a decision. It cited two practical problems with the planters:
"the large, rust colored planters that are difficult to see at night and pose logistical problems for plowing and road maintenance."
By October 7, the planters had been moved. The order of events matches the mayor's April comments. The elements he objected to are being reworked, and the path he supported is the piece the city has promised to keep. It also lines up with the Streetsblog detail that two of the three fall 2025 crashes involved roadside objects.
The Calendar From Here
The city will repaint the faded white lane markings this fall to keep the road safe while the review continues. Here is how residents can weigh in:
- Wednesday, October 28, 6 p.m. Community meeting at the Cooper Center, 345 Walnut Street in Newtonville, or on Zoom. The city says it will present "conceptional designs of potential changes" and post a recording on the Washington Street Pilot project page afterward.
- Friday, November 6, 10 to 11 a.m. Drop-in office hours at City Hall, Room 204.
- Thursday, November 12, 6 to 7 p.m. Drop-in office hours on Zoom.
- Wednesday, November 18, 4 to 5 p.m. Drop-in office hours at City Hall, Room 204.
You can also send comments any time to [email protected]. After the fall sessions, the city plans to compile feedback over the winter, adjust some pilot elements in spring 2027, and keep collecting input toward a permanent design. It has not set a date for that final decision. The city has not published the specific concept designs yet, so the October 28 meeting will be the first look at what the reworked lanes might be.
A Second Project Starts a Few Blocks Away
Washington Street will not be the only construction project in Newtonville this winter. The MBTA's accessibility rebuild of Newtonville Station is scheduled to start in November 2026 with site preparation, utility relocation, and retaining walls. Projected completion is June 2029. The finished station will have two accessible high-level platforms, plus elevator and stair connections that include one from the Washington Street sidewalk.
The original plan would have closed the station for more than two and a half years. Under the city's September 17 update, it will stay open except for about three months starting in early summer 2027 and about two months in spring 2029. Fig City News reports that the Walnut Street entrance will be closed during construction. Riders will use the Harvard Street entrance and part of the existing low-level platform instead.
Some newer spots are opening along the corridor too. Moments Cafe at 1284 Washington Street in West Newton held its grand opening on August 7, serving specialty coffee, Japanese matcha, and daily pastries. In Newtonville, the city scheduled the dedication of the public space along Bram Way by 28 Austin Street as the Setti D. Warren Plaza for Newtonville Village Day on September 20. By spring 2027, the corridor will have a reworked road layout and station work underway.
Street design and station access both shape what buyers ask about a West Newton or Newtonville home, and Alison Borrelli follows both closely. If you own near Washington Street and want to know how your home sits in today's market while these changes play out, request your free home value report.
