Waltham City Hall in Waltham, Massachusetts

Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (file photo of the area, not of the events described)

Waltham Surveys Trapelo Road Residents on New Bus Service

Waltham is surveying Trapelo Road residents on a North Waltham bus link; the council also approved a $462,755 police station design loan.

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By Jenna Caldwell, The Boston Report

WALTHAM — Waltham is surveying residents along Trapelo Road to see whether there is enough demand for bus service between Waverley Station and Lexington Street, Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy told city councilors this month, according to the Waltham Times.

The City Council also approved a $462,755 loan to design part of the new police station and acted on a long list of grants, licenses and ordinances, the Times reported on Oct. 20.

A bus for North Waltham

McCarthy introduced the idea at the council’s Economic and Community Development Committee. The city’s Planning Department is looking at ways to extend service along the MBTA’s Route 73 corridor so it reaches North Waltham neighborhoods on Trapelo Road.

The Planning Department mailed an initial survey to residents who live on Trapelo Road along the possible route. McCarthy said responses are due by the end of October and that the department has already seen a high response rate. Once the results are sorted, she said she will return to the council to discuss next steps.

Councilor-at-Large Tim King has pushed to expand bus service into North Waltham since April, the Times reported. King said the MBTA has told him its data does not show enough ridership to justify extending Route 73. The MBTA does offer grants to help communities run local “last mile” bus extensions.

If the survey shows enough interest, McCarthy said the city is considering a partnership with the 128 Business Council to run a shuttle on Trapelo Road. She said the city could also run such a service itself. She pointed to past programs, such as the Tick-Tock Trolley, which struggled with low ridership.

Councilors asked that the study include park attendance data from the Parks and Recreation Department. McCarthy also agreed to make sure the survey reaches employees at the Meadow Green Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

Police station design loan

Through its Long-Term Debt and Capital Planning Committee, the council approved a $462,755 loan to design the fire administration wing of the city’s new police station.

Moody Street hotel easement

The owner of the Embassy Parking Lot at 220 Moody St. has asked for an easement to build a cantilevered second floor for a hotel and event space. McCarthy sent the council a letter opposing the easement. The Ordinances and Rules Committee forwarded her letter to the Law Department for review.

Grants, licenses and other votes

According to the Times, the council also:

  • Accepted $9,000 in additional grant funding to install electric vehicle chargers around the city.
  • Accepted a $52,152 federal grant for the Waltham Police Department’s traffic enforcement, safety equipment, training and outreach.
  • Approved a $120,000 pickup truck with plow, sander and salt spreader for the Cemetery Department, which gets most of its maintenance money from burial-rights fees.
  • Gave preliminary approval to higher daily stipends for poll workers, wardens, clerks, inspectors and city staff who work elections, pending Law Department review.
  • Asked the city solicitor, the public works director and the mayor to attend committee meetings in two weeks to discuss new rules on leaf blowing and snow removal.
  • Sent a fast-food permit for a new Sweetgreen on Tower Road to the Law Department.
  • Approved Richard Pizzi Jr. and Marcia MacClary as new members of the Council on Aging.
  • Renewed a 24-hour license for the CVS at 12 Harvard St.

National Grid road work

The council gave preliminary approval to a National Grid construction project on Second Avenue, on the condition that the company fixes any damage to its road patching caused by winter weather. Work at the intersection of Prospect and Vernon streets was also approved and will likely not be finished until spring.

The Times noted that committee members did not mention a recent council letter telling National Grid it must outline its planned utility work for the next two years before councilors approve further projects.

What’s next

The Trapelo Road survey closes at the end of October. Leaf-blower and snow-removal ordinance discussions are expected in committee in early November.

For more Waltham coverage, see our Waltham local news and city guide and the Local Towns hub.

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