Envision Needham Center

The two-lane plans can dramatically help Needham push to be more sustainable and reach its climate change goals. Nationally, and locally, transportation causes 38% of all carbon emissions; this includes personal vehicles. Unfortunately, that’s not all the concern: pollution from vehicle tires is now seen as the most dangerous transportation-related pollutant for human health ¹.

mass.gov

What’s the endgame here? If we want our town to be more environmentally friendly, we need to push for environmentally friendly solutions. In the case of Envision Needham Center, this means reducing car trips through downtown. To be an environmentally forward community, we need a paradigm shift when it comes to how we move ourselves.

By reducing the number of lanes to 2 (1 travel lane each way), it will push through-drivers back onto the highway. (Read more about this in our long-distance section.) Locally, this will encourage some residents to walk and ride downtown, causing a reduction in traffic and emissions. A smaller roadway will cause drivers to slow down, which will mean lower emissions from engines and tires, as lower speeds have been shown to reduce emissions ². Finally, downtown Needham is in the process of improving traffic light coordination, which will help cars move through downtown more efficiently.

As the number of lanes and parking spaces increases, the number of people driving increases. The opposite is true; as the number of lanes decreases, the number of vehicles on the road also decreases, a phenomenon known as reduced demand. Commuter traffic will find easier routes (staying on 128/I90) to get to their destination, freeing up space for Needham residents. For downtown Needham, this would look like fewer long-distance commuters, and as a result, more people walking and biking downtown. In essence, fewer cars but the same number of people ³. A decrease in car infrastructure is the right climate choice for Needham.

Finally, Needham has the chance to add greenery and trees with this project, which will benefit air quality, mental health, and help to reduce the urban heat island effect. This is a phenomenon where town centers are significantly warmer than surrounding areas due to a lack of vegetation and excess concrete structures, causing increased temperatures. Planting more trees and vegetation downtown will help reduce this effect ⁴.

The Effect of Rapid Urbanization

To be a healthy and environmentally forward community, we must advocate for infrastructure changes that embody that vision.

Safety is the paramount reason to support this project. Envision Needham Center offers many safety improvements that WILL save lives. It’s not a matter of how, but a matter of when. When will there be another fatality in Needham Center? We want that answer to be never, but without major safety improvements, that won’t be possible.

Speed is the most critical element when discussing roadway safety. Although shorter crosswalk lengths, slip lane removal, and other initiatives offer safety improvements, too. Slower speeds mean increased safety for not just pedestrians but also for drivers. A 20 MPH speed limit is the gold standard in areas of high pedestrian traffic. During a collision with a pedestrian at 20 MPH, there is an 8% chance of a fatality, whereas at 40 MPH, that rises to 46% ⁵. This is why ensuring that cars retain civil speeds is so important.

Vision Zero Network

How do we ensure drivers retain a speed of 20 MPH? Simply, roadways must be narrowed and passing prohibited. Speed limit signs are not enough! Everyone tends to push the speed limit occasionally, which can prove disastrous in a town center setting. Yet, roadways can be designed such that drivers will instinctively slow down; the more uncomfortable drivers are at higher speeds, the slower they tend to drive. Examples of this type of infrastructure include narrower lanes, chicanes (curves in the roadway), raised crosswalks, and trees and vegetation ⁶. We all know speed bumps, but they are used as a band-aid when roadway work can be less obstructive.

Strong Towns

Secondly, removing the option for cars to pass will increase safety. At present, cars can cut in and out of lanes, especially at intersections, which means cars can travel faster, can turn into traffic blindly, and can create the “double threat” ⁷. The “double threat” is when one car stops to let a pedestrian cross, and a car in the next lane (same direction) can’t see them, and hits them ⁸. Removing areas for passing will greatly increase safety for everyone in downtown Needham.

The “Double Threat”

Third, removing the slip lane is vital to the safety of this project. The slip lane in Needham Center is a blind turn, meaning the cars cannot see who may be there before it’s too late to stop a pedestrian or rear-end collision ⁹. The slip lane also increases the length of the pedestrian crossing, which has an insignificant impact on traffic, yet an outsized impact on pedestrian safety. Removing it is a safety no-brainer.

Finally, other improvements, including limited crosswalk lengths, daylighting, curb bump-outs, and sidewalk width increases, can improve pedestrian safety as well.

Regarding vehicle-on-vehicle collision mitigation, this project identifies, decreases, or removes every risk. On Great Plain Ave, 32% of all crashes have been side swipes, which is unique to roadways with 2+ lanes in each direction. There are countless rear-end collisions that happen on this roadway, as well, and slowing down traffic will limit the severity of these collisions.

With all these improvements, Needham can push for a true “Vision Zero” solution, a global standard Scandinavian street safety system. The goal of this vision would be to eliminate traffic-related deaths, which can be accomplished with the aforementioned policy and infrastructure changes.

Parking is a significant issue downtown, and it deserves careful attention. Businesses rely on customers being able to reach them easily, and many visitors need parking directly in front of or very close to the shops they frequent. Businesses on Great Plain Ave also depend on daytime deliveries, which require reliable loading access. At the same time, residents and shop owners frequently express a common concern: “There isn’t enough parking!”

In reality, downtown parking comes from two main sources, on-street spaces and the two nearby municipal lots that many visitors already use before walking to their destinations. Understanding how people use these options helps frame the real question: how can the parking system work better for everyone?

Our aim is to maintain as much existing parking on Great Plain Ave as possible while still making room for other important improvements. Ensuring that accessible (ADA) parking and delivery loading zones are included in the final plan is essential, and we believe these accommodations offer a reasonable and balanced path forward.

Although many people feel that Needham lacks parking, the evidence says otherwise. A 2023 town study found that Needham consistently has a substantial amount of unused parking throughout the day ¹⁰. The challenge, then, is not the total number of spaces, but why the experience of parking often feels more difficult than the data suggests.

Needham Parking Study, Page 18

Much of the feeling that “there isn’t enough parking” comes down to psychology. When we can’t immediately see our destination or when the walk feels longer than we expected, frustration sets in. Think about visiting a large big-box store: you might park in the farthest section of the lot and feel perfectly fine walking in. Yet a shorter walk in a downtown setting can feel inconvenient or irritating ¹¹. The same applies when parking in Needham; maybe you circle the block or end up in a lot a bit farther away. In the end, though, you still find a spot and go about your day. While this experience can be annoying, we don’t see it as a fundamental problem ¹².

That said, we recognize that improvements can always be made. There are many ways to increase parking turnover and ensure long-term parking works smoothly alongside short-term needs. These strategies are worth exploring, and we support efforts that move the town toward long-term, sustainable solutions ¹³. As the project moves forward, we believe it should minimize unnecessary changes to existing parking wherever possible.

Strategic placement of accessible (ADA) parking and loading zones can address most remaining concerns. ADA spaces on each block are an obvious and necessary step. Adding a few dedicated loading zones would prevent delivery trucks from blocking travel lanes and improve traffic flow. We are actively urging the working group and consultants to prioritize these fixes.

Parking will always be important, and at times, challenging, but with this balanced approach, we believe it’s possible to meet the needs of businesses, residents, and visitors. This is the parking framework we are advocating for moving forward.

How will street construction and roadway changes affect local businesses? We share the same concerns as everyone else. While we’ve already discussed parking, it’s important to acknowledge how construction and the redesign itself may impact businesses.

When the project reaches the construction phase, mitigation must be handled thoughtfully and with direct input from both businesses and the community. We are actively advocating for this. At this point, night construction is planned, which will help keep the road as open as possible and reduce daytime disruptions. Even so, construction is always challenging for businesses, and the community will need to support them throughout the process, no matter which design alternative is ultimately selected.

As for the long-term effects, research shows that street redesigns like this can actually boost business activity and revenue (see the Examples from Similar Projects section) ^{14 15}. Slower, safer traffic transforms downtown from a pass-through corridor into a destination. Wider sidewalks make walking more comfortable, encouraging more foot traffic. If bike lanes are added, studies show they can increase small business revenue, as cyclists tend to visit more often and spend more overall ¹⁶. More community spaces will encourage people to linger, explore, and visit multiple shops. Additional green space can also make the area cooler and more inviting in the summer, improving the overall shopping experience.

What about through traffic and long-distance commuters? A two-lane (one lane in each direction) configuration will likely reduce the number of these drivers. While research on revenue impacts is limited, existing studies suggest that when bypass routes are built, local businesses often see little to no negative effect ¹⁷. One Florida shop owner remarked that a nearby bypass had “no” impact on business ¹⁸. Although this situation isn’t identical to Needham’s, it demonstrates that a reduction in through traffic doesn’t necessarily harm local commerce, especially in areas surrounded by active, supportive neighboring communities. The town is currently researching how many long-distance travelers actually stop and shop downtown, and the other planned roadway improvements will help business activity.

If this project is implemented thoughtfully, it has the potential to bring more shoppers to downtown Needham. That is the outcome we are advocating for.

Needham is a car-centric town, designed primarily for vehicles to move quickly through it. But it hasn’t always been this way, and it doesn’t have to remain so.

Via Wicked Local

Although data shows that downtown Needham experiences relatively light traffic, many residents still describe it as congested. This raises an important question: how can both be true?

Great Plain Ave carries about 600 vehicles per direction during the peak commuting hour, and around 350 per direction during most other hours. For comparison, Highland Ave downtown handles roughly 1,400 vehicles per direction during its peak hour, more than double Great Plain’s volume, and it functions with a single lane in each direction ^{19 20}. In fact, a downtown roadway like this can handle approximately 1,600 vehicles per hour per lane ²¹. By that standard, Great Plain Ave could see nearly double its current traffic without backups forming. Put simply, traffic volumes would have to increase by more than 100% before a second lane would be warranted under normal engineering guidelines ^{21 22}.

Image from Apex

So why does downtown still feel congested? The experience of driving explains a lot. Traffic moves freely as you approach downtown—say, driving up from Webster Ave—until you reach the cluster of traffic signals at the center. Regardless of the time of day, those lights cause vehicles to stop. For most of the day, cars move with each light cycle and then clear out again, but the brief stop creates a perception of congestion. People tend to overestimate the time they spend waiting compared to the time they spend in motion, which makes the area feel busier than it is.

Under the proposed changes, travel through downtown will feel very similar to what drivers experience today, except during the peak commute. Shoppers and visitors will see little to no change in travel time. Morning commuters heading west may see some delay—approximately 2.5 minutes in the worst-case scenario, according to consultant estimates ¹⁹. Drivers will be able to plan for this once the project is implemented, and actual travel times may be slightly more or less depending on conditions. Importantly, the research shows that these changes do not push drivers onto side streets; neither this project nor comparable past projects produce that outcome ^{19 23}.

Some people point to negative stories about “road diets,” but these cases almost always occur on high-capacity roads carrying more than 25,000 vehicles per day ²⁴. Great Plain Ave sees roughly 11,000 per day—far below that threshold ^{19 20}. On roads with fewer than 25,000 daily trips, road diets have consistently proven successful (see Examples from Similar Projects) ¹⁵.

It’s also worth noting that the town is currently adjusting traffic signal timing on Great Plain Ave, separate from the ENC project. The goal is to allow cars to move more smoothly through downtown by coordinating green lights. Combined with the ENC’s traffic-calming measures, these changes are expected to produce slower speeds and quicker overall travel for Needham residents. Together, they represent a net improvement: reduced cut-through traffic from long-distance drivers and better flow for the people who live and shop here.

A significant share of vehicles passing through Needham Center are simply using it as a commuting shortcut. These drivers do not contribute to the local economy, yet they increase pollution, wear on infrastructure, and overall costs to the town. In fact, 28% of all drivers traveling through downtown are commuting more than 32 miles ¹⁹.

Image from Apex

Some businesses believe that allowing more through traffic will bring in additional customers. The town is currently investigating whether this is true for Needham specifically, but research generally shows that this type of pass-through traffic does not increase local economic activity (see the Business Section) ^{17 18}.

For these reasons, we believe that the amount of commuter traffic moving through downtown should be reduced. But how can this be achieved? Many drivers use Great Plain Ave as a shortcut for Routes 128 and I-90 if it shaves off a few minutes of travel time. By making Needham Center less car-focused, these drivers are more likely to stay on the highways instead. This is partly a matter of psychology: if travel speeds are lower and the route feels slower, drivers naturally avoid it. People tend to follow whichever route is fastest, either through habit or through GPS.

Both of the two-lane (one lane per direction) design options increase rush hour travel time by only a few minutes and reduce speeds, which discourages commuter cut-through traffic ¹⁹. For information about the effects at other times of day, see our Traffic section.

Let’s build a Needham designed for Needham residents, not for through-commuters.

Large-scale infrastructure projects are expensive, and this one is no exception. The estimated cost is between $12 and $15 million ²⁵. So what does that mean, who pays, and is it worth the investment?

A major portion of the project cost is essentially a sunk cost. As noted earlier, the town must replace the drainage system beneath Great Plain Ave ²⁶. That work alone requires digging up most of the street. In addition, federal and state regulations require that when a roadway is rebuilt, it must be brought up to current ADA standards. Meeting these requirements, without adding any improvements, would cost the town roughly $12 million. In other words, the majority of the expense is unavoidable and would be required regardless of which street design is selected. The additional improvements included in the two-lane (one lane per direction) alternatives, wider sidewalks, added vegetation, benches, and other streetscape enhancements, account for about $3 million of the total cost. For a project of this scale, those upgrades are relatively inexpensive. Completing them at the same time as the drainage reconstruction is cost-efficient because the town avoids paying for additional construction mobilization, design work, permitting, and road closures in the future.

As for funding, the picture is still evolving, but one thing is clear: Needham residents and businesses will not face tax increases or direct charges to cover this project. Funding is expected to come from three main sources: the federal government, the state government, and Chapter 90 funds. Given the current federal funding climate, federal contributions are unlikely for any of the design alternatives. However, the state offers several grant programs, such as the Complete Streets grant, that could support the project with about $1 million per year. Depending on competitiveness, the two-lane alternatives may actually strengthen Needham’s chances of receiving these funds.

Additionally, the town already holds money in its Chapter 90 account, and this fund continues to receive about $1 million annually from the state ²⁵. These combined sources should be sufficient to cover the project without burdening taxpayers.

While projects like this are expensive, they also have the potential to generate long-term economic benefits for both the town and local businesses ^{15 16 17}. Choosing the lowest-cost option up front may ultimately be the least beneficial choice over time. (See the Examples from Similar Projects section for more details.)