Comment on Changes to MBTA Bus Routes

This notice came from the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber.

The MBTA is considering a number of changes to bus routes system-wide, including to routes connecting Newton, Needham, Watertown and Dedham.

Some of the T’s Better Bus plan will be seen as beneficial but others could represent a significant loss of service for some. We urge you to review the links below and provide input by March 13 to these proposals before any decisions are finalized.

  • Among the changes that would impact both Newton – as well as Needham – is a reworking of the No. 59 bus route, which travels from Watertown across Newton and on to Needham Junction. This proposal would double the bus frequency on Needham Street but also eliminate the Eliot Street/Lincoln Street part of the route.
  • Another big change would impact riders who take the No. 52 bus from Watertown to Wells Ave, the JCC or the Newton Community Farm because it would eliminate stops on Winchester St. and Nahanton St. as it travels between Watertown and Dedham.
  • The T is also proposing a shorter route for the No. 60 bus from Kenmore Square, which would remove a stop at the Chestnut Hill Mall and terminate at Chestnut Hill Square, instead of Langley Road.
  • Finally, service of 501-504 buses will be changed, resulting in the loss of frequency and mid-day and weekend service. In addition, passengers boarding or exiting at Newton Corner, would be required to navigate the challenging walk over the Mass Pike Bridge because of a plan to eliminate stops on both sides of the circle.

The MBTA is accepting feedback until March 13, 2019 here. 

Published: March 9, 2019 Filed Under: City of Newton Info, Committees, Email, Transportation

Thanks to all who helped at the Ranked Choice Voting forum!

Many thanks to all those who joined us on Wednesday night at the Druker Auditorium (Newton Free Library) to hear about Ranked Choice Voting.  It was an excellent presentation that got us all thinking about how elections can be more fair, efficient, and reflective of the voters’ will.  We hope to have the video of the presentation available for viewing for everyone who couldn’t join us.

Thanks to Adam Friedman, Executive Director of Voter Choice Massachusetts, as well as Jen Otis and the VCM volunteers.  Thanks as well to League members Susan Friedman and Chris Hill for organizing the evening, and to Maureen Reilly Meagher and her team, Barry Mirrer, Miles Smith, Bonnie Carter and Joe Benn, for videotaping the event.

Published: March 8, 2019 Filed Under: Elections, Email, Events, Voters Service

Q: What do affordable housing and civics education have in common?

A:  They are the topics discussed on our most recent TV programs!  Watch them both and learn the basics of affordable housing and the issues that surround the topic, and then hear all about what is happening at the state level on civics education.

Click on the links and watch them anytime:

Affordable Housing 101

Civics Education Trust Fund

Published: March 7, 2019 Filed Under: Email, The League Presents...

THIS WEEK: What in the world is Ranked Choice Voting? March 6th at 7 pm

What in the World Is Ranked Choice Voting?  7 p.m. March 6 at the Druker Auditorium in the Newton Free Library. 

Ever wonder what ‘ranked choice voting’ is?  Now is the time to learn about it!  LWVN is co-sponsoring a presentation by Voter Choice Massachusetts Executive Director Adam Friedman  on ranked choice voting, its benefits and uses elsewhere, including audience participation in a ranked choice vote. You will learn how this nonpartisan form of voting can help ensure (1) majority support of elected officials, (2) elimination of the “spoiler effect,” (3) candidates who appeal to a broad base of voters, (4) a wide range of candidates without fear of vote splitting, and (5) candidates who are motivated to reach beyond their base to find common ground with more voters.  This voting method has recently been enacted in Maine and is already in use in a number of cities across the country.  You will hear about the effort to get ranked choice voting approved for all Massachusetts primaries and elections for all state offices. 

Sponsored by the Newton Free Library and co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Newton.  

Published: March 3, 2019 Filed Under: Elections, Email, Events, Public Forums, Voters Service

Barbara Berenson on ‘Votes for Women: Massachusetts in the Women’s Suffrage Movement’ in Westford on March 7th

If you missed Barbara Berenson’s terrific talk at LWVMA’s conference last spring, here’s another chance to learn about the crucial role Massachusetts women played in the suffrage movement. With support from the Westford League, she’s speaking Thursday, March 7th,  at 7pm the J.V. Fletcher Library in Westford. 

Massachusetts was at the center of the national struggle for women’s rights. Long before the Civil War, Lucy Stone and other Mass. abolitionists launched the organized movement at the first National Woman’s Rights Convention, held in Worcester. After the war, state activists founded the Boston-based American Woman Suffrage Association and Woman’s Journal to lead campaigns across the country. Their activities laid the foundation for the next generation of suffragists to triumph over tradition. Author Barbara Berenson will discuss her book, which gives these revolutionary reformers the attention they deserve. 

FREE! Ages 14 and up. Register online or call Information Services at 978-399-2304, though walk-ins are welcome.

Published: March 3, 2019 Filed Under: Email, Events, Other Leagues

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