Is there widespread, documented support from residents for this radical and costly project?

Not Our Vision

Thank you for visiting our page. We are business owners and concerned citizens dedicated to sharing knowledge about the proposed traffic changes in Needham, advocating for the safety of everyone downtown, and raising awareness of the challenges of the proposal.

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Our community's input is invaluable. Your perspective is critical as a business owner, property owner, resident and customer. As the town refines their plans and ultimately chooses one, it's important they hear from you.

Here's what you can do:
Please write to your Select Board, Town Meeting Members and DPW

(selectboard@needhamma.gov ; additional contact info below)

Envision Needham Proposal

The pilot project originally planned to remove lanes on Great Plain Avenue, limiting it to one lane in either direction, remove parking spots, and add bike lanes. It would have served a small minority of the Needham community and increased risk for many others.

After many expressed discontent, Envision proposed three new alternatives on September 10th, two of which reduce traffic to one lane in either direction and one which mirrors the current design of Great Plain Ave with modest adjustments. Planners stated bike lanes and reduced parking may be added to the plans at any time.

Envision Needham cites lack of accessibility and bike accommodations, vehicular safety, insufficient public shade and a desire to encourage alternative travel modes of transportation as motivators for the project.

Envision Needham Website

View Envision Meetings and Presentations

Our View

We support improving SAFETY, accessibility, drainage, lighting, sidewalks (with landscaping), and crosswalks to address key community needs WHILE minimizing negative impacts on traffic flow, business visibility, and parking. These solutions also represent a fiscally responsible approach for the town.

We do not support:

Eliminating travel lanes
Eliminating parking spaces
Reducing visibility of businesses and store front parking
Increasing delivery challenges
Redirecting traffic to side streets where families live
Creating challenges for emergency vehicles downtown
Increasing parking difficulties for seniors
Spending $10-20 million on the project
Adjusting parking and adding bike lanes in future scenarios (a road diet and bike lanes are no longer required for the $320,000 in grant funds, but they can be added at any time)
Unnecessary taxpayer expense

THOUGHTS from local businesses and residents:

Needham is a suburban town (not Boston or Cambridge) and is vehicle-centric
"Regional traffic” is desirable for merchants and not to be discouraged
More difficult to traverse center = more driver frustration = more poor decisions (safety) = eventual erosion of customers
Reduced business customers = increased failures = lower property values = lower tax revenues
Snow removal / piles already a challenge in winter, which will be exacerbated with proposed changes
Many business receive deliveries downtown. One manufacturing business has 15 daily deliveries with trucks double parked over 1½ hours total every day
30 daily train crossings in Needham which average 4-6 minutes with two lanes currently. Reducing to one lane will increase time and aggravation

FINANCIAL ISSUES

Trying to use $320,000 state money and $80,000 town money cannot be justified against the much larger project risks
Sunk cost fallacy – write off the $80,000 the town already spent and do not put more good money after bad

OTHER

Bike lanes may be nice in theory but are impractical for shopping needs, transporting children to activities, and increasing customer traffic to downtown businesses
Unaware of major drainage issues in town that need to be addressed

Our Proposal:

Implement elements in a more fiscally responsible manner

There are many ways to improve safety, enhance beauty, address compliance and perform required maintenance in more fiscally responsible ways. These include:

Install speed humps and better lighting at the crosswalks at Pickering and GPA and at Maple and GPA
Adjust the walk signal times 5 seconds longer so people don't have to rush across the street
Sync the signals to the trains
Install speed limit/go slow signs as you enter the Center from both sides at Pickering and Maple
Add police presence in the Center
Widen the sidewalks where it's appropriate
Repair sidewalks that have been in disrepair for years
Beautify the center with planters and trees where appropriate
Add bike racks around the center for cyclists to use when they are coming to the center
Add more tables and chairs on the Common and at Greene's Field to encourage more outdoor dining
Add more umbrellas and/or shade on the Common and at Greene's Field
Host more festivals and parties on the Common spaces and invite businesses to join in

KEY QUESTIONS

There was a serious crash in Needham resulting in a death in 2007.

We wholeheartedly believe that one death is too many in town, but we have to ask why has it taken until now, 18 years later, to address the safety problem? In 2017, the town redesigned crosswalks and traffic lights; why weren't changes to improve safety made then? And why are we now redoing the town center again 8 years later?

They want to use 'proven measures' to calm traffic.

Will reducing traffic lanes calm traffic? Or will it aggravate it? How will cars go around double-parked delivery vehicles? How will emergency vehicles go through?

They will improve parking by retaining 'appropriate' spots and increasing signage to public parking.

Parking is already strained in downtown Needham. Parents need to double-park to pick up children or park in unauthorized lots to run errands. Elderly and handicapped people frequent Needham center and need nearby parking spots.

Timeline3

Project Timeline and Updates

April 8

Someone posted on the Needham MA Facebook page about Envision and how a pilot to change Great Plain Avenue would begin after July 4th.

April 10

Three business owners requested a meeting with Kevin Keane, Member of the Select Board, after becoming aware of the project only through the Facebook post. Word spread and 35+ business and property owners showed up. When asked about the goal of Envision, we were told it was to make bikes primary and cars secondary in Needham Center. The Needham Business Representative falsely claimed emails were sent to all businesses and property owners notifying them of the project.

May 1

Two meetings were held (morning and evening) for business and property owners with 3 people from the DPW. 60+ people showed up in the morning and 35+ showed up in the evening. Not one person was for the project and everyone who works in the downtown area said they rarely, if ever, see anyone on bikes. The meetings were not recorded, which would have been helpful for the public to hear business concerns.

May 6

Road Diet pilot project paused for six months after the advocacy of concerned citizens and businesses.

May 13

Select Board meeting public hearing where 300 people showed up in person and 85 on Zoom. 78% of the attendees voiced strong concerns about the initial Envision plan.

Next Steps

What can YOU do?

SEPTEMBER

3 new plans were presented to the working group and Select Board in September

View Plans

OCTOBER

All 3 plans will be presented to the public for review and discussion

Blue Plan is a minimal plan where 4 lanes of traffic will remain
Yellow Plan is a 2 lane plan
White Plan is a 2 lane plan with a pocket lane for turning

Although plans do not mention bike lanes at the moment, planners have stated bike lanes and adjusted parking can be added in to the plans at any time

DECEMBER

The Select Board will decide and move forward with one plan

Write to your Select Board, Town Meeting Members and DPW.

selectboard@needhamma.gov

lmiller@needhamma.gov Louise Miller, Town Clerk

clustig@needhamma.gov Carys Lustig, Spokesperson for DPW

hfrail@needhamma.gov Heidi Frail, Chair of Select Board

kking@needhamma.gov Katie King, Town Manager

Sample letter to edit:

Dear Envision Committee and Members of the Select Board:

I am writing to express my concern about the Envision Needham project. I am concerned about [ the reduction of the traffic flow in the two lane proposals, the removal of the turning lanes, reducing much-needed parking downtown, redirecting traffic to side streets, emergency and delivery vehicle navigation, high cost of the project, adding bike lanes downtown, etc.] I hope you actively engage the community and listen to their interests before moving forward with any plans.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Thoughts from Concerned Residents and Businesses

Streets surrounding Great Plain Avenue will be negatively affected, as traffic will be redirected to side streets. This change will put families at risk, making their streets busier and more congested. Additional bike lanes are being suggested at Highland Ave from Rosemary St. to Great Plain Ave, Great Plain Ave at Hersey to Harris Ave, and Harris Ave to Dedham Ave. Some parking along these roadways will be removed.

Video of Select Board Public Hearing about Envision Project

Click below to read letters to the town from residents and businesses

Letters from Residents and Businesses.pdf

West Roxbury traffic after installing bike lanes

West Roxbury overturned car

Boston Magazine July 2025

Other Thoughts

The controversial "Road Diet" was enacted in West Roxbury, which reduced travel lanes and added bike lanes. Residents noted the lack of bikers using the new lanes, business sales decreased significantly, parking difficulties increased, and traffic on side streets increased.

Boston Magazine published an article chronicling the challenges of bike lanes in Boston.

Boston Herald noted how small businesses in Boston are negatively affected by bike lanes.

Residents are frustrated in West Newton about the Washington Street Pilot.

NextDoor post after Newton bike lane installation

Boston Magazine July 2025

About Anchor

About Us

We are business owners, citizens, and concerned out of town residents who believe in a much safer, more accessible downtown. We support positive change, especially and most importantly when it ensures and improves public safety and provides more accessibility for the community. However, some elements of the Envision Needham Center project’s plans would be detrimental to downtown Needham and the surrounding neighborhoods. We are advocating for a different vision for downtown Needham.

If you have thoughts about the project and the current plans, please email the Select Board (selectboard@needhamma.gov) to voice your opinion.

Not Our Vision aims to inspire and involve community members for a safer, more accessible and vibrant downtown Needham. The town has taken a more collaborative and transparent approach to Envision Needham Center. However, we find some of the suggested changes problematic for the community and the heart of our downtown. We want to make sure that their approach to shaping the future of downtown Needham continues with smart, thoughtful and fiscally responsible elements and takes into consideration the ideas, thoughts and concerns of the community. Together, we are hopeful that we can build a better vision for Needham.

Caren and Stu Carpenter - Copley Motorcars

Katie and Mike Klein - Katie Klein Orthodontics

Artie Tzouros - Needham House of Pizza

Diana Sepulvida - Cook Restaurant

Daren Lechner - Pure Vida

Danny Seti - Bagel's Best

Cindy and Louis Wolfson - Wolfson Real Estate Management LLC

Julie and Avi Ben-David - Needham Florist

Cinzia Osgood and Carol DiCarlo - Salon DiCarlo

Betsy Heffernen - Property owner

Jeff and Gary Katz - AJ Realty Trust

Vita Needle Co.

Gary Graham - Needham Garden and Hardware

Paul Sahagian - Learning Express

Diana S. - Cook Restaurant

Gary Simon - Copley Investments - Property owner

Tom Bartzokis - ATB Realty - Property Owner

Michael Campanella - PEX Health & Fitness

Peter Katsikaris - K7C Realty Trust and P&P Realty Trust

Al Turco - Crosby Jewelers

Tina and Jim Depritzio - Depritzio Hair Salon

Nancy Shulman - Black Sheep Knitting

Lovely Nails

Sullivan & Co.

Dana Thomases - Beauty Muse

Erica DeMarco - W.O.W.

Stuart Rothman – First Cambridge Realty Corp.

Jay Derenzo – Jay Derenzo Properties

Gary Lesanto – Lesanto Fine Homes

Residents, such as the authors of the above letters

Note: This is not an exhaustive list and may be updated as needed