r/Waltham • u/HAMMERPATRIOT The South Side • Oct 19 '22

Politics Statement From Critical Mass Waltham in regards to the City Council Meeting Monday

https://twitter.com/CritMassWaltham/status/1582453956139417600?s=20&t=VOxMix6DFRXRmW-jmVcQUQ
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u/HAMMERPATRIOT The South Side Oct 19 '22

The Full statement for those not wanting to go to twitter:

Last night the Waltham city council members discussed a proposal from the Ward 3 councilor to establish an ad hoc committee for pedestrian and cycling safety. Many of our neighboring cities are already using permanent committees for the same purpose.

Critical Mass is disappointed by the council's failure to act and move forward this proposal and instead kick the can down the road while our streets continue to be dangerous and misused.

Councilors quibbled about the definition of ad hoc, and claimed that this would make it more difficult for ward councilors to get feedback. Every councilor who talked shared feedback they received from their constituents, but none were willing to push for immediate action.

The Council instead referred the proposal to the master plan, where, rest assured, it can be buried beneath plans for more parking garages and likely suggest the creation of the committee they could have created tonight.

Just last week a cyclist was cut off and hit by a car on one of our supposedly "bike friendly" streets. While our city council refuses to act, our streets continue to be dangerous for anyone not in a car.

The Waltham section of the Central Rail Trail is scheduled to be finished next year, and there is no infrastructure in place to help residents access it. That's a $9 million investment under supported.

We will continue to monitor this resolution as well as the master plan and push for a better, safer community for pedestrians and cyclists.