Improving Transportation Resources

At last Thursday's transportation-focused Mayoral forum Alderman Ken Parker proposed detailed and innovative ideas for improving Newton's transportation resources.  If you were not able to attend the event, hosted by Bike Newton, please click here to watch the forum on-line.

During the forum Ken outlined a vision to improve pedestrian and bicycle access while reducing vehicle traffic and pollution.  A summary is below.  If you have any thoughts or ideas you would like to share, please let us know.

More Biking

• Develop a comprehensive, city-wide three-tier bicycle accommodation plan;
• Increase the number of available bike racks;
• Create incentives to encourage bike use by city and private employees
• Establish clearly-marked, safe bike lanes on key routes throughout the city.

Less Traffic

• Support a new Green Line spur to Needham;
• Extend electric trolleybus service from Cambridge and Watertown to commuter rail stops in Newton;
• Work with the state to expand Commuter Rail service to Riverside and Newton Corner;
• Upgrade intersections to include traffic sensors and light controls which reduce congestion.

Safer Streets & Sidewalks

• Implement a comprehensive preventative maintenance plan for streets and sidewalks;
• Develop design guidelines for walkable, environmentally-sound streetscapes;
• Implement traffic-calming techniques to improve traffic flow and reduce vehicle speeds;
• Improve pedestrian safety through clearly marked, numerous crosswalks.

Better Planning

• Create a system of scenic and commuting bike routes to connect villages and increase safety;
• Integrate consideration of impacts on cyclists and pedestrians into planning processes;
• Improve and expand public education regarding bicycle and pedestrian issues;
• Work with the Department of Public Works to keep sidewalks clear year-round.

If you would like to share this information with friends or family members who are interested in transportation policy, please feel free to print out the Campaign's transportation flier or direct them to the transportation section of A Blueprint for Newton's Future.

An Artful Opening of our Headquarters

A Parker for Mayor volunteer makes some final preparations before the celebration.The Parker for Mayor Campaign team would like to extend an enthusiastic 'thank you' to everyone who participated in the grand opening of our Campaign HQ on Tuesday night. It was a wonderful evening made possible by and for the people of Newton.

The HQ is a beautiful building, located right in the heart of Piccadilly Square (1280 Centre Street). Guests walking in on Tuesday were greeted in the foyer by several pieces of beautiful art, generously on loan from local Newton artists. Like our campaign, the headquarters is a place for Newton residents’ ideas to shine. We were very pleased to support the Newton artists’ community by making our wall space available for their creative works.

Guests mix, mingle and enjoy the locally-made art workOnce the ribbon was cut on the door the rest of the HQ was unveiled: a huge reception room with more local art, comfortable furniture, and the centerpiece of the room: the IdeaDesk, a corporeal version of the IdeaBlog, where visitors can highlight their ideas and express their thoughts about the future of our wonderful community.

Guests were treated to sparkling cider, snacks, heartfelt words from their friends and neighbors, and a promise from Alderman Parker himself that Tuesday night marked a beginning: from here on out, it's full steam ahead.

Now that the HQ is officially open, please feel free to stop by whenever you have the time to see it for yourself, meet our staff, and lend a hand to our efforParker staff being filmed by a NewTV News Reporter while working at the IdeaDeskt to control costs and improve services for the long-term health of our city.

For more pictures of the opening, please click here. 

Our special thanks to Newton artists Nancy Alimansky, Rick Bern, Elizabeth Bernhardt, Elizabeth Carter, Jocelyn Chemel, Marcia Cooper, Lynda Goldberg, Ruth Kates, Mitch Lyons, and Gene Mackles for displaying their beautiful art at our headquarters.

~Paul Jones, Deputy Campaign Manager

Parker Maintains Leadership Position on City Finances

Alderman Parker at March Temple Reyim Candidate ForumAt a NewtonTAB/NewTV-sponsored candidates' forum today Alderman Ken Parker maintained a leadership role on city finances, offering tangible, substantive solutions for addressing the city's challenges.

“We need to be honest with people, without a wage freeze there will be significant cuts in services and layoffs,” said Parker during the debate. 

According to the TAB, none of the other candidates for mayor support this cost-saving measure which will prevent layoffs in Newton's Public Schools.  The current administration has come out in favor of a wage freeze as a means to protect class sizes and preserve jobs during these difficult financial times.

The Newton TAB writes:

At a candidates' forum Friday, only one of Newton’s mayoral candidates came out in full support of a proposed cost-of-living freeze for teachers, while the other three suggested that savings could be found elsewhere if an agreement could not be reached.

For full coverage of the debate, please click here.  The Newton TAB and NewTV will offer video of the debate soon on the web.  On NewTV the debate can be seen starting Saturday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m. on the Red Channel and Thursday, April 2 at 6:30 on the Blue Channel.

Ken Parker Outlines a Clear Vision for Newton Schools

Ken Parker outlined a clear path forward today for improving public education in Newton.  In a Newton TAB column, Alderman Parker offered a positive vision focused on academic excellence, an improved learning environment and management reform as the way to make our schools once again among the best in the nation.

We face significant challenges, but I believe that by acknowledging problems and confronting them head on, we can overcome them. Newton residents care deeply about our public schools and I am confident that at the end of four years of a Parker administration, the Newton Public Schools will once again be recognized as being among the best in the nation.

For the full column, please click here and let us know your thoughts.