City to meet with neighbors over new park’s traffic woes

Waltham’s senior traffic engineer will meet with neighbors of the newly opened park at 200 Trapelo Road following numerous traffic-related complaints.

The Traffic Commission at its meeting Thursday said Michael Garvin, the city’s senior traffic engineer, will schedule a time to meet with park neighbors within two weeks to discuss potential solutions to the parking problems. The commission did not set a specific date.

Traffic problems at the new park arose as soon as it opened late in May. Parking spots at the park filled quickly, creating gridlock in the area and prompting some visitors to park illegally.

At Thursday’s Traffic Commission meeting, Ward 3 Councilor Bill Hanley explained that the park’s popularity has grown rapidly since its opening due to exposure on social media. 

In response, the city’s Recreation Department instituted new rules for the park in an attempt to limit the number of visitors and to eliminate illegal parking on surrounding streets.

Despite the recent parking ban for nonresidents, Hanley told the commission that illegal parking is still a problem in the area, particularly along Oakledge and Chase roads.

Waltham Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy said the illegal parking has created safety issues, as firetrucks are unable to travel down Chase Road when cars are parked on both sides of the street.

In other news, the commission

• Approved the installation of a yellow warning sign under the stop sign at the intersection of Oak and Cedar streets, informing drivers that cross traffic does not stop.
• Directed Garvin to conduct a study on whether a loading zone on Moody Street north of Maple Street is still necessary. Ward 8 Councilor Cathyann Harris said businesses in the area have told her that the loading zone is not used as heavily as when it was first installed.
• Approved a design for curb extensions to ease traffic on Lowell Street.
• Approved the YMCA’s Pumpkin Dash 5K Road Race on Oct. 18, 2025.
• Approved the REACH Beyond Domestic Violence Walk on Oct. 4, 2025.
• Approved a proposal for traffic improvements, including a new traffic signal on Second Avenue, in the area of Costco at 71 Second Ave.
• Accepted a traffic study conducted by engineering firm VHB on the potential impacts of replacing the service bays at the Shell on 962 Main St. with an expanded convenience store. 
• Accepted a proposal by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to repair water mains running through the city. According to an MWRA spokesperson, the pipes were installed in the 1920s and have a history of frequent leaks. The project will affect traffic on Sun, Felton and Water streets.
• Directed Garvin to study whether the crosswalk for Newton and Grove streets should have a flashing sign warning drivers that pedestrians are crossing the street.
• Directed Garvin to study whether restricting turns from Newton Street to Reyem Street could increase traffic safety at the intersection.