By GREG LEVINSKY
Waltham Times Contributing Writer
Mireille Balian said her clients choose ChicMed Laser & Esthetic Center for their treatments because of the day spa’s easy access via Moody Street.
A proposed change to the street’s traffic pattern has Balian and other Moody Street business owners voicing their opinions on possible change, with some for it and others against.
Located at 241A Moody Street, Balian’s 10-year-old day spa is one of a number of businesses that could feel the impact of proposed changes to traffic flow on Moody Street.
A recently released feasibility study calls for a more pedestrian- and biker-friendly Moody Street between Pine Street and High Street. The study examines whether to change that stretch of Moody Street from being a two-way thoroughfare to a one-way thoroughfare or to being fully closed to motor vehicle traffic.
The city’s Traffic Commission voted at its Oct. 17 meeting to gather more public opinion rather than accept the feasibility study and move forward with the process.
Still, Moody Street business owners already are considering what the proposals would mean to them.
Balian said closing the street to traffic could hurt businesses on the street.
“My clients are there for a period of time, so being able to drive to us conveniently is huge,” Balian said. “I can imagine it would be a major downfall for the nail salons or restaurants. I think it would negatively affect businesses and it’s a serious concern.”
Balian said most of her customers park their vehicles in a lot behind the building but also said changing the traffic pattern around the spa would be a “major issue” not only for her clientele but also for her five employees and their commutes to work.
Balian said she liked how the city in recent years closed part of Moody Street to traffic during the warmer months but feels major, permanent changes to the existing traffic pattern would impact all businesses, not just hers.
Other business owners, however, voiced support for the pedestrianization of part of Moody Street, as had been done annually during the warmer months since it was first implemented in 2020 to allow for outdoor dining along the street during the COVID-19 pandemic.
LEXEL Moving & Storage, located at 1380 Main St., uses Moody Street often for its routes. Despite that, owner Alexander Lendel said he supports the idea of a non-vehicle Moody Street.
“I believe it will draw more tourists and business to the city,” said Lendel, a Waltham resident for 15 years who oversees a 10-truck fleet. “Moreover, there is ample parking and side streets to drive around.”
Pushpa Karna, owner of Aalok International Indian clothing store at 404 Moody St., said one-way traffic is OK. During past summer street closures, she advocated for driving access on adjacent streets.
Karna opened the store in Lexington in 2000 and moved it to Moody Street in 2005. After nearly two decades in one spot, Karna said she plans to keep it there until she retires. “Moody Street really has changed — the new community and people are really taking care of it very, very much,” Karna said. “It’s really, really nice.”
Still, Karna said it’s important that the city consider how changing Moody Street traffic patterns would impact all types of businesses.
But some business owners said they are not clear on what impact the proposed changes might bring and are reserving their opinions.
For example,a spokesperson for Tempo restaurant at 474 Moody St. said in an email that the restaurant had no opinion to share, writing “Until we know what the actual proposal [is] … We are waiting to find out what will be discussed for next summer and moving forward.”
The city’s Traffic Commission’s next meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21.