Northland maintains that with a “robust shuttle service,” 30% of residents and 30% of the employees working at the site will choose to use the shuttle bus service rather than driving (according to Northland’s numbers, currently 13% of residents and 7% of employees in Newton use public transit).
It uses this “robust shuttle service” in its TRIP-GENERATION projections (available at: http://www.newtonma.gov/civicax/filebank/documents/96175) to REDUCE the number of anticipated VEHICLE TRIPS that will result from its MASSIVE proposed development.
However, Northland admits that these numbers “show ridership goals, not projected ridership” and that “no data exists regarding projected percentage ridership gain.”
Asked by the peer reviewer (BETA) to provide support for these ridership goals, Northland states that “there is not good data that we are aware of that fully support the percentages outlined.” (see response to question #2.21 available at: http://www.newtonma.gov/civicax/filebank/documents/95502)
In other words, Northland wants the city to approve this project because its RIDERSHIP GOALS would limit the impact of the proposed project on existing traffic conditions, but CANNOT PROVIDE ANY DATA that shows that the goals are ACHIEVABLE or likely to alleviate traffic concerns. In fact, Northland goes as far as to admit that “[t]he reality is that the actual [ridership] is likely to be something in-between the existing and that represented under the Robust Shuttle scenario.”
Northland intends to MONITOR ridership and traffic generation, but there is NOTHING that will hold Northland ACCOUNTABLE if their “GOALS” are not met!
JOIN US this Tuesday, Arpil 9th at 7pm in the City Council Chambers (room 205 at City Hall) to DEMAND that Northland’s PROJECTED RIDERSHIP GOALS, for which there is NO SUPPORT are not used as part of any MITIGATION of TRAFFIC IMPACTS of Northland’s proposed project.
For more information on traffic and Northland’s proposed shuttle buses, please click HERE.