Town Council Tackles the Future of Mt. Auburn Street

Four lanes or two, adding a bicycle lane and parking could all part of the discussion Tuesday night when the Town Council discusses the future of Mt. Auburn Street.

A proposal to upgrade and possibly reconfigure one of Watertown’s main thoroughfares has been around for several years, but has not been discussed by the Town Council for a few years.

In April 2010, the Town Council approved funding to study Mt. Auburn Street and the traffic patterns. 

The study came out in March 2011 (see the study here), with engineers recommending one lane each way for most of Mt. Auburn Street. The single lane each way would begin at Common Street and continue east to the Cambridge line. Dedicated left-turn lanes would be added at certain intersections.

When the plan was presented, many members of the public opposed the idea of reducing the number of lanes. 

The Council’s Public Works Committee looked at the study and recommended moving toward reducing the number of lanes from two each way to one, and seek funding for designs.

The Town Council will pick up the discussion on Tuesday during a special meeting at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber in Town Hall. Councilors will also discuss plowing snow from private roads in Watertown.