A majority of survey respondents think Great Plain Avenue should continue to have four lanes of traffic in Needham Center. The February Envision Needham Center survey got a strong response — 2,750 people participated, including 2,521 residents over 18 and 144 business owners. Overall, about 11% of all Needham adults participated.
The findings from the survey were presented at the March 18 meeting of the Envision Needham Center Working Group by Avery Newton, a member of the group who helped develop the survey and who has a Ph.D. in Measurement, Evaluations, Statistics and Assessment. The survey was open to the public online from Feb. 5 – 22, conducted by the firm Polco.
The presentation served as a chance for the working group to understand the data and its implications, and to give members a chance to have input into the way the survey results will be more widely presented.
Newton’s presentation began with insight into the people who chose to respond. In voluntary surveys, she said, certain groups can be over-represented (relative to the town’s population). She said in this instance, the survey respondents tended to be older, longer-term residents. Adult residents under 45 years old were under-represented, as they are 34% of the town but were only 22% of the responding residents, meaning nearly 80% of respondents were older than 45. Similarly 42% of Needham’s adult residents have lived in town less than 10 years, but 76% of survey respondents said they had lived here more than 10 years.
To account for over- and under-representation, Newton presented much of the data in two formats: the raw numbers and a version that weighted the responses from the various groups to more closely reflect the population. Either way, however, keeping four lanes of traffic was a popular choice.
The working group is evaluating three conceptual design alternatives that grew out of the Envision Needham Center project to revitalize the center as part of the town’s need to address infrastructure and drainage problems. The three concepts are a four-lane configuration; a two-lane configuration with pocket turn lanes; and a two-lane configuration with no turn lanes except a left from Chestnut Street onto Great Plain Avenue.
Respondents were able to allocate up to 10 points for each of the three concept plans. Seventy-seven percent of respondents allocated a portion of points to the four-lane alternative while 54% allocated a portion of points to one or both of the two-lane plans.
In the points breakdown, 46% of residents allocated all 10 points to the four-lane plan with another 12% allocating a majority of their points. For business owners and workers, 51% allocated all their points to the four-lane option, with another 12.4% allocating a majority of points.
For the two-lane plans, 14.6% of residents allocated all their points with another 5.7% allocating the majority of their points. For business owners and workers, 14.3% allocated all their points, and 4.9% allocated a majority of points.
A “mixed” group of 20.2% of residents and 17.3% of business owners and workers allocated some of their points to all the plans.
The 12-question survey asked how respondents use Needham Center, what design features they would like to see, what kind of experiences they would like to have there, and which of the three design concept alternatives they prefer. It also gathered demographic data including respondents’ ages and whether and how long they’ve lived in town.
Design features that respondents consider important varied according to which plan they preferred. Those who support the two-lane alternative favored more trees and greenery, traffic-calming features, more gathering spaces, wider sidewalks, outdoor dining and separated bike lanes, while those who support the four-lane plan favored ample on-street parking.
The survey had open-ended questions for respondents to write in comments and the full report is more than 900 pages. Key issues that emerged were traffic management and parking, pedestrian improvements, economic vitality and more greenery to improve the aesthetics and residents’ experience.
Eighty percent of respondents expressed some level of concern with the project; the top three were increased traffic, parking scarcity and reduced patronage to businesses. Some commented on cost and raised questions about the implementation of the process. Those who felt positively about the proposed changes thought it would create a more vibrant downtown and is an opportunity to make the center more appealing.
Overall, Newton said survey respondents share a common appreciation for the town center and a desire for vibrancy. But there are strong and differing opinions about balancing improvements for creating a “destination” with the reality of vehicle volume and needs.
The next step is for the working group members to review the survey findings and formulate individual recommendations to share at their next meeting April 6. They will compile those into a group recommendation that will go to the Select Board. Working group chair Tim Bulger said the survey findings will be made available to the public on the Envision website.
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