Our Capitol Theater says NO on 1!

Richard Fraiman is the owner of the Capitol Theater.

Like so many ballot questions, framed in an ironic inversion of speech, your NO actually means YES.

We want a resounding NO tomorrow in order to say YES  to moving forward with the Mass. Ave. improvement project.

We need you, our valued patrons, to arrive safely at The Capitol Theatre to enjoy your movie, ice cream, popcorn and/or a beer.

That means new crosswalks, traffic signals, clearly marked lanes, and changing Mass. Ave. from a speedway into a calm thoroughfare.

And East Arlington could certainly use the facelift of widened sidewalks, plantings, and a more people-friendly setting.

This is a no-brainer and, thankfully, there are so many that have contributed their expertise, time, and effort to make this necessary project happen.  

Richard Fraiman

Capitol Theater

Look forward to a better East Arlington

The revisions on Massachusetts Avenue will improve the safety and flow of drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike, while also making our East Arlington a place that people may choose as a destination, rather than as a thoroughfare.

In fact, residents and visitors may discover that we have many interesting places to visit, like a typewriter shop that supplied the vintage typewriters for the TV show "Fringe." Who knew?

I understand that we may potentially experience minor inconvenience because of a decreased lane of traffic leading out of Cambridge, but this inconvenience seems miniscule in comparison to the enormous improvements in safety and advancements for our community that this project will bring.

I look forward to a better Mass Ave and a better East Arlington!

Laura Vanderberg, Waldo Road

Better-scaled to humans of all ages

Skinnier and slower, yet more robust!

That's what will make Mass Ave a true Main Street for East Arlington. Better-scaled to humans of all ages, whether we walk, bike, stroll or drive.

Not just for residents and visitors...businesses will love it too.

Rocco-Slotnick Family
Grafton Street

Right for our town

I support a better Mass Ave because I value safety, beauty, and fiscal responsibility.

In addition to the road repairs and bike lane, the town will receive upgraded traffic signals and wider sidewalks.

The existing signals are old and expensive to replace. The wider sidewalks will include seating, improved lighting, and planters that will turn this vibrant business district into a destination where people want to spend time.

This plan is right for our town, and we are fortunate to have it paid for by the federal government.

Judson Pierce, Draper Avenue

Now is the time to move forward

by Dan Dunn

The following column was originally published in the March 26 2013 Arlington Advocate. It is reprinted here with permission of the author.

I encourage voters across town to join me and vote No on Question 1. Now is the time to move forward with the plan for Mass Ave that we have forged through years of conversation, planning, and compromise.

There are two key points to be made: First, the current design is a good one, worthy of your support. Second, now is the time to move forward. It is time to get past the debate and put shovels in the ground.

More at the Advocate's web site...

Thoughtful plan

We're voting No on 1 so that we can cross Mass Ave safely with our two sons to enjoy our wonderful neighborhood.

Andrew is looking forward to biking safely to work, and as someone who frequently drives on Mass Ave heading toward the Center, I'm eager to have improved crosswalks so I can see pedestrians when they begin to cross.

The East Arlington corridor of Mass Ave just isn't safe for anyone in its current state. This is a thoughtful plan whose time has come!

Kate Leary and Andrew Malone
Oscar and Charlie
Milton Street

A statement of values

Although Question 1 is a woefully misleading and incomplete measure of the issues at stake, it is also a revealing statement of values.

Is 4-lane travel on Mass. Ave truly our highest priority?
Do we value it more than safety for adults and children crossing the street?

Is it worth rejecting more than $6 million in federal and state funding to rebuild Mass Ave,  billing Arlington taxpayers for the entire cost instead?

Is being able to race down this stretch in the shortest possible time more important than a vibrant business district that invites people to spend time in the neighborhood strolling past the shops—instead of fearing for their lives if they dare to cross the road to visit another store?

And is clinging to a 4-lane design even necessary when time and again it's been persuasively shown that the sky will not fall with the current, intelligent 3-lane design?

My answer to these questions is a resounding NO, and that is how I will vote on Question 1.

Eric Helmuth, Grandview Road

For our financial future

As one of the leaders of the "Yes for Arlington" campaign, where hundreds of young families worked to provide financial stability for the Town, I am voting "No" on Question 1 to protect our financial future.

As a landscape architect who works on major transportation projects, I am voting "No" to make sure that we don't lose the money.

There are scores of transportation projects lined up to take the money that has been set aside for Arlington.

And finally, as an East Arlington home owner, I am voting "No" so that the project gets built and I can cross the street safely.

Please join me in voting "No" on Question 1.

Clarissa Rowe, Herbert Road

Let's move forward

I am VOTING NO on Questions 1 on April 6th because a "NO" vote ensures a better, safer East Arlington and will allow the Town to make needed repairs without exhausting already strained Town funds.

The current 4-lane structure of Mass Ave in East Arlington invites speeding. The new plan will beautify the area, increase foot traffic for businesses and make East Arlington safer for pedestrians, motorists and cyclists.

The current plan is the result of a compromise between residents who supported the original plan and residents who were against the original plan.  Let's move forward, not backwards.

John Hurd
Summer Street

Fell in love with Arlington

I support a Better Mass Ave and the effort to build a safer, more vibrant community for all residents and visitors.

I ride a bike to work and errands everyday through East Arlington and train on my bike as a Professional cyclist.

I have owned a private business on Mass Ave for 9+ years and fell in love with the town when we lived above the Capitol Theater.

I'd love to see the roadway improved to accommodate cyclists and cars in a safer way with bike lanes, slower speeds and road improvements.

Voting NO on Question 1

NO, I don't want a four-lane freeway free-for-all.

NO, I don't want an avenue that's too dangerous to cross.

NO, I don't want a vital neighborhood business district dissected by raging traffic.

NO, I don't want our state and federal highway funds to be sent elsewhere.

That's why I am voting NO on Question 1, because I want a better Mass Ave!

Paul Schlichtman
Mystic St.

How about a rain garden?

I can’t count all the ways I favor the current plan but here’s a new one.

Maybe we could even find space for a tiny rain garden along the route to help with ever-more-common flooding in East Arlington as the climate changes.

Spy Pond rain garden

Gail McCormick
Hamilton Rd.

Everyone wins

A better Mass Ave is one with less chaos and confusion, where drivers and cyclists share the road in a way that is clear and predictable and where pedestrians can cross in safety.

A better Mass Ave is one where everyone wins. This is why I’m voting NO (!) on Question 1.

Mariann Donovan

Arlington Heights

Spelling out the reasons

Janet and I will be voting no, against the against the ballot-initiative roadblock.

The inclusive planning process, conducted over a long time by skilled professionals, has yielded a fine plan.

For these reasons, we must move forward not backward on Mass Ave:

• Much better accommodation for bicycles
• A defined space for motor vehicles on a community Main Street in place of the current un-striped lane-less expressway free for all
• Same number of legal parking spaces as current roadway, and improvements to support a vibrant LOCAL business climate.
• Safer crossings for children, senior, differently-abled pedestrians
• Available Federal funding; a no vote means we pay for improvements with local funds
• Very nice plans to improve sidewalks, lighting, landscaping and street furniture
• East Arlington quality of life and community

Jim and Janet Gascoigne
Gray Street

Improve safety for everyone

I support a better Mass Ave because it will improve safety for everyone, promote bicycle and pedestrian use, and help local business, without interfering with traffic flow.

Catherine Farrell
Park St.

Regulate eratic driving

I support a better Mass Ave. because the current situation encourages erratic driving.

I experienced this section of Mass Ave as dangerous the very first time I visited Arlington in the late 90s when I was looking for a place to rent.

I look forward to regulated traffic, and landscaping, once the project is completed.

Peter Taylor

Cleveland Street

Dreams for a better Mass Ave

We want to ride our bikes to North Cambridge, and to games at Arlington High School.

We want to enjoy chatting with neighbors on wide sidewalks around the Capitol theater.

We want to cross Mass Ave using protected cross-walks.

The Weitzmans
Trowbridge Street

More vibrant, safe, and beautiful

We support a better Mass Ave because we use Mass Ave all the time!

We have been East Arlington residents for 14 years, and we know improvements are sorely needed.

We have had countless harrowing experiences attempting to cross Mass Ave on foot, either in the past pushing strollers or now—where our middle-school-aged daughter attempts to cross Mass Ave daily on her own to use public transportation.

We wholeheartedly support the plans to revamp the area, and we are looking forward to a more vibrant, safe, and beautiful stretch of Mass Ave.

Amy Copperman
Tobey Jackson
Mystic Valley Parkway

No to 4 lanes

Vote No to 4 lanes and Yes to 3!

Our neighborhood can be made a much better and safer place to live—a destination and not just a thoroughfare!

Currently it's a sprint just to cross the road.

Imagine how nice it would be around the Capitol Square area without having to play frogger!
Jessica & Peter Jones
Henderson Street

Not a speedway

We support a better Mass Ave because Arlington is a rare thing these days: a community where you can see actual human beings on the ground, going about their business as people have for thousands of years, and we need to continue to support and improve their ability to do so. 

A better Mass Ave will allow all of us, young and old, able bodied and less so, drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, stroller pushers, and the rest to be able to conduct our business (and pleasure) with some measure of equity and efficiency.

America is full of 4 lane speedways where anyone not in a car doesn't matter.  We don't need another one running through Arlington. 

Let's give humans some consideration on our main street!

The Smiths on tour

The Smith Family
Avon Place