The City of Newton is currently considering a developer proposal to redevelop the Orr Block at the corner of Walnut St and Washington. As part of the project the developer is seeking to have the area rezoned to MU-4 zoning and for a special permit for various variances from that zoning. As part of that arrangement the developer would offer to make investments or cash payments for improvements desirable to the city.
One of the proposed improvement areas is to renovate the bridge over the Mass Pike to make it more pleasant and a potential gathering place for residents. While this is appealing on the surface, residents have pointed out that the sound levels from the mass pike make this location not one that residents would choose to linger and city councilors have suggested that the state likely would not want to impede sight lines on the bridge with significant changes to the fencing on either side.
I took a quick run down to the bridge this morning to quantify the sound levels. I found the sound level to be a steady 77+ decibels with periods at 83 decibels. A sustained level of 85 decibels is considered dangerous for hearing loss (OSHA).
In contrast, the noise level at the entrance to Starbucks just a short distance from the bridge was 58.9 decibels (normal conversation level). Note that each increase of 10 decibels is 10x the noise level , so the noise on the bridge is nearly 100x the noise at the Starbucks entrance.
Given this situation, it is unlikely the Walnut Street bridge is an area that will draw residents for extended periods and this improvements towards this goal are likely not a good investment of resources.
