I am happy to see that members of the City Council are finally taking the problems on Moody Street seriously. I only wonder why it took the two councilors, who have businesses on the street, so long to realize that there was a problem.
One only has to drive down Mass Ave. in Arlington, Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, or ride through Davis Square in Somerville to realize that this important area of our city has been neglected. We have thrown out the welcome mat to large developers along Rte. 128 but consistently ignored the problems along Main and Moody streets. These large new mixed use developments with new retail stores and restaurants will only compound the problem.
Creating more parking is a good place to start but much more must be done. The parking lots must be better lit so that people feel safe walking to and from their cars. Twenty minute spaces must be created in front of stores so people can make a quick purchase without having to park four blocks away. Some of the high-end restaurants must be encouraged to institute valet parking with the city reserving space in its lots for this purpose.
Parking alone will not solve the problem. The first thing we have to do is find a way to keep the independent retail stores we already have. Watch City Appliance, Brickmans and The Construction Site have all left or are leaving and we seem unable to bring in anything comparable to replace them. Councilor Sally Collura mentions the code violations she spotted while walking down the street. As a city official I would expect her to have them corrected not report on them in the newspaper.
Getting involved in the national Main Streets program is a great idea. However, the question we should ask is why has it taken our elected officials so long. Like most federal programs, the funding even for the most vital of projects and services has been drastically cut in recent years. I hope we have not missed the boat. The most important thing that must be done is we must all support the downtown businesses.
BILL FOWLER, Waltham
