The Needham Center project working group on Jan. 6 reviewed a phased public-engagement plan aimed at informing a downtown demonstration pilot slated to start in May and outlined an open-house and walk-audit program in February intended to gather community input.

The consultant leading outreach told the group, “we wanted to go through the public engagement plan first,” explaining the effort will collect community-identified needs and opportunity areas from now through mid-February, then move to developing and vetting design alternatives in March and April so a preferred alternative can be chosen in April and a pilot launched in May.

Why it matters: the outreach will shape both the short-term pilot treatments and the longer-term design alternatives for Great Plains Avenue and the town center. Members stressed collecting both qualitative impressions and simple quantitative measures of people’s comfort and safety so the design team can prioritize changes that reduce crossing distances and calm traffic.

Key elements of the outreach plan

- Phased approach: initial public input (through mid-February) focused on needs, opportunities and constraints; March–April review of design alternatives; April selection of a preferred conceptual alternative; May start of the pilot and move to preliminary design.

- February events: an evening walk-audit (Thursday), a Saturday walk-audit and an open house with tabling and boards; a business-specific meeting and an early-morning business walk on Saturday. The working group discussed holding multiple walk groups (capped at roughly 6–8 people per facilitator) and offering asynchronous participation via QR-coded self-guided walk-audit tools and a story map.

- Walk-audit route and content: the team mapped about 12 stops on a loop from the Town Common along Great Plains Avenue, covering intersections, sidewalks, parking access, MBTA station connections and existing outdoor dining. Facilitators will ask participants to rate safety (1–5) at stops and explain what would move a rating higher.

- Outreach materials and staffing: facilitators and support staff will take photos and notes; boards at the open house will present project goals, pilot overview, example traffic-calming options and two starter concepts. The team plans promotional outreach (social media, signage, and an RSVP option for walk times) and coordination with town communications staff. The project team suggested leaving the digital story map and QR-code materials live for about a month after events for people who cannot attend.

Traffic-study and safety discussion

Working-group members pressed for clarity on the traffic analysis that will inform any lane reductions or intersection geometry changes. The team confirmed the traffic-study scope extends to Linden Street and includes turn-movement counts (the consultant: “It's all the way to Linden is the scope. So yes.”). Members emphasized the study must assess how many vehicles actually need to travel through the downtown versus those that could be routed elsewhere, and cautioned that safety, pedestrian comfort and signal timing (including MBTA-train effects on pedestrian phases) should guide recommendations.

Education and facilitation during outreach

The group discussed how much educational content to provide during walk audits and the open house. Several members recommended short, plain-language explanations at stops (or QR-linked materials) to explain concepts such as pedestrian-exclusive versus concurrent signal phasing and potential traffic-calming treatments so responses are better informed. The team agreed to prepare facilitator talking points and a short glossary for participants.

Logistics, timing and contingencies

The working group settled on two primary event days in February (Thursday evening and Saturday) with alternative weather dates if heavy snow prevents safe walking; the team planned to cap group sizes and use high-visibility gear for night audits. The consultant said they would return with refined boards and a finalized run-of-show at the next working-group meeting.

Votes at the meeting

The single formal motion recorded was to adjourn the meeting; the roll call vote was recorded as unanimous and the meeting was adjourned.

Ending: The project-team presenters said they will refine outreach boards and the walk-audit plan and return to the working group with materials to review before public events.