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After prior uproar over removal, new mayor to restore Italian flag road lines to Newton
A longtime symbol of Nonantum’s Italian heritage will return to Adams Street after city officials say changes to the roadway made the restoration possible.
For nearly a century, a half-mile stretch of Adams Street in Newton has been marked not by a traditional double yellow line but by a tricolor stripe honoring the neighborhood’s Italian heritage. After last year’s removal sparked months of controversy, the red, white, and green markings are now set to return.
Newton Mayor Marc Laredo, who took office in January, said one his first priorities was taking a “fresh look” at last summer’s decision to remove the lines.
“I’m excited to announce that in recognition of a nearly century-old Newton tradition, as soon as weather permits, we will repaint red and green stripes on either side of a white reflective stripe to symbolize the Italian flag,” Laredo said in a statement.
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The colored road markings on Adams Street run through Nonantum, a neighborhood long known for its strong Italian heritage. The lines were painted over last summer ahead of the 90th Annual Italian-American Festival, sparking frustration among some residents.
Newton’s mayor at the time, Ruthanne Fuller, said the decision was made to improve public safety on the busy road and to comply with federal roadway requirements.
Fuller said the change was necessary due to traffic safety concerns, citing data from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s crash database showing that Adams Street’s crash rate is more than twice as high as similar roads in that part of the state.
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“While a double yellow center line will not prevent all such crashes in the future, the double yellow center line is a federally required measure that is designed to address these conflicts,” Fuller said.
Additionally, Fuller said the change to double yellow center lines was required under standards from the Federal Highway Administration.
For many in Nonantum, however, the removal felt personal.
After crews painted standard double lines on Adams Street June 26, some residents took matters into their own hands and repainted over the newly made yellow lines. One person was reportedly arrested in doing so.
Why stripes can return
Under the previous road layout, parking was allowed in some areas, but there were no marked parking lanes, Laredo said. That meant the entire width of the roadway — from curb to curb — counted as the travel lane, which triggered the requirement for a double yellow center line under federal guidance.
But this week, Newton’s Department of Public Works painted new lines marking parking spaces on both sides of Adams Street, creating designated parking lanes. The change effectively narrowed the roadway’s travel width, Laredo said.
Now, the city is able to restore the red and green lines along the white stripe.
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“As soon as weather permits, DPW contractors will paint red and green stripes on either side of the white reflective stripe, thereby restoring Adams Street to the way we remember it,” Laredo said.
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