Good morning,

In many places, local merchants often worry that replacing car lanes with bike lanes will hurt their bottom line.

But in Toronto, small business owners have organized in opposition to an effort to remove bike accommodations to address automobile gridlock.

One café owner said the lanes helped draw “a constant stream of cyclists and pedestrians.” Another said when bike accommodations were added “The sky didn’t fall and sales went up.”

Credit card relief dangled before businesses

One of the most common frustrations we’ve been hearing about from local businesses and nonprofits for years has been the high cost of fees paid to credit card companies each time a customer makes a purchase.

Last week, Visa and Mastercard reached a proposed settlement — the latest chapter in a legal battle that’s dragged on for more than two decades.

Under the agreement, swipe fees — typically 2% to 2.5% per customer transaction — would be reduced by an average of 0.1% for five years, saving businesses an estimated $30 billion overall.

Perhaps more notably, the deal would allow merchants to reject higher-fee credit cards, something Visa, Mastercard and major banks have long fought to prevent.

“For consumers, this means that many of the rewards cards they have grown addicted to can be rejected at the register while other low- or no-frills credit cards, which tend to be cheaper for stores, would be accepted,” according to the Wall Street Journal (gift link).

The settlement still needs court approval.

Both the National Retail Federation and the National Association of Convenience Stores argue the agreement doesn’t go far enough, saying it could shield the credit card giants from future lawsuits and allow them to continue raising fees.

Watertown apartments headed to auction

Two connected apartment buildings overlooking the Charles River Greenway in Watertown are headed to the auction block on Dec. 10.

Watermills Apartments at 330–350 Pleasant Street features a total of 99 apartments and approximately 17,941 square feet of ground-level retail and office space on 2.3 acres, according to Boston Real Estate Times.

Retail tenants include Market Mark’s, Johnnie’s Pizza & Wings, PT In Cadence and Bud’s Goods & Provisions.

Wellesley College upgrading facilities

Wellesley College has secured a $145 million cash infusion for campus improvements.

A  significant portion of the bond issued by Mass Development will go towards constructing  and furnishing projects on campus, reports Maya Shavit at the BBJ.   

Renovations include the Clapp Library, dormitory residence halls in the Tower Hall and Hazard Quad neighborhoods and infrastructure work in Green Hall,

Grab bag

•  Udi Mokady, founder and executive chairman of CyberArk, a global leader in identity security, will share reflections on leadership, innovation and purpose tomorrow (Nov. 13) at 6:30 p.m. Details.
• More than two years after Bigelow Cleaners closed its doors following 90 years of operation in Newton Centre, the iconic neon sign that graced the building’s facade since 1957 is slated for removal. (Fig City News)
• With three more years of construction and utility work ahead along Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown, Coolidge Square businesses recently aired frustrations regarding disruptions. City and construction officials have committed to improving communication. (Watertown News)
• Subscribe here for Mt. Auburn Street Project updates.
• The Town of Wellesley is organizing a Community Visioning Workshop to explore the future development of the 45-acre MassBay Community College property on Dec. 8 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. at the high school.
• Housing Navigator Massachusetts is a searchable database for affordable housing that tracks over 160,000 affordable and some middle income units across 260 cities and towns within Massachusetts.
• At last week’s Fall Business Breakfast, Attorney General Andrea Campbell referenced this “Guidance for Employers Regarding Immigration and Work Authorization,” which was issued jointly with Gov. Maura Healey.
• And here’s the Attorney General’s office Resources for Immigrants in Massachusetts webpage.
• The White House’s 50-year mortgage proposal would do little to resolve core problems in the housing market, such as a lack of supply and high interest rates, AP reports.
• Looking for a way to support the chamber’s advocacy and programming but you don’t work locally - or perhaps you’re retired? Become a citizen member for $95 a year.

Watertown looks to Skip the Stuff

The Watertown City Council will consider joining Newton, Needham, Wellesley and other communities in adopting a Skip the Stuff ordinance tonight (Weds).

Our restaurant members generally support Skip the Stuff because it not only benefits the planet but saves restaurants money by eliminating the need to provide utensils, packaged condiments and other items for takeout unless expressly requested and needed by the customer.

Newton’s ordinance has been in place since 2024. Both Needham’s and Wellesley’s Skip the Stiff bylaws goes into effect Jan. 1

Hunger won’t end if/when the government reopens

Among the 42 million Americans served by the SNAP food assistance program are 1.2 million veterans and 22,000 active-duty military families -- including thousands of veterans across New England.

So was it ironic -- or just plain cruel -- that on Veterans Day, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration’s refusal to make full SNAP payments available to those who once fought for our country?

Yesterday’s decision also affects children, seniors, people with disabilities and millions of others who depend on food stamps.

While we hope an end to the shutdown will end this national embarrassment, food insecurity was already on the rise.  

Supporting our local food pantries and community programs remains critical, particularly with the implementation of new SNAP regulations.

That’s why, with or without the shutdown, chamber member restaurants will continue to donate up to 25% from the sale of gift cards to Spoonfuls, Inc. — a Newton-based nonprofit food recovery organization that rescues fresh, healthy food and delivers it directly to local food pantries, shelters and community programs.

Our Gift Card Give Back program ends Nov. 26. Here’s our growing list of participating restaurants

And that’s what you need to know for today — Neal Young is 80-years-old — unless you have some time to explore Six Degrees of Wikipedia. (Warning: It’s a rabbit hole.)

See you Friday!

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

I value your feedback

P.S. If you run a local business but are not a chamber member could you email me and tell me why?