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December 2021 Mobility Update

Thank you for signing up for the City of Somerville Mobility Email List! Here is your December 2021 Update.

Join us at our upcoming community meeting:

Take our available surveys: Learn about new project updates:

For information on current construction, subscribe to the City of Somerville Construction Newsletter and follow @Somervillinfr1 on Twitter. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at transportation@somervillema.gov.  

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Bicycle Network Plan Community Meeting, December 15, 2021

REGISTER
Join us for the upcoming community meeting on Wednesday, December 15, at 6:00 pm. 

The City of Somerville, in collaboration with Street Plans, is developing a citywide bicycle network plan to designate corridors for various bikeway facilities, connect gaps in the current network, and provide a guide for future improvements. Come learn about our existing conditions analysis, handlebar surveys data, and ways to engage throughout the plan development.

Citywide Parking & Curb-Use Study Survey

The Citywide Parking & Curb-Use Study is an effort to understand the parking system in Somerville and make recommendations that will guide the City of Somerville in bringing its parking policies in alignment with its city goals, community values, and future needs.

Help us learn by taking the survey and sharing about your travel patterns, modes of transportation, and ideas for the future of parking and curb-use in Somerville.

TAKE THE SURVEY
Please refer to the recording and slides from the presentation, and take the survey. The survey is available in English, EspañolPortuguês, and नेपाली, and a Kreyòl Ayisyen version will be available soon.

If you need help taking the survey or have any questions, email transportation@somervillema.gov or contact 311(617-666-3311).

Gilman Square Street Design Feedback Survey

To continue the work of the Gilman Square Neighborhood Plan, the City is advancing the Gilman Square Street Design. At the November 22, 2021, Community Meeting, the City provided an update on present and future projects in Gilman Square, presented the feasibility study for an accessible path from Marshall Street to the Medford Street Bridge and Community Path, and discussed options for protected bicycle lanes on Medford Street and Pearl Street from the School Street to the Skilton Ave intersections. We now want to hear from you about your preference on the types of bicycle facilities and the placement of trees.

TAKE THE SURVEY
Please refer to the recording and slides from the presentation, and take the survey to provide your feedback. The survey is available in English, EspañolPortuguêsKreyòl Ayisyen, and नेपाली.

If you need help taking the survey or have any questions, email transportation@somervillema.gov or contact 311(617-666-3311).

Powder House Boulevard & Alewife Brook Parkway Intersection Project: Shared Streets Feedback Survey

The City is reconstructing the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Powder House Boulevard. The project will upgrade ageing underground infrastructure and create safer roadway conditions for all people walking, wheeling, biking, and driving. The current intersection is a high crash location in the City's Vision Zero Action Plan, with 38 crashes in the past 5 years (2014-2019 data). The goals of the project are to improve safety for everyone traveling along the road, enhance pedestrian and bicycle connections, improve access for residents, slow vehicles, and retain green space and trees.

The design includes a new "Shared Street" that incorporates a raised crosswalk at the entrance, plantings, 'bump-outs,' and other traffic calming measures.

We want to hear from you about your feedback on the Shared Streets Design! Take our feedback survey at voice.somervillema.gov/intersection-redesign or reach out to us at transportation@somervillema.gov!
TAKE THE SURVEY

Eastern Washington Bus Improvements

During the month of November and into December, the MBTA and the City of Somerville will be implementing bus improvements for Eastern Washington. More people ride the 86 bus than any other bus route in Somerville. Because of the high ridership and frequent traffic backups along Washington Street, the MBTA and City of Somerville have made it a priority to redesign the street in a way that would improve the speed and reliability of Washington St buses (Routes 86, 91, and CT2).

These new changes include dedicated bus lanes, moving and consolidating bus stops, and traffic signal upgrades. The installation of the eastbound bus lane will require the removal of some on-street parking on the south side of Washington St between Myrtle St and Inner Belt Rd.

At this time, striping has been delayed by weather and is expected to be completed week of December 6. Flex posts between Myrtle and Inner Belt will be reinstalled once striping is complete. Traffic signal upgrades are ongoing and expected to be operational within the next few weeks. For any questions, please reach out to transportation@somervillema.gov.

Powder House Circle Quick-Build Project Completed

Photo Credit: Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
With one of the highest crash rates of any intersection in Somerville at 31 crashes in the last 5 years, Powder House Circle was identified as a priority for safety improvements in the City's Vision Zero Action Plan. To improve safety and predictability at this important intersection, the City moved forward to implement a transformative quick-build project.

A quick-build project uses inexpensive and easy-to-install materials such as paint, signs, and flex posts. This allows the City to make meaningful safety improvements on a quicker timeline than a typical construction project, while also providing a real-world opportunity to inform the eventual large-scale reconstruction of the Circle.

In November, the City completed installation of “quick-build” safety measures in Powder House Circle.  This project uses pavement markings, signs and flexible bollards to organize traffic flow in the circle. Pedestrian crossing lengths are shortened, reducing the length of time that a person walking or wheeling is exposed to risk from motor vehicle traffic. The City will collect data on this project throughout 2022 to understand the impact of these changes. 

Kensington Connector

MassDOT has begun construction of new raised crosswalk treatments at the Kensington Connector, which links East Somerville and Assembly Square.  The long pedestrian route crosses State Route 38 (Mystic Avenue) in the shadow of the elevated Interstate 93 near the East Somerville Stop & Shop grocery store.  To improve safety for all road users, MassDOT’s contractor will construct four different raised crosswalks in this area in the coming months.  Work will be weather-dependent and may not be completed until spring 2022.    
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