The two cities are collaborating on improving traffic flow at an intersection dangerous especially for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Somerville is finishing the bid process for the quick-build construction portions of the Elm-Beacon Connector project, with the goal of completing the safety improvement project by Thanksgiving. Adam Polinski, a senior planner for Somerville’s Mobility Department, said in an email to Cambridge Day that the bid process is nearly complete for markings and signal work. The city has begun changing out signs.
The project, which includes collaboration with Cambridge, will calm Elm Street, making crossings at Willow Avenue and at The Mix (the former Porter Square Shopping Mall) more pedestrian friendly. A raised crosswalk will also be added at Cherry Street by the Kennedy Elementary School, while Mossland Street will be converted to a “Neighborhood Way.”
Beyond the general safety improvements, the project will provide a separated bicycle lane from Davis Square to Union Square with a spur to Beacon Street, feeding into where a raised and separated bike lane runs to Inman and Kendall squares. Cambridge, through its Beech St. at Elm St. Pedestrian Safety Project, will make similar safety improvements on Beech Street, which connects Mass. Ave. to Elm Street.
In preparation for each project, both municipalities hosted virtual walk throughs and listening sessions, and sent mailers to residents and businesses in the immediate impact areas. In May there was a joint open house at the corner of Beech and Elm where area residents and concerned citizens could engage with the project teams to get further information and share concerns. On hand were Polinski and Andreas Wolfe, Cambridge’s street design project manager.
Parking loss a concern
The main concerns voiced were loss of parking and traffic flow. “I’ve definitely had some conversations with folks who are generally concerned about the parking,” Polinski said in an interview. The city’s goal is to satisfy concerns of all stakeholders, but he said “at the end of the day there’s only so much space on the street, and there is only so much we can do.”
In Somerville, about 80 parking spaces of around 250 will be removed for the separated bike paths that will be created by shifting parking from the curb to form a floating protected barrier. An additional six spaces in Cambridge along Beech Street will also be lost.
A part of the project designed to smooth and calm access to Willow Street and the Somerville Community Path involves moving the triangular cement island at the intersection of Beech and Elm. That island has an array of planters with blooms and greenery, which will shift to the south side of Beech where it meets Elm. It will become a public open space, though the specific use will be decided at a later date. Wolfe said some of the suggestions people have given include a shaded space with benches, dog or bike facilities, and even a possible play area for children.
Traffic patterns will shift
Mossland Street will be converted from a one-way cut-through connecting Elm and Somerville Ave. to a neighborhood way or bike boulevard. Motor vehicle traffic, except emergency vehicles, will be prohibited from entering Mossland from Elm. Residents instead will only be able to enter and exit via Somerville Ave., except bicyclists, who will have two-way access with flex posts.
“We’re really excited about it,” Polinski said. “We put a ton of effort into analyzing all of the traffic patterns, figuring out where we think people are going to go, and adjusting the signal timing.”
Wolfe said most of the people he’s interacted with are happy about the prospect of simplifying the complicated multiway intersection at Beech and Elm. It will now be more of a traditional four-way intersection that will include a slight jog to continue east bound on Willow Street. The right-side stop of the three-way intersection of Beech at Elm was often treated as more of a merge than a stop.
Also, the intersection of Beech and Elm, a spot right on the town line between Somerville and Cambridge, is notoriously bumpy. Wolfe said Cambridge officials are “excited to finish the paving on Beech right up to the city line.”
Somerville expects to start repaving Elm Street Aug. 10, with an expected finish in mid-September.
The project also marks a strong collaborative effort between the two municipalities, which have not always worked together. In 2019, Somerville added a separated bike lane from Union Square toward the neck of Cambridge Street in Cambridge between Inman Square and Wellington-Harrington neighborhood. That bike lane pretty much ended at the rear of a parked car at the town line. “There does unfortunately tend to be silos in government,” Wolfe said. “As part of this project, we’ve been trying to break those down. It’s been a very collaborative process.”
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