Holland St & College Ave Mobility Improvements
This year, the City will be resurfacing the roadways and sidewalks of Holland Street from Davis Square to Teele Square, and of College Avenue, from Davis Square to Power House Circle. This project presents an opportunity to reconsider the surface roadway configuration and pavement markings in line with the City’s transportation goals to promote sustainable, multi-modal transportation and improve traffic safety for all users.
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Remaining Sidewalk and Roadway Improvements, Begin 9/23 or Soon After
Share Remaining Sidewalk and Roadway Improvements, Begin 9/23 or Soon After on Facebook Share Remaining Sidewalk and Roadway Improvements, Begin 9/23 or Soon After on Twitter Share Remaining Sidewalk and Roadway Improvements, Begin 9/23 or Soon After on Linkedin Email Remaining Sidewalk and Roadway Improvements, Begin 9/23 or Soon After linkCity contractors will be reconstructing sidewalks and then paving the roadway along portions of Holland Street between Teele Square and Davis Square as well as on College Avenue outside of Davis Square.
No changes to the existing curbline or parking regulations are included in this work.
Anticipated Schedule:
Work is expected to begin Monday, September 23 or soon after and continue through the fall.
Additional notification will be provided via flyer to residents/business prior to sidewalk excavation in front of their residence or business.
Paving will follow sidewalk reconstruction.
Construction Impacts:
- Temporary parking restrictions will be in place during sidewalk construction.
- Please observe posted signage.
- Road closures and detours will be in place during paving.
- Additional notification provided prior to paving.
- Please observe detour signage.
- Additional notification provided prior to paving.
If you have questions about this work, please email construction@somervillema.gov or call the Engineering Division at (617) 625-6600 ext. 5400.
- Temporary parking restrictions will be in place during sidewalk construction.
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Protected bike lanes, crosswalk improvements, traffic calming, and parking changes coming to Holland Street this Fall
Share Protected bike lanes, crosswalk improvements, traffic calming, and parking changes coming to Holland Street this Fall on Facebook Share Protected bike lanes, crosswalk improvements, traffic calming, and parking changes coming to Holland Street this Fall on Twitter Share Protected bike lanes, crosswalk improvements, traffic calming, and parking changes coming to Holland Street this Fall on Linkedin Email Protected bike lanes, crosswalk improvements, traffic calming, and parking changes coming to Holland Street this Fall linkThe Somerville Traffic Commission voted to approve the Holland Street Safety Update Plan at the October 13, 2022, meeting. This plan includes protected bike lanes from Teele Square to Buena Vista Road in addition to reconstructing sidewalks, repaving the street from Claremon Street to Simpson Avenue, and implementing safety improvements such as raised crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands, and expanded bus stops. The new pavement markings will be implemented this fall after repaving is complete. The new design maintains parking on one side of Holland Street, but restricts parking on the other side in order to create protected bike lanes. Meters and loading zones will also be added to side streets. An overview of the final design is described below. You can also check out the presentation slides from the Traffic Commission meeting for more details.
To stay up to date on construction, subscribe to City Alerts via email, phone, or text, or continue to visit this website. The next steps for construction are described below.
Construction Update
Weather permitting, starting Monday, October 17, or soon after, City contractors will install the three raised crosswalks included in the approved plan, requiring a road closure on Holland Street westbound (Elm to Broadway). Construction is expected to take one to two weeks. Please note:
Holland Street westbound from Davis Square to Teele Square will be closed 24/7 during construction. Westbound vehicles and cyclists will be detoured to College Ave. and Broadway.
Holland Street eastbound will remain open.
MBTA bus routes 87 and 88 will offer modified service during crosswalk construction. Visit mbta.com/bus for details.
Please email construction@somervillema.gov or call the Engineering Division at (617) 625-6600 ext. 5400 with questions.
Design Overview
Below are the final designs approved by the Traffic Commission on October 13.
From Teele Square to Claremon Street, the new design retains parking on the north side of the street and restricts parking on the south side of the street. The north side parking is located seven feet from the curb, with a westbound protected bike lane against the curb. When parklets are in operation, the seasonal outdoor dining would remain at the curbside and the bike lane would go around it. In the wintertime, the parklet would be removed and the bike lane would be on the curbside. Parking is currently planned as mixture commercial loading zones, accessible parking, metered parking and overnight resident parking.
From Claremon Street to Elmwood Street, parking will be maintained on the north side of the street and restricted on the south side of the street. The north side parking is located seven feet from the curb, with a westbound protected bike lane against the curb. A protected bike lane runs eastbound toward Davis Square. Pedestrian-focused traffic islands and an expanded bus stop have been installed at the corner of Holland Street and Cameron Avenue. The will be a mixture of metered parking and resident permit required parking.
From Elmwood Street to Simpson Ave, parking will be maintained on the north side of the street and restricted on the south side of the street. The north side parking is located seven feet off the curb, with a westbound protected bike lane against the curb. A protected bike lane runs eastbound toward Davis Square. Pedestrian-focused curb extensions have already been constructed at Paulina and at Hodgkins Park crossing. New raised crosswalks will be implemented across Holland at Paulina Street and at the Hodgkins-Curtin Park crosswalk. North side parking is currently planned as mixture of accessible parking, commercial loading zones, 30-minute parking, and resident permit required parking.
From Simpson Ave to Wallace Street, parking will be maintained on the north side of the street and restricted on the south side of the street. The north side parking is located seven feet off the curb, with a westbound protected bike lane against the curb. A protected bike lane runs eastbound toward Davis Square. When parklets are in operation, the seasonal outdoor dining would remain at the curbside and the bike lane would taper around it. There will be a mixture of metered and accessible parking on the north side. Their will be an eastbound loading zone and morning peak hour bus lane opposite Wallace Street.
From Wallace Street to Davis Square, a large loading zone for passenger and commercial loading and peak hour bus lane will implemented on Holland Street eastbound from Buena Vista Road to Winter Street. This will turn into 24/7 bus bike lane from Winter Street to Davis Square. New protected bike lanes will run along the north side. The City has added new loading zones and parking meters on side streets to provide loading and short-term parking options.
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Draft Holland Street Safety Proposal and Traffic Commission Next Steps
Share Draft Holland Street Safety Proposal and Traffic Commission Next Steps on Facebook Share Draft Holland Street Safety Proposal and Traffic Commission Next Steps on Twitter Share Draft Holland Street Safety Proposal and Traffic Commission Next Steps on Linkedin Email Draft Holland Street Safety Proposal and Traffic Commission Next Steps linkSummary information about the project available in Español, Português, Kreyòl Ayisyen, नेपाली, 简体中文版, 繁體中文版.
Thank you to all who attended the Special September 2022 Traffic Commission Meeting regarding the Holland Street Draft Safety Proposal. The meeting recording and presentation slides are now available.
At the meeting, Mayor Ballantyne addressed the Traffic Commission asking them to consider a new design for Holland Street that includes protected bicycle lanes from Buena Vista Road to Teele Square in response to the crash that killed Stephen Conley. Mobility Division staff then presented the proposed changes which are described below. Public comment was invited at the meeting, and written public comment is currently being accepted until 4pm of the next Traffic Commission meeting on Thursday, October 6 at 5:30pm. Please continue reading for more details.
Overview of Proposed Changes
The new draft Holland Street safety plan proposes to add protected bike lanes in each direction by restricting parking on one side of the street and preserving parking on the other side of the street. The street is too narrow to allow two-way motor vehicle traffic, two-way bike facilities and two-sided street parking.
To help provide more parking options for residents, workers and visitors, off-street parking resources throughout the neighborhood are being increased. In Davis Square, a new 75-space public underground garage is scheduled to begin construction in 2023. The City has also invested in live-time informational signage guiding people to the public parking lot at Buena Vista Road. In addition, Tufts University has recently made fee-based public parking available at the privately-owned parking lot opposite Cameron Avenue (users must pay via app or kiosk in order to avoid ticketing). On side streets, the City has already added some parking meters and loading zones, and City staff are working on additional proposals for options of this type.
Curtis Street from Electric Ave to Teele Square
New commercial loading zones and metered parking are proposed on Curtis Street. A new curbside bike lane would help route westbound bike riders through the intersection. The net parking change for Curtis Street is an increase of 2 parking spaces, going from 7 to 9 spaces.
Holland Street from Teele Square to Claremon Street
From Teele Square (Broadway and Newbury Street) to Claremon Street, the new design proposes to retain parking on the north side of the street and restrict parking on the south side of the street. The north side parking is located seven feet from the curb, with a westbound protected bike lane against the curb. The north side was selected because is has more space than the south side due to driveway spacing, several buildings on the south side have off-street parking lots, and staff want to ensure that outdoor dining parklets can continue. When parklets are in operation, the seasonal outdoor dining would remain at the curbside and the bike lane would taper around it. In the wintertime, the parklet would be removed and the bike lane would be on the curbside. North side parking is currently planned as mixture of meters, commercial loading zones and overnight resident parking. The net change of parking in this street segment is a reduction of 8 parking spaces, going from 27 to 19.
Holland Street from Claremon Street to Elmwood Street
From Claremon Street to Elmwood Street, the new proposal is to retain parking on the north side of the street and restrict parking on the south side of the street. The north side parking is located seven feet from the curb, with a westbound protected bike lane against the curb. A protected bike lane runs eastbound toward Davis Square. These safety treatments would reinforce the safety benefit of the pedestrian-focused traffic islands that have already been installed at the corner of Holland and Cameron. The current proposal is for the north side parking to use meters during the daytime to generate regular turnover of the spaces, which means that more people can use the space over the course of the day. This parking would be resident-only overnight. The net change from Claremon Street to Elmwood Street is a reduction of 13 parking spaces, going from 21 to 8. The parking lot owned by Tufts University has recently been made available for public parking. Users can pay a fee using a QR code or at a kiosk in the lot.
Holland Street from Elmwood Street to Simpson Ave
From Elmwood Street to Simpson Ave, the new proposal is to retain parking on the north side of the street and restrict parking on the south side of the street. The north side parking is located seven feet off the curb, with a westbound protected bike lane against the curb. A protected bike lane runs eastbound toward Davis Square. These safety treatments would reinforce the safety benefits of the pedestrian-focused curb extensions that have already been constructed at Paulina and at Hodgkins Park crossing.
New raised crosswalks are scheduled to be constructed in the coming weeks across Holland at Paulina Street and at the Hodgkins-Curtin Park crosswalk. The net change from Elmwood Street to Simpson Ave is a reduction of 17 parking spaces, going from 25 to 8. North side parking is currently planned as mixture of meters, accessible-only, commercial loading zones and overnight resident parking.
Holland Street from Simpson Ave to Buena Vista Road Street
From Simpson Ave to Buena Vista Road, the new proposal is to retain parking on the north side of the street and restrict parking on the south side of the street. The north side parking is located seven feet off the curb, with a westbound protected bike lane against the curb. A protected bike lane runs eastbound toward Davis Square. A new raised crosswalk is scheduled to be constructed at Holland Street and Winter Street this fall. The City is proposing to construct a raised intersection at Holland Street and Irving Street/Thorndike in 2023/2024. The new safety proposal preserves the eastbound loading zone and peak hour bus lane opposite Wallace Street. To help people navigate to the public parking lot at Buena Vista Road, the City has recently installed live informational signage telling people how many parking spaces are available in the parking lot.
Holland Street from Buena Vista Road to Davis Square
From Buena Vista Road to Davis Square, the new safety plan does not propose any changes compared to the previous plan. A large loading zone for passenger and commercial loading is provided on Holland eastbound opposite Wallace. New protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes run along the curbsides in each direction. The City has added new loading zones and parking meters on several side streets already. Our staff are currently working to add additional loading zones and we will work with residents and business owners to accommodate as many requests as possible.
Parking Changes to Adjacent Streets
The City is also proposing additional metered, loading and accessible parking regulations on several side streets next to Holland Street. The map below shows 31 metered parking spaces, with 15 already approved by the Traffic Commission in July, 7 new 30-minute spaces, 10 loading spaces, and 2 new accessible spaces. Based on public feedback during the September 21 meeting, staff will propose additional designated accessible spaces on and around Holland Street.
Seasonal Parklets Clarification
Where parklets are set up on Holland Street, the bike lane will bend around the parklet on the left. This shift will be clarified with plastic flex posts. When parklets are taken down for the winter, the flex posts will be moved so that the bike lane runs along the curb and parking is permitted to the left of the bike lane.
Blue Bikes Clarification
The existing seasonal Blue Bikes public bikeshare station on Holland Street opposite Moore Street would be relocated to an off-street location at the corner of Holland and Cameron.
Next Traffic Commission Meeting will be held on October 6, 2022
The Traffic Commission will meet virtually on Thursday, October 6, at 5:30pm to review public comment on the draft safety proposal and deliberate on the proposed changes. Please click on or copy and paste the following link into your browser to join: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86224237670
To join by phone you can use:
One tap mobile : US: +13017158592,,86224237670# or +13092053325,,86224237670#
Or Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 301 715 8592 or +1 309 205 3325 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 646 931 3860 or +1 564 217 2000 or +1 669 444 9171 or +1 719 359 4580 or +1 720 707 2699 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 386 347 5053
Webinar ID: 862 2423 7670
Written comments can be sent:
By email to the Traffic Commission at trafficcommission@somervillema.gov (Please CC: transportation@somervillema.gov)
By mail to: Parking Department, ATTN: Traffic Commission, 133 Holland St, Somerville, MA 02144. Written comments will be accepted until 4:00pm on Thursday, October 6.
Written comments will then be posted to the meeting materials on the City Calendar following the meeting.
Interpretation into Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, Nepali, Mandarin, Cantonese, or other languages may be available upon advance request by contacting the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs at somerviva@somervillema.gov or calling 311 at 617-666-3311.
Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Adrienne Pomeroy, at 617-625-6600 ext. 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.
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Overview of Holland Street Mobility Improvements and Curbside Changes 2022/23
Share Overview of Holland Street Mobility Improvements and Curbside Changes 2022/23 on Facebook Share Overview of Holland Street Mobility Improvements and Curbside Changes 2022/23 on Twitter Share Overview of Holland Street Mobility Improvements and Curbside Changes 2022/23 on Linkedin Email Overview of Holland Street Mobility Improvements and Curbside Changes 2022/23 linkCity contractors will repave Holland Street from Claremon Street to Simpson Ave this summer following sidewalk reconstruction. The City will also install new pavement markings and parking regulation changes from Teele Square to Davis Square, and add parking meters on some side streets. These changes include:
- Consolidating bus stops
- Installing new raised crosswalks across Holland Street at Winter Street, Hodgkins-Curtin Park, and Paulina Street to improve the safety of people walking and wheeling
- Adding pedestrian refuge islands at the intersection of Holland Street and Cameron Ave to make it more comfortable and safer to cross for all users
- Creating in-lane bus stops
- Implementing a bike lane from Wallace Street to Teele Square northbound
- Installing a peak hour bus lane (6:00am - 9:00am) and commercial loading zone (after 9:00am) from Buena Vista Road to Winter Street southbound to improve bus reliability for people traveling in the morning and providing operations support for local businesses
- Implementing a protected bike lane from Davis Square to Winter Street northbound to improve the safety of people biking
- Installing a bus and bike lane from Winter Street to Davis Square southbound to improve the reliability of the bus for people taking transit and improve the safety for people biking
- Speed humps are also being installed on Wallace St, Buena Vista Rd, and Paulina St to compliment new traffic calming on Holland Street
- New parking meters will be added to Simpson Ave, Wallace St, and Irving St to help manage the curb changes
Check out the map below to see a visual of the changes along Holland Street.
You can also explore the specific details in the presentation slides shown at the July Traffic Commission Meeting.
Who's listening
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Email rwright@somervillema.gov -
Construction Public Information Officer
NAEmail nalakel@somervillema.gov -
Phone 617-981-2896 Email jmoos@somervillema.gov
Documents
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Holland St Loading Zone Review for Feb 2024 Traffic Commission Meeting (973 KB) (pdf)
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Final Safety Proposal - October 13 2022 Traffic Commission Meeting Holland St Design (6.67 MB) (pdf)
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Safety Proposal - October 6, 2022 Traffic Commission Items for Holland St (6.68 MB) (pdf)
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Draft Safety Proposal - September 21, 2022 Traffic Commission Meeting - Holland St Presentation Slides (6.77 MB) (pdf)
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Public Meeting 3 - Presentation (1.52 MB) (pdf)
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Public Meeting 3 - Video Recording
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Holland & W. Broadway MAPC Parking Study (10.4 MB) (pdf)
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Public Meeting 2 - Presentation (4.46 MB) (pdf)
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Public Meeting 2 - Video Recording
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Street Intercept Surveys
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Street Design Survey Results.pdf (473 KB) (pdf)
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Public Meeting 1 - Presentation (5.15 MB) (pdf)
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College Ave Paving Detour Map (325 KB) (pdf)
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July 2022 Mobility Traffic Commission Items (1.95 MB) (pdf)
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Holland Ave Design Changes Translated Text (381 KB) (pdf)
