Holland St & College Ave Mobility Improvements

Taking parking spaces away from people that have no other option other than taking parking spaces on the side streets will take away spaces from the people that live on those streets. Putting metered spaces in front of peoples residents is also taking away spaces. The off street parking issue would benefit the real estate developers that own property. I don't ride a bike I drive. Preventing me from driving will limit me from doing my errands and other essential travel

Understanding that this initiative’s primary aim is to increase public safety, and reduce the risk of serious injury or death for road users such as cyclists and pedestrians, it is important to establish and regulate the speed at which vehicles travel along Holland Street . While the posted speed limit is 20 mph, there are view visible roadsigns and none for vehicles entering Holland Street from Cameron Avenue. What about more effective speed limit road signage?

The proposed bike lane operates in one direction from Davis to Teele Square, which is uphill. Since downhill travel enables users to go faster with less effort, would it be prudent to have a bike lane going downhill from Teele toward Davis?

Ref. Teele Square to Claremon Street Proposed Regulations: what is the likelihood of ongoing car parking in front of the bank and pizzeria and what impact would this have on the effectiveness of the proposed plan?

Ref. Holland/ Cameron intersection: what about traffic signals; pedestrian crossing lights; or hatch lines to reduce hazards?

Ref. Paulina to Simpson in front of Hodgkins - Curtin Park: How convenient is the loading zone for the retail stores between Simpson and Wallace? What about restricting the metered parking between Simpson and Wallace to after 10 am to allow for morning deliveries and substituting the Curtin Park loading zone with metered parking?

Ref. Holland Street/ College Ave. corner: What proposed provisions are there for the (mainly Tufts) buses and delivery trucks currently using this intersection?

Ref. Summer Outdoor Dining areas along Holland Street (i.e PJ Ryans and Spoke Wine Bar): How will the proposed plan affect their continuation?

I am very worried about how this will turn out. Please read the last sentence of this feedback now to fully understand my concerns. Other comments I have read through purpose inappropriate safety measures, false driving aids, and massive disruptions to the fluidity of all or certain transporters. A system of transportation that works to get EVERYONE to where they are going quickly, efficiently, and without disruption will result in a much safer commuting environment. As a regular commuter via car, electric scooter, and walking, the traffic patterns we have been building around Cambridge often do more harm than help.

This is what I recommend picture by picture of the official proposal:
1. Intersection of Holland/Broadway/Curtis into an open double traffic circle. Like a figure 8 with no islands, one by Curtis and one by the Broadway/Holland triangle Island. Cars will go slow and drive safe by necessity. Bike lanes should trace the outside of the double circle, while cars navigate the inside.
2. Put BOTH bike lane directions on one side of the street for cyclists of both directions to share (as wide as one traffic lane). Separate the mega bike lane with parking, which would have to be closer to the middle of the street. Make the lanes of traffic squished to the side of the fire station, which will always have an open exit because never is there two stopped lanes of traffic there and bikes will be on the other side of the street.
3. Take the away the curbs that were installed. The mega bike path is undisturbed on the opposite side from Cameron. Incorporate a 3-way stop for cars with crosswalks that cyclists can use to turn into Cameron.
4. Paulina is a difficult street to turn into. At precisely that intersection, narrow the mega bike path slightly and widen the lane on the side of Gorham. This is to allow cars turning left on Paulina to stop and wait for an opening safely without blocking traffic behind them.
5. Mega bike lane does great here. Cars coming from Simpson or Irving first cross the bike lane, then have space to stop again to turn into Holland. The line of parked cars creates a zone for turning vehicles to wait. The proposed bike lane cross onto Bueno Vista could also be at Thorndike and Jay.
6. Mega bike lane comes to an end at the outstanding crosswalk by Davis Sq T Station. Instead of having a bus only lane, have extra parking to separate the mega bike lane before the crosswalk, remove the parking and shift the lanes momentarily closer to the bike lane (still with separation) where buses need to stop so that they do not disturb the flow of traffic (even though that is a high priority of the MBTA).

With the changes done on Massachusetts Avenue, it has become evident that highly structured "safe" road and line designs do not encourage safe driving habits. A street riddled with stop light intersections, non-intersection/stoplight crosswalks, pseudo bus lane/parking/load zones depending on time of day, and way too many signs in general (too many to read SAFELY while driving, is not a safe street). I have to cross at one of the blinking yellow light crosswalks every day to get to my car to commuter, I often times see cars brake frantically and accelerate to zoom by, neither makes me feel safe. I really hope the plan we decide on works well for everyone.

Again, the current proposal is worrisome to me because research shows that shared space road designs or variations with shared space influences actually increase efficiency, reduce traffic, and are safer. (Vox's YouTube video about traffic engineering in the US)

The designated bike lanes are an absolute necessity! We need to make streets safer for everybody that uses them, cars seem to be extra aggressive in Holland st and having dedicated bike lanes will increase safety for them.

Please install some sort of barrier to completely separate the bike lane from the traffic. Plastic posts will not be sufficient. Also please make sure there is enough room around the parklets for bikes to safely bike around these structures. We also need enforcement when cars park in bike lanes.

I fully support the adding separated protected bike lanes in Holland St. The city should add them in Broadway to avoid any other fatalities.

I used to ride my bike up and down Holland frequently. These designated bike lanes are much needed. The improvements for pedestrians and bus riders are also appreciated.

Thank you for collecting community input and for engaging us with the plan.

One issue I see with the proposal is that there is no parking/loading option coming from Teele into Davis for Atrius Health, the T station, and the daycare before 9am. The Atrius parking lot on Buena Vista is outrageously expensive ($3 for 30 minutes), so it is not a viable option in the current state.

Like others have expressed, I don't understand the proposal for the parklets. Further, the existing Spoke parklet makes visibility very difficult for left turns coming from Simpson onto Holland. I only see that getting worse with a bike lane in the mix.

Have more radical solutions been studied/considered? It seems like this proposal takes the current traffic patterns as given, but I wonder if there could be an even better solution if navigation through Davis Square was dramatically different (e.g. what if Winter was used more effectively? What if Holland was one way past Buena Vista? What if Holland was one way and cars were routed down Broadway the other direction? What if there were stop lights and pedestrian crossing signals across from the Atrius Health or the T station?).

Finally, I agree with other commenters (and have been writing in to 311 and to Mayor Ballantyne directly for YEARS) about safety on Broadway. Can Broadway please become a priority?

Broadway could also be part of the solution since it also runs into Teele Square. Like with the radical car navigation ideas, there could also be one for protected bike lanes - a protected bike lane in one direction from Davis to Teele on College/Broadway and another heading from Teele to Davis on Holland.

I would love if this solution was a true fix and not a bandaid.

Thanks for listening to our feedback!

I really like the Holland Ave bike lanes design! I have two pieces of feedback - 1. The corner of Curtis and Fairmont has very poor visibility. I take that often from both directions, and it's really hard for cars on Curtis and cars approaching on Fairmont to see each other. I don't know what could be done - maybe a bigger no parking zone on the corner, or maybe just a big mirror? 2 - a traffic light at Holland and Cameron (with a big "do not block" area on Holland) would be fantastic. Left turns at that intersection are difficult in both directions, and lead to cars cutting off bikes and pedestrians as the only possible way to make the turn (it's one of the only ways to get between Somerville and Mass Ave, so I think it does need to remain easy for cars and
bikes ).

As a parent and Somerville resident, I highly encourage you to build bollard-protected bike lanes along Holland St and College Ave.

Electric bikes and scooters are our family’s primary mode of mobility within and around Somerville, and dedicated infrastructure absolutely makes it more viable for us to get around safely and quickly for work, shopping, and other activities.

Cycling and micromobility are good for people’s health, wallets, and the environment. Basic geometry reveals that less space dedicated to cars creates opportunity for more people to visit, work, play, and buy.

I suspect you will get pushback from people that do not use these modes of transit. They tend to claim harm to their business or personal interests whenever car infrastructure is modified to be more inclusive, equitable, or sustainable by accommodating other modes of mobility.

Please be assured that they will all be OK given the abundance of dedicated infrastructure they enjoy. We also own and occasionally use a car, and we are happy to trade a fraction of the space dedicated to cars for improvements like those being considered here.

Overall this looks great! Thank you for prioritizing safety!

A couple points that I think could be looked into:
1) Please actually install and maintain the bollards! Those are literally lifesavers. In existing PBLs where the bollards have been run over or removed, we don't have any protection!
2) The area in front of hodgkins park would be improved and simplified if you pullled the bike lane up to sidewalk elevation and ran it behind the bus stop. You could also add back some parking in that stretch if the bike lane were straightened.

I live off Broadway in Teele and cycle via Holland to get to Cameron, Davis, etc.

Currently (and seemingly with this revised plan) there is no safe/protected means of connecting Broadway to Holland for bike traffic.

Cyclists currently have the following options to connect Broadway to Holland:

Ride East from Teele down Broadway to Simpson, use Simpson to connect to Holland - this bypasses the vast majority of the protected lanes and puts cyclists on a narrow residential street w/ often fast moving cut through MV traffic

Dismount and use 2x crosswalks in Teele Sq (1x to cross Broadway in front of the aux SPD office, 1x to cross Holland in front of SFD)

Illegally turn onto Holland from Broadway at Teele Sq

Cut through Lou Anne David park (currently has no curb cut appropriate for cyclists & existing curb cut has no bikes sign spray painted on)

As this revised plan is directly in response to the tragic death of one of our community members riding on Broadway, I’d argue that it is absolutely necessary to provide a means for cyclists to legally and safely turn from Broadway onto Holland in Teele Sq OR appropriate infrastructure must be built at Lou Anne David Park to facilitate safe cycling from Broadway to Holland.

Overall, I really like the new plan. More protected bike lanes help everyone, and there's plenty of parking along Holland and adjacent side streets. A few specific thoughts:

- My biggest concern is the removal of a PM bus lane into Teele Sq. Especially given that we are trying to convince the T to maintain meaningful bus service to Clarendon Hill in their new bus system plan, it's important for the buses to be able to avoid the traffic when heading through Teele Sq. Is there space to have the metered parking become a PM bus lane, and then have the last section be a full bus/bike lane as you have at the Davis Sq. end?

- Second, I'm confused about the parklets. The design shows them literally on top of the bike lane. Would people need to awkwardly walk through the bike lane to use the parklets?

- Third, I worry about the lack of a loading zone for the restaurants across from the Davis T station (and I think the Tufts shuttle picks up there, too?). Not sure how to solve that, though.

- Last, I think the Cameron/Holland intersection could really use stop signs or something like that. Turning left from Cameron onto Holland can be tricky when there's traffic, and trying to get through the intersection quickly while simultaneously threading between the new traffic islands is a little harrowing. I feel like a 3-way stop there would help slow down traffic, and would make that turn easier/safer for everyone.

Love the new design. I do think there should be some consideration for drop off/pickup areas but overall, I think everyone needs to give a little to keep people safe. Agreed with the comments that there needs to be serious improvements on Broadway from Powderhouse to the Arlington line.

Thank you for all the city does to be considerate of everyone.

I am in favor of this improved design. For too long Holland Street has been inhospitable to people who bike, this will remedy that problem. I bike daily, and this will improve my safety and that of my children who ride with me on the bike (and are beginning to ride on their own).
I do have some suggestions for the design: At the top of Holland, at the Teele Square triangle, there should be a sign that instructs people on bike to take this as a two-stage left, and use the bike box that is on Broadway. Without a sign many cyclists will not know what to do here, and will try to make the left turn in mixed traffic. That left is particularly dangerous because some drivers continue left-straight on Curtis. Making the left turn in mixed traffic is also dangerous for cyclists because of the bus stop at the corner of Broadway & Cutis. A bust may appear to be making the left, and then pull towards the curb to get to the bus stop without being able to see a cyclist. Clear signage will help for now, and hopefully one day the whole Teele Triangle could be reconfigured to improve this flow (and better yet, make the "square" more of a destination with a public plaza instead of just a crazy traffic triangle).

I am in favor of this improved design. For too long Holland Street has been inhospitable to people who bike, this will remedy that problem. I bike daily, and this will improve my safety and that of my children who ride with me on the bike (and are beginning to ride on their own).
I do have some suggestions for the design: At the top of Holland, at the Teele Square triangle, there should be a sign that instructs people on bike to take this as a two-stage left, and use the bike box that is on Broadway. Without a sign many cyclists will not know what to do here, and will try to make the left turn in mixed traffic. That left is particularly dangerous because some drivers continue left-straight on Curtis. Making the left turn in mixed traffic is also dangerous for cyclists because of the bus stop at the corner of Broadway & Cutis. A bust may appear to be making the left, and then pull towards the curb to get to the bus stop without being able to see a cyclist. Clear signage will help for now, and hopefully one day the whole Teele Triangle could be reconfigured to improve this flow (and better yet, make the "square" more of a destination with a public plaza instead of just a crazy traffic triangle).

I am pleasantly surprised by this redesign. I live on Elmwood St and commute to work via bike. My route takes me through much of this area (Holland to Teele to Curtis and beyond), and these protected bike lanes would significantly help reduce my risk of death on the road. This is a good start and similar plans should be implemented throughout the city.

Please ignore the concern-trolling about parking. As a multi-year resident of the area, we have more than enough street parking in the area. There's always extra available parking spaces, even at the busiest of times. Somerville is the densest city in New England, and shouldn't be designed around private vehicles. This redesign is a step in the right direction.

Could we please have a light , or 3 way stop sigh at the intersection of Holland and Cameron.
I am a Somerville resident, and home owner since 1996.
Thanks , Marianne McElroy
15 Newbury St

The plans on these protected bike lanes for Holland look great. I am curious if the seasonal parklet by Dave's and Spoke will block the lanes.

In general, I appreciate your work and hope you can push back on those who insist on car convenience above human lives. I would also say that this is a good step but more is needed, especially on Broadway. Why can't quick-build lanes be implemented there? Why only on Holland?

I am concerned about the decrease in parking near the Tufts Admin Building, where the city's senior center is located. On the best day, parking is limited. The various road work projects in the past year or so have further limited parking. In the meantime, the large parking lot next to the building has been almost totally empty since Covid hit and Tufts employees have been working from home. Tufts has made parking available there for a few higher than the city charges in for lots, including a few even for handicapped spaces. As a senior who regularly attends classes in th e senior center, I do not understand why the city was so short-sighted when making the deal with Tufts to share this building. Now that parking on the street is going to be further limited I would like the city to negotiate some short-term parking in that lot, reserved for free for seniors attending programs in the senior center.

Hi I am in favor of adding more bus-only & bike lanes as proposed; even if it results in reduced street parking. The city needs to make sure that buses have priority to flow through the squares and that bikes can move safely up and down Holland.
Thank you
Matthias
Somerville, Massachusetts

As someone that invariably goes through Davis Square at least four times a day, I am against any protected bike lanes. The ridiculous comments I have read so far will only cause more accidents. Cyclists seem to think they are above the law and these lanes are some kind of force field. Cyclists refuse to follow the rules of the road. At least once a week I am almost hit by someone on a bike that refuses to yield to pedestrians (as I walk to/from Davis station) in the cross walk or blows through the light in front of Mr. Crepes. When is the city going to address this? Why do they get even more rights when they continuously violate the laws? They wonder why they are getting hit when they come flying down the street not paying attention to vehicles making right turns then have the audacity to yell at the driver?? I look when I turn, but they come down the street so fast, that when I go to actually turn, they are coming out of no where.
Additionally, the traffic coming from Highland clearly does not understand they have to yield to Holland traffic when the Holland light turns green. I can’t even count how many times I have almost been t-boned.
The double parking on Elm Street needs to be addressed too, now that restaurants have taken over and it’s down to one lane through Davis Square.
They also need to clearly mark these ridiculous extended sidewalks and islands on Holland. They are hard to see at night and not having driven towards Teele Sq. in a while, I almost hit the curb on Paulina, not seeing the bump out.
Somerville should also starting putting signs at every street corner for pedestrians to STOP and LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING! I don’t know when parents stopped teaching their children this, but maybe stop looking at your phone and actually look before you cross. You may have the right of way, but when you are running down the sidewalk and come out of no where, you aren’t going to win the game of chicken.

Also you need to repave Broadway instead of bandaid fixing the awful potholes and sinking manhole covers.