Intersection Redesign: Powder House Boulevard and Alewife Brook Parkway

February 2023 Community Meeting

Wednesday, February 1, at 6:00 p.m.

Please join us for a virtual community meeting to learn more about this project. Topics to be covered include:

• Review of the final design and planned improvements
• Overview of the construction process and timeline
• Neighborhood Q&A session with City staff

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0Aeckje5S32OytNVWGufKQ

Project information also available in the following languages:

• Español
• Portugues
• Kreyòl Ayisyen
• नेपाली
• 简体中文
• Traditional Chinese

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(External link) 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(External link).

Over the coming weeks, City contractors will begin work to reconstruct and improve the intersection of Powder House Boulevard. and Alewife Brook Parkway. This project will redesign the existing traffic circle to create a T-shaped intersection with traffic signals--in order to create safer roadway conditions for all people walking, wheeling, biking, and driving. This project will also include rehabilitation of aging underground infrastructure.

Anticipated Work Schedule (subject to change):

Construction is expected to begin sometime in the coming weeks and continue through the fall of 2024. Work will take place weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

For more information and to stay up to date:

• Attend our upcoming construction community meeting (details forthcoming, anticipated late January)

• Make sure you are signed up for city alerts to receive notification of construction impacts (traffic detours, sewer rehabilitation, etc.)

• Check this page for periodic updates and important notifications

If you have questions, please call the Engineering Division at 617-625-6600 ext. 5400 or email construction@somervillema.gov.

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov.

Handouts available in:

• English
• Español
• Português
• Kreyòl Ayisyen
• 繁體中文版

• नेपाली

• 简体中文版

The City will begin reconstructing the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Powder House Boulevard this year. The project will redesign the existing traffic circle to create a ‘T’ shaped intersection with traffic signals to control the flow of vehicles, upgrade aging 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 48 crashes from the past 7 years (2014-2021).

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 drivers; 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. Shared Streets are low volume residential streets where people walking and wheeling are prioritized over cars.

Construction is scheduled to begin later in 2022 and completed in 2024. To stay up to date on construction, sign up for City Alerts available via phone call, text, or email and in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Kreyol, Nepali, Traditional and Simplified Chinese.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at transportation@somervillema.gov or come visit us at our pop-up on our rescheduled date of Thursday, September 1, from 2:00pm to 5:00pm at the intersection of Powder House Boulevard and Hardan Road.

The City is continuing to advance design for the project to reconstruct the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Powder House Boulevard. The project will upgrade aging underground infrastructure and create safer roadway conditions for people walking, wheeling, biking, and driving. The design includes a new "Shared Street" that incorporates a raised crosswalk at the entrances, plantings, "bump-outs," and other traffic calming measures.

The project team is looking for more input from direct abutters of the new shared street. Please share your input in this survey and check out this handout that describes some of the proposed changes and projected timeline. For any questions, please reach out to transportation@somervillema.gov.

The City and the consultant team are continuing to work on design of the new intersection. In July, City staff held a public meeting with direct abutters of the project. The presentation from that meeting is posted under the Presentations section on this page. The current design concept includes the creation of a new residential shared street in front of several homes that currently border Alewife Brook Parkway. A residential shared street is a street where pedestrians and bicyclists are prioritized. Cars are still allowed on the street, but the design communicates that drivers are not the primary road users – signage alerts drivers to expect pedestrians to be using the street space, and physical traffic calming elements (such as speed humps, plantings, or bends in the road) are used to ensure slow driving. For more information on shared streets, check out this resource and review the public meeting presentation to abutters.

In addition to creating more space for walking and rolling, this new residential shared street would provide a direct and safe connection between the neighborhood and the newly designed greenspace area on the south side of Alewife Brook Parkway. This greenspace area would be an enlargement and enhancement of the existing traffic island. Currently, given the two lanes of traffic that separate the neighborhood from the existing island, it’s not a usable greenspace for the neighborhood. This project would address that, and would make the traffic island usable park space for our City.

If you have questions or comments on the current concept, don’t hesitate to reach out to City staff.

Thank you for attending the first public meeting last November, filling out the survey, and sharing your priorities for an improved intersection. Based on the feedback we received and shared goals by residents and the City to create significantly safer pedestrian and bicycle connections at this intersection, we are moving ahead with the signalized intersection concept. The updated concept will be further defined as project design progresses. The exact placement of sidewalks, bike lanes, and other traffic calming elements will be reviewed by City staff as well as our partners at the Department of Conservation and Recreation. There will also be additional opportunities for resident input, so please continue to check this page for updates. The improved concept maximizes green space, reduces the crossing distance for pedestrians and bicyclists, and incorporates raised bike lanes on Powderhouse Boulevard from North Street to Alewife Brook Parkway. We are excited for these transformational changes!