FAQs

Protected bike lanes are separated from vehicle traffic either by a buffered area with vertical barriers or raised to sidewalk level. Vertical barriers can include plastic flex posts, planters, and pre-cast concrete curbs. In quick-build projects, we often use flex posts.

Protected bike lanes increase comfort and access for people of all ages and abilities, reduce crash and injury risk, eliminate the threat of “dooring” from parked vehicles, and reduce potential conflicts between vehicles and people biking. According to the US Department of Transportation, converting traditional unprotected bicycle lanes into protected lanes can reduce crashes up to 53%.

Quick-build projects do not have the opportunity to reconstruct the sidewalks, move the sidewalk curb line, or repave the street as you would see in a complete street reconstruction. Quick-build projects are a cost-effective way for us to expand our network of safe streets while maintaining flexibility to make adjustments and evaluate options for a more permanent constructed redesign. Quick-build projects are generally quicker to implement then full street reconstruction but they are not built in a week. Installation can often take a few months to complete due to weather or supply delays for quick build materials and pavement markings. The City is committed to a robust community outreach and design process in our quick-build projects, using many of the same outreach techniques and public feedback processes that are used in our reconstruction projects.

We will begin with gathering community feedback on safety concerns and ideas for the project area in June through July 2025. We will use this feedback and analyze available data such as vehicle volume, vehicle speeds, transit delay, and parking utilization, to develop designs. We aim to implement the new design in 2027. 

The Somerville Bicycle Network Plan envisions an 88-mile network of streets and paths where people of all ages and abilities will be able to bike safely and comfortably. The Plan aims to vastly expand biking infrastructure and provide greater connectivity so that residents, workers, and visitors can bike to schools, parks, jobs, businesses, and other key destinations in Somerville. To learn more, visit somervillema.gov/bikenetwork.

Adopted in June 2024, the Safe Streets Ordinance furthers the City’s efforts to accelerate street safety and accessibility improvements by reaffirming Somerville’s Complete Streets approach to street improvement projects, incorporating the goals for the City’s Bicycle Network Plan into street design and ensuring work to increase accessibility. This can include elements like improved bus stops and traffic calming installations. It includes executing the goals detailed in the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan and the ADA Title II Transition Plan, in addition to completing the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan’s 40-mile priority network by 2030. 

In the roll out of the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan, the City developed a Priority Network to be completed by 2030. We developed the priority network based on a set of criteria that focuses on equity, connectivity, access to destinations, topography, and safety. Somerville Avenue (Elm Street to Bow Street) is on the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan Priority Network.