February 2024 Project Update
Thank you to all those who participated community outreach activities for the West Broadway Reconstruction Project. We want to provide an update on the design, and the work that’s taken place over the fall.
Design Update
At the October 23 community meeting, we shared that we anticipated publishing a concept design at a community meeting in late winter. We now aim to present that concept design to community members in April. This does not impact the future construction schedule but provides us more time to incorporate community feedback and data collection into design development. We will post information about upcoming community meetings on this website. You can also subscribe to the monthly Mobility newsletter to get email notifications direct to your inbox.
Fall Community Engagement Report
From September 19, 2023, to December 6, 2023, the City worked to engage community members and gather feedback around transportation safety issues, concerns, and priorities for the street to inform the future West Broadway redesign.
In this time period, City staff hosted a virtual community meeting, block walked to local businesses, posted flyers on nearby homes, shared flyers at the nearby mobile farmers’ market, hosted a street outreach pop-up, conducted an online survey, facilitated an online public input map, and hosted an in-person meeting at Clarendon Towers. We also logged emails that came to our team and reviewed past 311 service requests that were submitted regarding the street.
Check out this report describing all the community outreach activities and specific comments, questions, and ideas we received. There is also a short summary below describing what we heard.
Transit
Some community members asked the City to consider a morning peak hour bus lane that could revert to parking after the rush hour. Some asked if transit signal priority would be part of the project to help more buses travel faster through intersections. Some also shared skepticism of the effectiveness of short bus lanes and if it reduced delay while some requested more bus lanes so that the buses could avoid congestion. Some advocated for shared bus/bike lanes in the downhill direction over protected bike lanes on both sides. Some advocated for prioritizing bus riders traveling from Clarendon Hill to improve connectivity. Some requested more benches at bus stops or shelters at high ridership locations.
Biking
Community members shared the desire for safe biking facilities in both directions and advocated for more bike parking to access businesses. Some advocated for as many floating bus stops as possible to remove the conflict with people biking as well as provide more curbside access for parking since floating bus stops are shorter than curbside bus stops. Some shared their opposition or concerns about bike infrastructure and conveyed that it negatively impacts older adults or people with disabilities who might rely on walking and driving more. Some suggested that if the design only includes a protected bike lane in one direction, that it should be located in the uphill direction. Many shared that they currently feel unsafe traveling on West Broadway because of the poor pavement quality and having to share the road with vehicles that go at high speeds when the road isn’t congested. Some shared that they would only bike on West Broadway if there were protected bike lanes at sidewalk level or curb separated, while some shared that new protected bike facilities make them feel less safe.
Sidewalks
Community members shared that some sidewalk panels need to be fixed as they have been upended by large tree roots or are cracked. Some advocated for new and wider sidewalks to help increase pedestrian traffic and support small business patronage. Some advocated for continuous sidewalks at small intersections or installing raised crosswalks to encourage vehicles to slow down when turning onto side streets. Some community members shared that some of the current sidewalks do not have accessible curb ramps.
Speeding, unsafe driving, and other safety issues
Some people shared their safety concerns about the entrance and exits at the gas station by Victoria Street creating additional turning conflicts and vulnerabilities for people walking and rolling. Some advocated for more signage or flashing lights to communicate to people driving to slow down. Others shared that congestion seems to prevent speeding; however, it results in people going through red lights and not yielding to crosswalks.
Pavement condition
Some community members shared that Broadway is a key route for buses and trucks so the City should be mindful of ensuring pavement durability with a large number of heavy vehicles. Many described the poor quality of the pavement and how that makes it unsafe to both drive and bike on. Some advocated for simply repaving while others advocated for traffic calming once repaved so that vehicles are less likely to speed.
Traffic management, signals, and pavement markings
Many people described that signal timing at the signalized intersections is causing massive congestion at peak times. This was particularly described for Alewife Brook Parkway and in Teele Square. Some described that higher volumes coming in and out of Somerville (rather than from Arlington) in addition to the lack of left turn option from Somerville off of Alewife Brook Parkway, causes congestion and vehicles either taking a “Massachusetts left” or turning on the red light. Severe congestion in Teele Square can hold up buses traveling to Davis Square. Some even described that they’ve chosen to walk instead of taking the bus from Clarendon Hill to Davis Square, and managed to beat the bus to the destination. Around the time of the survey release, some adjustments had been made to the signal system in Teele Square. Contractors couldn’t implement all the proposed adjustments, and this resulted in unexpectedly longer queues.
Amenities
Some people requested more trash cans especially closer to North Street to help reduce the prevalence of trash.
Parking
Some people shared that parking can be necessary for business operations but walking and biking infrastructure could be more critical for frequent access to small businesses. Some shared that parking or curbside access is critical for picking up food or unloading product. Many businesses shared their need for parking for both loading as well as customer access. Some asked the City to consider EV charging options.
Environment and greenery
Community members advocated for more green space with opportunities to sit and enjoy the street with benches and shade coverage. Some advocated for using wide sections of sidewalk for new plantings. Some shared that there are segments with no trees making the street less comfortable to walk on.
Operations
Some community members advocated for parking enforcement paired with changes. They described some improvements in other parts of the city aren’t as effective when people park in bus stops or on bike lanes.
Crossings and intersections
Many comments, questions, and concerns that we heard focused on intersections and crosswalks along the street. Many people who use the crosswalks along the street say people driving often fail to yield to people waiting to cross and speed through when the street isn’t congested. Many advocated for flashing crosswalk signs, crossing islands, and other features to make intersections safer for all users. Some requested that more of the side street crosswalks be moved closer to Broadway rather than set back to make pedestrians more visible to turning vehicles. Some shared that new protected bike lanes make visibility at crosswalks worse. The survey report provides detailed comments, but some of the most mentioned intersections we heard about within the project limit are the crossings between Clarendon Towers and Stop & Shop, and Clarendon Avenue at Broadway.
- At Clarendon Towers and Stop & Shop, many cited the lack of safety at the crossing. They described that vehicles turn off Alewife Brook Parkway and speed through the crossing and don’t always yield to people waiting to cross. The crosswalk itself has holes where even some residents have fallen. Some advocated for a traffic signal to make vehicles stop at a red light so people can safely cross. Some asked for improvements sooner than the planned construction for the project. Many advocated for prioritizing this crossing for safety improvements.
- Many described how the crosswalk at Clarendon Avenue is unsafe to cross. Many shared that they believe vehicles are trying to turn onto Clarendon Avenue to get to Massachusetts Avenue. The high volumes and lack of signal at this specific intersection causes congestion and drivers to quickly take a left from the westbound direction ignoring pedestrians in the crosswalk. Some described that this turn is often blocked as well by vehicles trying to travel into Teele Square causing backups in the westbound direction.
- Many community members also discussed challenges at Farragut Avenue, Russell Road, Garrison Street, and Victoria Street describing issues like poor visibility for people driving seeing oncoming vehicles when trying to make turns, and difficulties seeing pedestrians trying to cross.
