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Thank you to all who took the Western Washington Street Design Feedback Survey in October, attended the virtual public meetings in 2022, sent in email comments, or spoke to us at our street pop-ups. We appreciate hearing your feedback on transportation needs in the area, traffic safety concerns along Washington Street and around Ward 2, and your comments on the proposed reconstruction designs.
Below is a summary list of what we heard in feedback about the proposed designs. You can also check out the that summarizes what we heard in the design feedback survey.
Recognize that there is a strong push for protected bike lanes, but don’t want to forget about bus riders
Support from some who identified as transit riders for bus lane approaching Union and Dane St since it cuts through car congestion
Some support for consolidation of bus stops to reduce bus delay, and some concern over the placement of the consolidated bus stops
Urged to continue to do outreach to bus riders
Interest in improving the waiting experience at bus stops with amenities like benches or shelters
Enthusiastic support for protected bike lanes
Skepticism about bus/bike lane as an option for people of all ages and abilities
Washington Street described as an important connector to other bike facilities and key destinations like Union Square
Right turn out of Dane Street is heavily used for both people biking and driving and needs attention
Desire to provide safe ways to make left turns from Washington Street
Dangerous turning conditions at Beacon Street and Washington Street
Concerned about sidewalk condition and walking safety issues on nearby Hawkins Street due to speeding
Support for the increase in crosswalks proposed in the designs, with some asking for more crosswalks
Enthusiastic support for better sidewalks, especially as it improves access for people with mobility impairments or people traveling with children or strollers
Support for traffic calming facilities like raised crosswalks to reduce speeding vehicles, especially at key destinations such as Perry Park and Lincoln Park
Desire for additional raised crosswalks on adjacent streets, albeit these might be outside of the scope of the project
Advocacy for wider sidewalks when possible
Request for yellow flashing lights at crosswalks; audible crosswalk lights
Request for raised crosswalk at school entrance
Some support shared from people who drive – they like the clarification of bike movements and better visibility
Concern for teacher parking options near the Argenziano
Concern for increased frustration for people driving experiencing more congestion or being forced to go slower
Requests for loading zones and short-term parking options near businesses
Concern with the reduction of parking along the street
Desire for more trees and green space wherever possible
Requests to explore options for more trees around bus stops to make it easier while waiting in the sun
Advocacy to enlarge tree pits to provide more space to trees
The City initially identified Dane Street, Calvin Street, and Perry Street as candidates for speed humps. In the survey, 74% shared that they really support installing speed humps on these streets
Additional streets that residents asked the City to consider included Concord Ave, Newton St, Lake St, and Village St
Some concerned about installing any speed humps as they can be uncomfortable to drive over
City Council’s Finance Committee approved funding of the upcoming street and sidewalk reconstruction package that includes the Western Washington Street improvements. The package also includes the completion of the Holland and College Mobility Improvements project street repaving and sidewalk reconstruction for Meacham Road.
Along with street reconstruction, this package includes the installation of approximately 20-30 speed humps. Speed humps are traffic-calming devices intended to reduce vehicle speeds. These asphalt structures are 3-4 inches high. Speed humps are typically placed about 200 feet apart to prevent people from speeding in between them. Speed humps significantly reduce speeding while maintaining access for residents, services, deliveries, and first responders. Speed humps do not impact drainage, street sweeping, snow removal, or street parking. When selecting streets for speed humps, we first review any available speeding or traffic volume data that has been collected on the street. We look at a street’s design and if it has large distances between when a vehicle needs to stop at a stop sign, crosswalk, or traffic light. And then we prioritize streets that are next to schools, parks, and community path crossings. We place speed humps on streets that are relatively flat and straight.
The streets that are being proposed for speed humps in this package that are in Ward 2 include:
Now that City Council has approved the project financing, the next step is to secure a contractor to perform the construction work. In the meantime, City staff are developing final plans for Western Washington Street and incorporating the feedback we heard from the community. We will post the final plans on this website later this spring. The construction start date has not yet been determined but could begin anytime between Spring 2023 and Spring 2024.
If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to the Mobility Monthly Newsletter to get email updates about Somerville transportation planning projects, like the Western Washington Street project, and signup for City Alerts to receive notifications on construction, special events, and snow emergencies via text, phone call or email. If you have any questions, please reach out to the team at transportation@somervillema.gov.
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The City of Somerville shared proposed designs at the Second Western Washington Street Mobility Improvements Meeting on September 28, 2022. The City is proposing to implement protected bike lanes on both sides of the street, expand bus stops, install new crosswalks, and build raised crosswalks in addition to repaving the street and reconstructing the sidewalks. The side of the street that has parking will have raised bike lanes and floating bus stops, and the other side will have concrete curbs to separate bikes from traffic. Check out the presentation slides and recording of the meeting to learn more.
We now want to hear from you!
Take the survey to share your feedback on the proposed designs. What did we get right? What did we miss? The deadline for survey responses is October 31, 2022.
The survey is available in English, Español, Português, Kreyòl Ayisyen, नेपाली, 简体中文版, 繁體中文版.
You can also share comments, questions and ideas to our team by emailing transportation@somervillema.gov.
We will be hosting a pop-up event at Perry Park on Thursday, October 6, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Come check out maps of the proposed designs and ask the project team your questions.
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Flyers available in:
Join us for the second virtual community meeting to discuss roadway upgrades and traffic safety improvements on Washington Street.
At this meeting, City staff will:
-
Provide an update on the project timeline
- Share public survey response summaries
- Present proposed designs for Washington Street from Line Street to Webster Avenue
- Gather public feedback
The meeting will take place virtually on Wednesday September 28, at 6:00 p.m. Portuguese interpretation will be provided. Interpretation into Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, or Nepali 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.
For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.
US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 720 707 2699 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799
Meeting ID: 880 3264 6900
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.
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We continue to develop a conceptual design for Western Washington Street to improve safety and mobility for everyone traveling the street. We are aiming for our next community meeting to present proposed conceptual designs in September 2022. This is a slightly later schedule than we had anticipated for design development, but we do not expect this to hold up the anticipated construction schedule.
After the community meeting, we are aiming to release a design feedback survey and host a pop-up on the street to gather feedback on the proposed designs.
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The City of Somerville is reconstructing sidewalks and repaving Western Washington Street. City staff presented a potential scope, evaluation of the Quick-Build Pilot, and future options at the community meeting on March 1, 2022. We now want to hear from you!
Please let us know your feedback on how we can improve the street for people walking, taking the bus, or riding bikes.
The survey is available in English, Español, Portugues, Kreyòl Ayisyen, नेपाली.
The survey deadline is Monday, March 28, 2022.
You can also put comments in specific locations on the Public Input Map!
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Join us for a virtual community meeting on to discuss roadway upgrades and traffic safety improvements on Washington Street.
At this meeting, City staff introduce the scope and timeline of the possible sidewalk reconstruction and repaving project, review the Quick-Build Pilot, and explore future options with attendees. If you are not able to join, there will be an opportunity to provide feedback through a survey.
The meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday, March 1, at 6:00 p.m. Portuguese interpretation will be provided. Interpretation into Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, or Nepali 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.
For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.
US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 720 707 2699 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799
Meeting ID: 894 8829 0436
Passcode: 032025
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.
First Community Meeting Presentation Slides (Mar 1, 2022) (5.43 MB) (pdf)
Community Meeting #2 Flyers
