Continued Progress on Western Washington Street

Crews have been rebuilding sidewalks on the southern/even-numbered side of the street. Work has been proceeding east from Beacon Street toward Webster Avenue.

On sections of the street where we are building a sidewalk-level bike lane, crews have been installing a cobble buffer between the sidewalk and bike facility as seen in the image below (left).

Crews have also been installing a new floating bus stop (above right) near the intersection of Washington Street and Bowdoin Street.

What is a floating bus stop? A floating bus stops is a sidewalk bump outs that provide dedicated waiting and boarding areas for bus riders, while streamlining bus service and improving accessibility by enabling the bus to stop in the travel lane rather than having to pull over to the curb. Floating bus stops are separated from the sidewalk by a bike lane, eliminating conflicts between buses and bikes at stops and improving safety for people biking.

Following completion of work on the southern/even-numbered side, work will progress to the northern/odd-numbered side.

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