Western Pearl Street Reconstruction

Final Design Update

The City of Somerville has a final design for the Western Pearl Street Reconstruction project. After nearly a year and a half of engaging community members, exploring design alternatives, collecting traffic data, testing emergency operations, and developing a design, the City has prepared a new vision for Pearl Street between Medford Street and McGrath Highway that includes:

Street Condition Improvements

• A repaved road.
• Reconstructed sidewalks.

Pedestrian Improvements

• Accessible curb ramps at all existing and new crosswalks.
• Curb extensions at intersections along Pearl Street.
• Raised crosswalks across side streets that intersect with Pearl Street and across Pearl Street at Wigglesworth Street.
• Raised crosswalks across two sections of Medford Street with a realigned intersection at Pearl Street.
• Raised intersections at Marshall Street and Walnut Street.

New Bicycle Facilities

• A two-way protected bike lane from Medford Street to Skilton Avenue.
• A one-way protected bike lane heading eastbound between Skilton Avenue and McGrath Highway.
• Enhanced Neighborway connections through Skilton Avenue and Ed Leathers Park connecting to the existing Gilman Street Neighborway.

Parking Changes

• Two fully accessible parking spaces.
• Two loading zones.
• Parking options primarily on the north side of the street.
• 9 spaces on Pearl Street and 3 spaces on some nearby side streets removed.

Bus Improvements

• One floating bus stop and 3 in-lane bus stops.
• Two bus shelters near Marshall Street.

More Amenities

• More benches around Triangle Park and Medford Street.
• And 22 new trees.

This design follows the goals set out in the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries on our streets and the vision of the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan to create a connected network for people of all ages and abilities to travel by bike. The design was shaped from community members’ stories and feedback heard in conversations on the street, at our open houses, in small businesses and community events, in surveys and emailed comments collected throughout design development. Some examples of key features that were guided by community input include:

• A new crosswalk across Medford Street to increase safety and enhance connectivity to the Gilman Square MBTA Green Line Station and Community Path.
• A raised intersection at Walnut Street to reduce speeding and prioritize people using the crosswalks in the area.
• Bicycle options that provide safer connections around the neighborhood and maintain curbside access options for residential, visitor/customer, delivery, and home healthcare worker parking.

Click here to see the Final Illustrative Plan. For more details, please check out the Sign and Pavement Markings Plan and Bike Circulation diagram. For an overview of the project and presentation on the final design, please check out this presentation which includes the proposed parking regulation changes to be presented to the Traffic Commission on February 12.

We are so grateful to all the community members who participated in the development of this design sharing their transportation safety concerns, preferences for design directions and conceptual design options, and providing ideas to incorporate. To learn more about what community members shared with us throughout design development as well as to see how we engaged people, please check out our Pre-Concept, Concept Design Options, and Updated Design Community Engagement Reports. You can also learn more about the story of this project by exploring the newsfeed on this project website.

Additional Street Safety Improvements in the Area

Walnut Street at Pearl Street Traffic Signal Changes

We continue to develop a plan and evaluation process to test decommissioning the red/yellow/green signal on Pearl Street at Walnut Street. We anticipate piloting this signal change following the construction of the raised intersection at this location. We will add any updates to this work on this project website.

Quick-Build Protected Bike Lanes on Medford Street from Pearl Street to School Street

We plan to install protected bike lanes in both directions on Medford Street to connect the new facilities on Pearl Street to the existing two-way bike lanes on School Street heading towards the Community Path. We anticipate removing 4 on-street parking spaces to make space for these quick-build bike lanes. We shared these designs throughout Western Pearl Street public outreach. We believe it makes sense to complete this quick-build work at the same time as the new design for Western Pearl Street is implemented. We will include updates to this work on this project website and on the Medford Street and School Protected Bike Lanes website.

Next Steps for Design

On February 12, we will present to the City’s Traffic Commission to seek approval for the parking regulation changes. These changes primarily include requesting that parking be relocated to the north side of the street, be restricted in locations where new crosswalks are called for and be spaced to comply with the City’s Clear Corners regulations. We are also proposing to convert some 2-hour except by permit spaces to new accessible spaces and loading zones.

Looking Ahead to Construction

Pending Traffic Commission approval, the City will put the design out to bid for a construction contractor later this winter. We will work to secure a contractor so that construction could begin during the 2026 construction season and be completed by November 2027. Once we have selected a contractor and have a preliminary construction schedule, we will provide an update on this project website indicating when and where we anticipate work will begin.

How you can stay informed

• This website - Once construction begins, we’ll post regular detailed updates about ongoing and upcoming works on this page.
• Sign up for City Alerts– Sign up for City Alerts to receive notifications about this project and other essential information. Alerts are geographically targeted so make sure your address is updated to receive all alerts related to this project.
• Construction newsletter – A monthly email about work happening across Somerville--featuring progress updates on Pearl Street and more.
• Follow Somerville Infrastructure on Bluesky - Posts about curb-cuts, culverts, and more.

Getting in touch with the project team

• About the project design or community engagement process: Mobility Division staff will continue to be available to answer questions about the new street design. They can be reached directly at transportation@somervillema.gov or by contacting 311.
• For information about the construction process and impacts: You can connect with members of the project team from the City’s Engineering Division and Communications Department directly at construction@somervillema.gov or by calling the Engineering Division at (617) 625-6600 ext. 5400 or contacting 311.

On October 4, the City hosted an outdoor open house to share the Updated Design for the Western Pearl Street Reconstruction project. Thank you to the community members who were able to join, ask questions, and share your feedback.

After reviewing all the feedback we collected in May 2025 for the concept design options, we developed a more detailed version of the Concept Design Option 1. The design includes:

• A two-way protected bike lane from Medford Street to Skilton Avenue.
• A one-way protected bike lane heading eastbound between Skilton Avenue and McGrath Highway.
• Raised crosswalks across side streets that intersect with Pearl Street.
• A raised crosswalk across two sections of Medford Street.
• Raised intersections at Marshall Street and Walnut Street.
• Two fully accessible parking spaces.
• Two loading zones.
• One side of parking primarily on the north side of the street.
• Four in-lane or floating bus stops.
• And approximately 16 new trees.

Take a look at the materials below to learn more about the proposed concept design options.

• Check out the posters from the October 4 Open House detailing the project design elements.
• Review the Updated Design Illustrative Plan.
• Check out the brochure for an overview of the proposed changes in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Nepali.
• Watch a recorded presentation describing the Updated Design.

We want to hear from you! Over the next month, we aim to gather as much feedback as possible through a variety of community outreach activities.

Take our Updated Design Feedback Survey to share your feedback. The survey is now available until October 31, 2025. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Nepali, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.

Come join us at our upcoming street outreach pop-up on October 7 at the intersection of Medford Street and Pearl Street from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to talk to staff in-person, share your ideas, and ask questions. If we change the date due to inclement weather, we will post an update on project webpage.

Join one of our Virtual Office Hours to ask your questions or give feedback to the project team. Community members can log into the zoom webinar at any time during the event.

• Friday, October 17 from 12 – 1 p.m. Register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qt3V6IqmRzGl6ijT-TAbvA
  • Call-in information: +13126266799,,87407074000#
  • Or dial: +1 312 626 6799
  • Webinar ID: 874 0707 4000
  • Passcode: 640596

At any time, please feel free to reach out to the Mobility Division with any of your questions or comments at transportation@somervillema.gov or 311 (617-666-3311). If you would like to sign up for the Mobility Monthly Newsletter to get updates about this project and other transportation planning work in the City, subscribe here. If you would like to join the project’s direct email list, please reach out to transportation@somervillema.gov.

Accessibility: 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 in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.

Language Interpretation options: Interpretation into any language is available upon advance request (at least seven days in advance) by contacting the Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or calling 311 at 617-666-3311.

Meetings Flyers available in English | Español | Português | 繁體中文 | 简体中文 | Kreyòl Ayisyen | नेपाली

The City is rescheduling the Open House for Saturday, October 4, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. We are also moving the inclement weather location to the Somerville High School Atrium. Please see below for updated details.

Mayor Ballantyne, Ward 4 Councilor Jesse Clingan, Ward 1 City Councilor Matt McLaughlin, and City staff invite you to an open house to discuss the Updated Design for the Western Pearl Street reconstruction project.

Date & Time: Saturday, October 4, 12 – 2 p.m.

Location: Ed Leathers Park, 98 Walnut Street.

Inclement weather location: Somerville High School Auditorium, 81 Highland Avenue. If there is inclement weather in the forecast, the City will update the project website approximately 48 hours ahead of time and send an update to project email subscribers and a City Alert to people who live in the project area. If you are not already on the project email subscription list and want to be, please send your request to transportation@somervillema.gov.

More details: The City of Somerville is planning to reconstruct sidewalks, repave, and redesign Western Pearl Street between McGrath Highway and Medford Street to improve safety, accessibility, and sustainability.

In the spring of 2025, we gathered community feedback on two different design options. The City spent the past few months reviewing all the community feedback collected, choosing one design direction, and advancing the design. We want to bring this updated design to community members to gather community input before finalizing the design and preparing for construction.

The open house will feature multiple stations describing different aspects of the project. Drop-in anytime during the event to review materials and talk with project team members about your feedback and questions. Pizza will be provided.

Questions: At anytime, please feel free to reach out to the Mobility Division with your questions and comments by email at transportation@somervillema.gov or by calling 311.

Accessibility: 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 in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.

Language Interpretation options: Interpretation into any language is available upon advance request (at least seven days in advance) by contacting the Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or calling 311 at 617-666-3311.