Attend the Western Pearl Street Reconstruction Updated Design Open House

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: Wednesday, October 1, 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Location: Ed Leathers Park, 98 Walnut Street.

Inclement weather location: Somerville Central Library Auditorium, 79 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.

Other ways to learn more and provide feedback on the design options: We aim to provide a range of options to learn and engage in this phase of the project.

  • Recorded presentation: Within a week of the open house, we will upload a recorded presentation going through the same materials presented at the open house.
  • Design feedback survey: From October 1 through October 27, community members can share their feedback via our online survey. The survey will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Nepali, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. If you prefer to take this survey via phone, call 311 (617-666-3311) and submit a call back request.
  • Street Outreach Pop-Up: Come talk to us on the street. We are aiming to host a pop-up at the intersection of Medford Street and Pearl Street on October 7 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. If inclement weather is forecasted, check the website approximately 48 hours ahead for event updates.
  • Virtual Office Hour:Join City staff at either of the following office hours to ask your questions or share comments. Participants can join anytime.
  • Community group outreach and community events: Between October 1 and October 27, we will also be scheduling meetings with local community groups, visiting nearby small businesses, and tabling at SomerStreets Monster Mash.

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.

Other Updates in the Neighborhood: As part of the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan and through funding provided by the City’s Participatory Budgeting, the City aims to install protected bike lanes on Medford Street between Pearl Street and School Street and upgrade the protected bike lane barriers on School Street between the Community Path and Medford Street.

The new facilities on Medford Street will include a two-way bike lane on the southside of the street protected with pre-cast concrete curb barriers and plastic flex posts. To make space for these new facilities, we aim to remove three parking spaces on the northside and shift the northbound and southbound motor vehicle travel lanes slightly north. These changes will not impact the bus stop located at the intersection of Medford Street and School Street.

The City installed a similar design temporarily with flex posts in the summer of 2023 for the Community Path detour while work was being completed on the Somerville High School athletic field.

On School Street, in the existing two-way protected bike lanes between the Community Path and Medford Street, the City will replace many of the flex posts with pre-cast concrete curbs.

For more details, visit the project webpage.

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