On January 14th the proposed construction of Washington Street, will be scrutinized by the Board of Alderman in a meeting open to the public. ~Photo by Martin Levenson By Martin Levenson A portion of Washington Street, from McGrath Highway to the Boston City line, is set to be reconstructed, paved over and generally revamped for the safety of pedestrians and the efficiency of traffic. New and better sidewalks, bus stops, and traffic lights are being proposed. "Additionally with respect to the American with Disabilities Act we'll do all new ped ramps," said David Giangrande, the President of Design Consultants, Inc., the construction firm Somerville has put its faith in to complete this fix-up of approximately three tenths of a mile on Washington Street.

Last Thursday Mr. Giangrande, members of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation – Highway Division (Mass Highway), select members of local government, concerned residents and Mayor Curtatone gathered at the Ralph & Jenny Senior Center for a public hearing on the construction of Washington Street. "I was asked: Is this a done deal? Yes, this is a done deal," said Mayor Curtatone before a crowd of Somervillians and local officials Thursday night. Speaking of Mass Highway, Curtatone told the crowd, "These gentlemen are our allies. They have nothing to do with the problems of the past."

This planned construction is to be funded using money from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The estimated cost of the Washington Street project is $1.75 million. It is the general consensus that construction will take eight months to finish. "The project will be done in one construction season, we believe," said Mr. Giangrande. When pressed by a local business owner as to the exactness of when the construction would start and end, Al Miller of Mass Highway informed those at the hearing that construction would in all likelihood begin in late spring. Continuing on this point, Mr. Miller said, "For all intents and purposes it should be done within a year."

After the officials spoke, the residents in attendance were encouraged to speak up and voice their concerns. Gerald Laurentau of Tufts Street asked the officials to take special interest in planting enough trees and the correct species of trees after the initial construction. "I'm sort of a tree guy," he says. Stan Koty, Commissioner of the Somerville Department of Public Works assured Laurentau that trees would be planted and that these trees would be the correct type. Mr. Chochrek, a resident of Somerville, asked about trash cans, saying that currently there are hardly enough public trash barrels which makes Somerville appear dirtier than it has to. "We will be adding some trash receptacles along the route," says Mr. Giangrande. When asked precisely how many receptacles would be added, Mr. Giangrande told the crowd that he had plans to add eight.

All those in attendance at this public hearing were given a thick packet with an attached sheet for Somerville residents to write to Frank A. Tramontozzi, the Chief Engineer of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. All those not in attendance are encouraged to contact City Hall at 617-625-6600 for information on this project and for information on how to leave your comments with Mr. Tramontozzi. On January 14th the proposed construction of Washington Street, will be scrutinized by the Board of Alderman in a meeting open to the public.