City struggles to find replacements amidst the pandemic
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By Joe Creason

The Traffic and Parking Committee, Chaired by Ward 5 City Councilor Mark Niedergang, was held on Monday, September 20.

A major topic of discussion was the resolution submitted by Ward 3 City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, asking that the city urgently address the insufficient number of crossing guards, and to present to the City Council a plan to ensure student safety in the absence of guards at multiple large intersections.

“Presently, we are experiencing 13 vacancies at crossing guard locations. We believe this is due to the advanced age of many of our crossing guards and the current situation with COVID-19. Right now, we are doing everything we can to alleviate our shortage issue,” said Deputy Chief of Police Christopher Ward.

Ward says that human resources is increasing outreach efforts and has created a new brochure which has been posted to the city website and the Police Department website.

“We want the community to know that the Somerville Police Department and Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development are collaborating closely together on this issue,” said Director of Mobility for OSPCD Brad Rawson.

Members of the Council had questions regarding the recent outreach efforts.

“I understand there are some complications because of COVID, but to me, putting brochures on websites is not community outreach,” Councilor Niedergang said. “Outreach is going out into the community and talking to community leaders who know people and might be able to encourage them to apply, so is anyone doing real outreach?”

Ward says that the police department is in the process of developing a better plan and have posted the new brochures to bulletin boards around the city. Members of the Council also proposed ideas to recruit at faith-based community meetings as well as on school bulletins.

An order sponsored by Councilor At-Large Wilfred N. Mbah called upon the Director of Engineering to install a crosswalk at Woods Avenue and Route 16. The order was posed to Director of Mobility Rawson for a response.

“This is an item that has been in the committee’s box for some time now, discussions we’ve had in this committee to date identify the really important desire line to connect our neighborhoods across Route 16 to the pools and athletic fields,” Rawson said.

According to Rawson, OSPCD has installed signalized crossings at High Street, Powder House Boulevard, Broadway and Boston Avenue.

“Since our last discussion, we have been in conversation with the state delegation who has been successful in securing extra funding which would be directed to the Massachusetts State Department of Conservation and Recreation to perform engineering analysis and design new signalized crossing,” Rawson said.

While Rawson says that a side street crossing would likely be installed at Woods Avenue, OSPCD is continuing to talk to the Massachusetts State Department of Conservation and Recreation about specifications with regards to the engineering contracts. The funding is sufficient for engineering analysis and design, however further funding will need to be secured to actually construct the signalized crossing, according to Rawson.

“We know many stakeholders are growing impatient for this milestone so we will reach out to the state and report back to the committee,” Rawson said.

In an order sponsored by Councilor Niedergang and Councilor At-Large Kristen Strezo, the Director of Strategic Planning and Community Development has been called upon to install flashing STOP signs at the intersection Lowell and Albion Street to prevent accidents caused by speeding or incautious motor vehicles.

“This has been a long-standing issue in the Lowell Street area, neighbors have been advocating for a stop signal at Albion Street for quite a while. The city has made some significant improvements in the area, however the neighbors want more,” Councilor Niedergang said.

According to Director of Mobility Rawson, OSPCD is conducting an engineering analysis of the area and speed has in fact been concluded to be the main culprit of danger on that road. Speed Bumps are being proposed throughout the area, including between Hudson and Albion Street, says Rawson.

In an order sponsored by the entire Council, OSPCD has been called upon to re-convene the High School Parking Working Group and provide an update on what is being done to understand and address parking issues for teachers, staff, and residents.

“Councilors have shown their support for our plan to distribute CharlieCard and commuter mobility benefits to 1,400 Somerville students. In addition, we’ve pushed funding for free blue bikes for City Hall staff and students with stations added to the Central Hill neighborhood and we’ve freed up parking in the Gilman Square Area for public employees. There’s a whole bunch of progress to report to the working group and the wider community so we are looking forward to having those conversations this fall,” Rawson said.