By Kyle Dante

For West Washington improvements, improvement projects will go from Washington St. to Line St. to Webster Ave. The projects will cover sidewalk and ramp reconstruction, street paving, and new tree planting.

The program stems from 2019 neighborhood meetings on the future of Washington St. as a street design concept. Notably, protected bike lanes in both directions were considered. Somerville city staff added onto the concepts in 2020 with bus improvements.

A pilot evaluation began in 2021 that evaluated Washington St. as needing improved paving.

The pilot has several goals, leading to the proposed developments. It aims to improve bus service for the 86 line, as well as enhancing and improving Washington St., not only for safety concerns, but also the visibility of crosswalks. In doing so, it will reduce speeding behaviors and minimize the impacts of reduced on-street parking.

At the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) Zoom meeting on March 1, a public poll was taken on what else should be a part of the project. Specific items discussed included bus lane changes, new bike lanes, landscaping zones, traffic calming, improvement of crosswalks, sound for traffic signals, and changing the locations of street parking.

What the project will not cover includes substantial utility work, street lighting, green stormwater infrastructure, traffic signal control, and network design. The uncovered items have either been previously undertaken, such as the green infrastructures, or stalled due to budget shortfalls.

The scope of the project begins in March and extends to fall 2024. The month of March is dedicated to community feedback. Beginning in April and running throughout through May, the feedback will take shape as a tentative concept.

More feedback on the initial designs will be sought at the end of May into June. Final designs will be due in July. By October 2022, all construction plans are to be completed, bid on, and given to the contractor. By spring 2023, the construction begins and ends in fall 2024.

We will provide further information on the project following the second neighborhood meeting on Tuesday, March 15.