The proposed Safe Streets ordinance would address the needs of non-drivers on Somerville city streets.

By Parker Garlough

The Somerville City Council’s Legislative Matters Committee recommended that the Somerville City Council pass the Safe Streets ordinance, which would require that the needs of non-drivers are accounted for in street enhancement projects, and that Somerville would construct 29 miles of separated bike lanes by 2030.

The ordinance aims to appropriately accommodate all road users. Each time a street is reconstructed, repaved, or rehabilitated, the city would be required to incorporate elements that benefit cyclists, pedestrians, and transit users.

One aim for the committee’s discussion was to clarify what types of road work would fall under this ordinance. Councilor At Large Willie Burnley, Jr., one of the sponsors of the ordinance, said that he aimed to ensure that the city would not avoid basic repairs for fear of inciting a major reconstruction project they could not afford. When defining “improvements,” the bill notes that “routine maintenance” is exempt.

In the past five years, the Somerville Police Department reported over 2,500 vehicle crashes, of which 17% involved at least one non-motorist.

The Safe Streets ordinance would additionally require the creation of 29 miles of separated bike lanes by 2030, and at least 3 miles per year. Bike lanes created in the process of other road reconstruction projects would count towards this total.

The total number of miles, 29, was determined using the Bicycle Network Plan. The ordinance’s sponsors took into account where bike lanes were already set for construction by other entities, and this ordinance would ensure that the rest of the plan was accomplished at a steady pace.

This legislation would also institute regular road safety campaigns, conducted by the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, to ensure that all road users are aware of traffic laws and best safety practices.

The ordinance was amended and was recommended for approval by the City Council.

At the same meeting, the Legislative Matters Committee also discussed a request to install cameras on the outside of Somerville fire stations, but did not move forward with it due to concerns about how the footage would be used and stored.

Fire Chief Charles Breen said the cameras would improve security. Some incidents of theft and vandalism of employees’ cars have occurred in the past, but none in recent years. Additionally, the installation of cameras would eventually allow for the dispatch team to be able to close doors remotely in addition to opening them, which currently cannot be done to safety concerns.

Under Breen’s plan for the cameras, the dispatch would be able to see only live footage, and recordings would be stored with the Somerville Police Department, who would be able to access it for investigative purposes. There was also a section that noted that officers could view and download footage, without specifying a purpose or a time frame. This raised questions surrounding potential misuse.

Breen was urged to return with a revised version of the camera installation request, with stricter parameters for footage use.