The city is considering steps to rectify issues cyclists have raised concerning the bike lane entry onto Washington St. ~ Photo by Roberto Fischer

By Harry Kane

Bicyclists say that the bike lane entry onto Washington Street feels unsafe, following a reconstruction project of sidewalks and repaving meant to make it safer for pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists.

During the December 12 City Council meeting, Ward 2 City Councilor J.T. Scott ordered the Director of Mobility and the Director of Engineering to appear before the Council to discuss the preparation of a change order to revert the design back to the original plans for the bike lane at the entrance of Washington Street and Webster Avenue in Union Square.

“It came as a big surprise to myself and to advocates when the implementation of it, right there at its terminus in Union Square, wasn’t what was on those plans,” said Councilor Scott.

The Washington Street redesign project is in its final stages of construction, explained Councilor Scott, but the issue for bicyclists is the curb at the corner that some cyclists believe is unsafe.

Councilor Scott said that there had been extensive input from bicyclist advocates and neighbors in the design process. Apparently, a revised final 100 percent plan, which was submitted in September of 2023, was never posted until recently, he explained.

“There was no chance for anybody in the public to catch this or provide feedback,” Councilor Scott said.

Councilor Scott said that the entrance is “fairly scary,” and he wants to assure constituents that the bike lane entry will be fixed.

“I think this is a chance to rectify a mistake,” said Councilor Scott.

Prior to construction there was a change to the design that affected the entrance to the westbound cycle track at Union Square, explained Nick Alakel, Public Information Officer at the Department of Communications and Community Engagement.

“This design update increases the amount of continuously available sidewalk space in an area heavily used by pedestrians,” said Alakel. “In the initial design the cycle track bisected the sidewalk near the crosswalk across Washington Street.”

“During construction we received feedback from community members and observed that the angle of the entrance to the cycle track was too sharp,” Alakel said.

This change required that the entrance to the cycle track be modified so that cyclists enter at an angle.

“At that point, we directed our contractor to widen the cycle track entrance by adding additional asphalt, making the necessary turn more gradual,” Alakel said.

The adjustment was made in late November, Alakel added. The Western Washington Street Safety and Mobility Improvements project is “substantially complete.”

There are some minor construction items remaining such as additional signage, pedestrian signal improvements, and various pavement markings, including the previously mentioned green bike lane paint, which are expected to be completed this upcoming spring. Cold weather prohibits completing certain work during the winter season.

“At this stage, the city does not plan to reconstruct the cycle track’s entrance”, Alakel said. “However, as always, city staff will monitor all newly implemented streetscapes to ensure the changes are delivering a safer, more comfortable experience for everyone traveling along the street.”

Roberto Fischer, a parent that helped start the Argenziano bike bus, said he and other parents are disappointed in the implementation of the bike lane.

“The entrance to the bike lane is outright dangerous,” Fischer said. “It is urgently in need of rectification.”

The bike bus is for kids and parents who ride their bicycles to school on Friday mornings. This was started in Somerville a couple years ago, Fischer explained. The kids and parents depart at 7:55 a.m. and ride to school. Two of the routes, which lead to the Albert F. Argenziano School (PK-8), pass through the entry at Washington Street.

Fischer says that in its current form, there is no way to retain the separation from vehicles as bicyclists enter onto Washington Street.

“They are essentially making you exit the bike lane to be able to re-enter the bike lane, which puts you in front of a car before you are able to go back into the bike lane,” he said.

Merging into the road before re-entering the bike lane is dangerous for bicyclists, which is why Fischer and others are asking for the entryway at the intersection to be changed.

“You are forced to do this nonsensical zigzag,” he says.

Fischer says the sidewalk is well-sized, so there is a reasonable amount of space to spare for the bike lane.

The original Western Washington Street Mobility Improvements project 100 percent design protected bicyclists all the way to the intersection, Fisher explained. But the revision that Councilor Scott spoke about at the City Council meeting changed the entryway.

Fischer explained that in Union Square there are a mix of different design patterns for bicyclists, which can be confusing.

There is a bike box designated at the head of the traffic lane at the signalized intersection of Somerville Avenue and Washington Street, allowing for vehicular cycling.

“They are mixing different types of designs and I think that is part of the problem,” Fischer said. “You have two different design principles that are in conflict with each other.”

The protected bike lanes keep the bicyclists separated from the vehicles, and Fisher says that would be safer.