By Nidhi Mathson

The Central Broadway/Winter Hill Roadway & Streetscape Improvements Project runs along Broadway from and including the Route 28/McGrath Highway intersection to east of the Broadway/Medford Street intersection.

“Central Broadway was identified in SomerVision as a corridor to enhance and invest in,” Sarah Spicer, senior transportation planner in the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD), said in reference to the 2012 comprehensive plan for the city. “There is a lot of opportunity for aesthetic and functional upgrades to make this street a safe and attractive place, and we want to use neighborhood input to guide the project design and create a place that better serves the community.”

The OSPCD created SafeSTART (Safe, Sustainable Transportation Assessment and Recommendation Team), a taskforce that reports evaluated traffic and pedestrian conditions around the city. The team recognized that the infrastructure on Central Broadway was outdated and not favorable for present or future use.

“Our 2013 SafeSTART 2.0 Report, which prioritizes intersection upgrades around the city, identified several intersections along this corridor that need safety improvement,” Spicer said. “Along Broadway, we’ll be looking at how we can improve pedestrian accommodations, including better crossings, increased bicycle safety, encouraging transit, updating traffic signals and making lane configurations less confusing.”

Having spent the last few months gathering information for the survey, conditions, and traffic analysis, the project team aims to not only improve the safety and functionality of the corridor but also its sense of community, while preserving the area’s unique characteristics. More information about the project can be found at www.somervillebydesign.com/planning/winter-hill/.