There’s a rare opportunity to name a Somerville street and Mayor Joseph Curtatone is seeking your suggestions. Great River Road in Assembly Square runs along Baxter Park and is then interrupted by a bend where it meets Artisan Way. To avoid confusion for residents, businesses, visitors, and emergency personnel, the city has decided to rename the lower portion of the street, which runs parallel to the train tracks (please see  map).

With so many thoughtful and creative minds in Somerville, we want to open the process up and get suggestions from you. Over the next two weeks we’ll collect your suggestions and then put the five best out for a vote. The two most popular choices will go to Mayor Curtatone for the final choice. What will help your suggestion rise to the top? Here are a few guidelines:

• Names that have a Somerville connection get preference. This is Somerville, after all.
• Good names won’t sound too much like other streets in the city. Not only do we want to encourage creativity, but we also want to avoid confusion in case of an emergency.
• Assembly Square has a rich history, including being home to a Ford manufacturing plant. While we love celebrating our past, we also want to look to the future as Assembly Square continues its transformation. We’re looking for names that highlight where Somerville is headed, including being a walkable, bikable center for arts and innovation.

You can submit an idea for a name by either emailing mackerman@somervillema.gov or by calling 311. We will accept submissions until October 22.

— City of Somerville