Safety issues concerning the Lowell St. bridge portion of the Community Path were addressed by the Board of Aldermen at their most recent regular meeting.

By Jim Clark

The Somerville Board of Aldermen took into consideration a number of issues dealing with the further development and management of the Community Path Extension at the Board’s regular meeting on July 9.

Specifically, resolutions were put forward asking that the Director of Strategic Planning and Community Development (SPCD) install safety call boxes along the Lowell Street Community Path Extension, and work with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to install auxiliary lighting and pigeon deterrents under the Lowell Street Bridge.

Additionally, it was also put forward that SPCD should inform Ward 5 Alderman Mark Niedergang about safety measures that will be in place before the Community Path Extension opens to slow traffic and protect pedestrians and cyclists around the Lowell Street bridge.

Speaking on behalf of the former, Alderman at Large and Board President William A. White Jr. said, “This is the result of communications I had with folks along the Community Path and these are issues that they have been concerned about as the [development] process goes on.”

White indicated that the pigeon deterrent issue has already been addressed, but that the call box matter is in the providence of the Board, but that the lighting concerns are something that may have to be worked out with the state. “It’s very important. It’s very dark there at night. There should be adequate light because that’s going to be a major point in the Community Path,” White said. “Once the Green Line Extension is done, and the Path along with it, it’s going to be a key element. It makes sense, once it is open, to make sure there is appropriate lighting.”

In addressing the safety issues concerning the Community Path in the Lowell Street bridge area, Ward 5 Alderman Mark Niedergang said, “We’ve all heard this before. It’s the ongoing saga of making the Lowell Street bridge safe once the Community Path Extension ramp opens up, which would seem to be imminent. We’ve been told it would be sometime in July.”

Niedergang indicated that the administration has been making progress on the matter, citing past meetings where various locations for crosswalks were discussed, along with other issues that are still be examined. The alderman expressed concern that the ramp might be opening up before proper precautionary measures have been implemented.

“It is important that certain safety measure be in place there so that when people come out on that bridge and don’t know the area, they know where to cross so that they can be safe,” Niedergang said. “We’d love to get some details about what’s going to be put in and when.”

The resolutions were approved by the Board with no dissenting votes.