(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

To the Editor:

The purpose of this letter is to provide a response to the article entitled “MassDOT highway construction leaves Somerville residents in the dust” dated December 14, 2016.

The project referenced in this article is part of the Federally Funded Safe Routes to School Program.  The goals of the program are to enable and encourage children to walk to school by making a safer and more appealing walking environment.  The program also strives to improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.  In order for a school to be considered for the program, the municipality must submit an application and be subject to an assessment that reviews the merits of potential infrastructure projects that support these goals.

The application for this project was submitted by the City of Somerville in April 2010.  During a site assessment conducted on June 15, 2010, with City officials, School officials and Engineers, the intersection of Temple Street and Mystic Avenue was specifically identified as a safety concern for students walking to school.  The project was fully vetted and ultimately approved for design and construction in March of 2014.  In conjunction with the Safe Routes to School assessment a Roadside Safety Audit was also conducted by MassDOT and the City of Somerville in June 2014 to further evaluate safety measures that could be implemented at this location

Improvements proposed in this project as a result of the assessment and Safety Audit include removing the existing traffic island at the south west corner of Mystic Avenue and Temple Street, sidewalk reconstruction, traffic signal replacement signage, striping and also the construction of a new bus stops/turnouts on Mystic Ave (northbound and south bound) that allows busses to be out of the flow of traffic while loading and unloading.  No additional lanes are being added to the roadway as part of this project.

The project was presented at a Design Public Hearing on January 28, 2015, after being advertised in the Charlestown Patriot and Somerville Journal.  Direct contact with the owner of 422 Mystic Avenue was initiated by MassDOT’s Right of Way Bureau in July of 2015.  The design required that a portion of the front of this parcel be taken partly in fee and partly through a 5 year temporary construction easement for one of the bus turnouts and associated sidewalk improvements. The property owner met with the Right of Way Bureau individually and through their attorney on several occasions to discuss the proposed project.  These discussions included a review of the Preliminary Right of Way Plans which depicted the proposed construction and the impacts to the property.  The property owner has been awarded just compensation for these impacts, although at this time the property owner has not taken the necessary steps to accept the payment.

MassDOT staff met with representatives of the property prior to the work commencing on the affected parcel and met with the property owner in early December to review the project scope and schedule.  At this meeting the property owner was provided with copies of the plans depicting the work.  The property owner subsequently filed a preliminary injunction/restraining order to halt construction of this Safe Routes to School project.  The Court conducted a hearing on this matter and denied the property owner’s request for relief.

The Highway Division will diligently monitor the progress of this project to ensure that the work is performed in a manner that is respectful to abutting property owners and the community.

Sincerely,
Thomas J. Tinlin
Highway Administrator, MassDOT