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By Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers. 

800,000 gallons: When the Somerville Avenue Utility and Streetscape Improvements Project is complete there will be a box culvert under Union Square that can hold up to 800,000 gallons of stormwater. That will go a long way in helping to alleviate flooding in Union Square and taking pressure off our sewer system. Completing this work is going to involve some major excavation work in the square and an accompanying six-month detour.

Starting around February 19, eastbound vehicle traffic on Somerville Avenue won’t be able to pass through the center of Union Square. But this is important: if you’re heading into the square to shop, eat, and run errands, don’t forget – your favorite local businesses will be open during construction, you can still drive down Somerville Ave. to park and get to them. Everyone else just passing through, will be be detoured at Dane Street, but local traffic getting to homes, shops, restaurants, and more will be able to drive up to Warren Avenue and loop back via Bow St. You can learn more about the project and see detour maps at www.somervillema.gov/somervilleave.

 84% small businesses: In the Boston metro area, 84% of businesses employ fewer than 20 people. That means small businesses make up a big part of our local economy. Although transit projects like the new Green Line stops or streetscape improvements like the Somerville Ave. project tend to have a long-term positive impact on small businesses, they are also especially vulnerable to construction disruptions. That’s why it’s important to keep supporting your favorite restaurants and stores while work is going on. You can also help us encourage people to shop local by using social media to share your small business purchases with the hashtag #Loyal2Local. Our small, local businesses are great neighbors and community partners, so let’s make sure to support them too during upcoming construction—and always.

 36,180 linear feet of construction: In 2018, the City completed 36,180 linear feet of construction, including 13,890 feet of streetscape work, 1,725 feet of replaced water mains, and 10,745 feet of cleaned and lined water mains. Weather can have a big impact on how much can be accomplished during a construction season, but even with 40% more rainfall than average and earlier-than-usual freezing temperatures, more work was done in 2018 than in the previous three years combined. Keep in mind, this is just work that the City did, not utilities, the Green Line Extension, and other outside projects. While all these projects are important for the long-term, we’re well aware of the short-term impacts construction can have on residents. So we are always working to minimize noise, detour delays, and more, as well as keep you informed so you can plan for them. On this note, let’s talk about our 3,600 subscribers.

 3,600 subscribers: This coming construction season is going to be a busy one. From Union Square work to Green Line Extension bridge closures to routine street and sidewalk repairs, it’s likely you’ll run into some construction as you make your way around Somerville this year. It can be a lot to keep track of, which is why we send a weekly City email newsletter exclusively for construction information. So far about 3,600 people have subscribed and if you’re not one of them now would be a great time to do so at www.somervillema.gov/construction. Major detours are also announced via our community alert system, which has about 51,000 subscribers. If that doesn’t include you, I encourage you to sign up at www.somervillema.gov/alerts.

Data-based decision making is at the core of how the City of Somerville develops policy and sets priorities. Every day we check the latest 311 stats, and throughout the week we meet for in-depth review of departmental data and city trends. The Data Download column shares some of the data we’ve been reviewing recently, as well as interesting updates. To see more Somerville Data, visit the online Somerville Data Farm at www.somervillema.gov/datafarm.