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Glen Street and Otis Street Quick-Build Neighborway

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The City of Somerville is partnering with CultureHouse and Neighborways Design to create a Neighborway on Glen Street in East Somerville between Tufts Street and Broadway, and on Otis Street between McGrath Highway and the East Somerville Community School. Our goal with the Neighborways is to have streets designed for speeds of 20 mph and below that will:

  • Increase safety for everyone
  • Improve comfort and ease for people of all ages and abilities walking, rolling, and biking
  • Connect schools, homes, businesses, and popular destinations

This project is Funded by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the City of Somerville.

Stay in the Loop!

Sign up for the Mobility Newsletter and keep an eye on this page for updates on upcoming public meetings, street pop-up community engagement events, and project progress.

Learn more about the project on this website and subscribe.

What is a Neighborway?

As defined in the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan, Neighborways are walk-, roll-, and-bike friendly streets that run parallel to larger main streets, creating a low-stress and high comfort experience on residential streets. These streets are designed to lower volume and speeds for vehicles with measures like speed humps or narrowing the entrance to the street to discourage people using the street as a cut through. Neighborways will always provide a two-way connection for people biking even if the street is one-way for vehicular traffic.

What is a Quick-Build Project?

The Glen and Otis Street Neighborways installation is a quick-build project. This means that the work will be limited to changes that can be done without digging or making major structural changes to the street (such as moving sidewalk curbs or changing the height of the road). There will be no sidewalk or major roadway resurfacing as part of the project. Instead, we will use materials that are quicker to install like planters, vertical plastic posts, paint markings on the street, and speed humps. This approach allows us to build this project much quicker and cheaper than a street reconstruction.

Why Glen Street and Otis Street?

With three schools directly on the streets and others close by, both Glen and Otis Street sees high use from children and other vulnerable road users (people walking, rolling, and biking). As both streets also cut through the neighborhood, they also have the potential to be safer and higher-comfort biking, walking and rolling routes to connect the East Somerville T station to the Broadway business district and Winter Hill. For these reasons, among others, these streets were selected as a high priority for Neighborway installations in the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan.

Timeline

In the summer and fall of 2023, we will engage community members to gather feedback on how people use the streets currently, hear what would make them feel comfortable walking, rolling, and biking on it, and collect feedback and concerns. We will then create draft designs for the public to provide feedback on before finalizing. We aim to install the final designs on Glen and Otis Street in the spring of 2024. We will continue to post updates and share opportunities to engage on this webpage.

Si necesita ayuda en su idioma, comuníquese con nosotros a través de somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva o llame al 311 (617-666-3311)      

Caso precise de assistência em seu idioma, entre em contato conosco por meio deste formulário online: somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva ou ligue para 311 (617-666-3311)      

Si ou bezwen asistans nan lang ou a, kontakte nou nan somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva oswa rele 311 (617-666-3311)    

यदि आफ्नो भाषामा सहायता चाहिन्छ भने कृपया सम्पर्क गर्नुहोस: www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva गर्नुहोस् वा यो ३११ (६१७-६६६-३३११) / 311 (617-666-3311)   

如果您需要語言方面的協助 請撥打 311 (617-666-3311) 或於somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva 聯絡 彩薩默: 移民事務辦公室。  

如果您需要语言方面的协助，请联系 (somervillema.gov/ContactSomerViva)或者请拨打 311（617-666-3311）。

The City of Somerville is partnering with CultureHouse and Neighborways Design to create a Neighborway on Glen Street in East Somerville between Tufts Street and Broadway, and on Otis Street between McGrath Highway and the East Somerville Community School. Our goal with the Neighborways is to have streets designed for speeds of 20 mph and below that will:

  • Increase safety for everyone
  • Improve comfort and ease for people of all ages and abilities walking, rolling, and biking
  • Connect schools, homes, businesses, and popular destinations

This project is Funded by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the City of Somerville.

Stay in the Loop!

Sign up for the Mobility Newsletter and keep an eye on this page for updates on upcoming public meetings, street pop-up community engagement events, and project progress.

Learn more about the project on this website and subscribe.

What is a Neighborway?

As defined in the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan, Neighborways are walk-, roll-, and-bike friendly streets that run parallel to larger main streets, creating a low-stress and high comfort experience on residential streets. These streets are designed to lower volume and speeds for vehicles with measures like speed humps or narrowing the entrance to the street to discourage people using the street as a cut through. Neighborways will always provide a two-way connection for people biking even if the street is one-way for vehicular traffic.

What is a Quick-Build Project?

The Glen and Otis Street Neighborways installation is a quick-build project. This means that the work will be limited to changes that can be done without digging or making major structural changes to the street (such as moving sidewalk curbs or changing the height of the road). There will be no sidewalk or major roadway resurfacing as part of the project. Instead, we will use materials that are quicker to install like planters, vertical plastic posts, paint markings on the street, and speed humps. This approach allows us to build this project much quicker and cheaper than a street reconstruction.

Why Glen Street and Otis Street?

With three schools directly on the streets and others close by, both Glen and Otis Street sees high use from children and other vulnerable road users (people walking, rolling, and biking). As both streets also cut through the neighborhood, they also have the potential to be safer and higher-comfort biking, walking and rolling routes to connect the East Somerville T station to the Broadway business district and Winter Hill. For these reasons, among others, these streets were selected as a high priority for Neighborway installations in the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan.

Timeline

In the summer and fall of 2023, we will engage community members to gather feedback on how people use the streets currently, hear what would make them feel comfortable walking, rolling, and biking on it, and collect feedback and concerns. We will then create draft designs for the public to provide feedback on before finalizing. We aim to install the final designs on Glen and Otis Street in the spring of 2024. We will continue to post updates and share opportunities to engage on this webpage.

Si necesita ayuda en su idioma, comuníquese con nosotros a través de somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva o llame al 311 (617-666-3311)      

Caso precise de assistência em seu idioma, entre em contato conosco por meio deste formulário online: somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva ou ligue para 311 (617-666-3311)      

Si ou bezwen asistans nan lang ou a, kontakte nou nan somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva oswa rele 311 (617-666-3311)    

यदि आफ्नो भाषामा सहायता चाहिन्छ भने कृपया सम्पर्क गर्नुहोस: www.somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva गर्नुहोस् वा यो ३११ (६१७-६६६-३३११) / 311 (617-666-3311)   

如果您需要語言方面的協助 請撥打 311 (617-666-3311) 或於somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva 聯絡 彩薩默: 移民事務辦公室。  

如果您需要语言方面的协助，请联系 (somervillema.gov/ContactSomerViva)或者请拨打 311（617-666-3311）。

  • See the Final Plans for the Glen and Otis Street Neighborways

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    Starting in the Summer of 2023, CultureHouse and Neighborways Design, in collaboration with the City of Somerville, has been engaging with the community in East Somerville around the planned installation of Neighborway slow streets on Glen and Otis Street. We have talked to over 40 residents while canvassing door-to-door, hosted a walk audit with the Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee, posted information in local businesses and newsletters, talked to over 35 residents at community events, hosted a hot cider social attended by 20 adults and 10 kids, and met with school principals.

    During this time, we also collected observational data on mode share, demographics, and behavior at four locations on Glen and Otis Street on weekends and weekdays during the morning (7–11 am), afternoon (12–4 pm), and evening (5–8 pm) hours. We also completed video analysis of Glen Street at Oliver Street during peak traffic times.

    We heard from community members about their concerns regarding safety on the street for people walking, rolling, and biking. We heard feedback that some of the recent changes to Pearl Street like the Neighborhood Traffic circles were confusing. We saw that fewer people were biking on Glen and Otis Street compared to the goals in the Bicycle Network Plan.

    These findings led to us creating draft plans for the Neighborways to improve safety using traffic calming measures and install clear signage along the corridor to improve connectivity. We presented our draft designs to the community at a block party on March 16th, attended by over 40 people, and digitally through the project webpage.

    After receiving feedback on our proposed design options, we have created final designs that we plan to install on the streets this summer. Our proposed design uses several components to create a safe street for people walking. rolling, and biking.

    Gateways serve as the entrance to the Neighborway. Branded signs and pavement markings provide wayfinding for people traveling on the street and installations near the crosswalk increase visibility and pedestrian safety. Speed humps (on Glen Street only) help slow vehicles to make the street safer to walk and bike on. Art (on Tufts Street and at East Somerville Community School) liven up the street with murals. In response to community feedback, we have decided on a design for the new Neighborways sign and selected purple as the brand color.

    We also will be installing planters at intersections where we have residents who have volunteered to maintain them. Are you interested in adopting a planter? Email us at somerville@neighborways.com by May 31st to let us know.

    You can review our final plans here. Over the coming weeks, we will be placing posters on signposts along the street, and dropping flyers with information about the designs we plan to install at homes on Glen and Oliver Street.

    Pending weather and scheduling constraints, we aim to install the paint, signs, barriers, and murals in July and August 2024. Other elements like speed humps, clear corners, and wayfinding may be installed later in the year.

    Click here to see the Glen and Otis Street Neighborways Final Designs Presentation Slides.

    Click here to see the Glen and Otis Street Neighborways Final Street Plans.

  • Glen Street and Pearl Street Intersection Treatment Demonstration

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    As part of the Glen & Otis Street Quick-Build Neighboway project, City staff will install a temporary intersection treatment on April 2 between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m at Glen Street and Pearl Street. We invite you to check out the demonstration anytime that afternoon and share your feedback with our team at somerville@neighborways.com.

    The Glen Street and Otis Street quick-build project will turn these streets into Neighborways as designated in the Somerville Bicycle Network plan. Quick-build projects use tools like pavement markings and signage to make changes to the street. The goal of the project is to reduce car volumes and speeds to make it comfortable and safe for people walking, wheeling, and biking.

    Intersection treatments are important to:

    • ensure safe entry and exit
    • announce Neighborways to all users
    • provide clear signage and directions

  • Learn About Our Proposed Design Options

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    On March 16th, 2024, we hosted a block party at the East Somerville Community School to share our proposed designs for the Glen and Otis Street Neighborways. At the block party, we received feedback on possible designs and colors for signs, proposed safety improvements at intersections, and public art options. We also shared updates about the engagement and data collection we’ve completed so far.

    You can view the materials that we showed at the block party here. We will be using feedback from the community to inform our decision as we finalize our designs.

    Didn't get the chance to join? Share your feedback or questions with us at somerville@neighborways.com. We are collecting additional feedback. We anticipate having final designs to share towards the end of Spring.

  • Glen and Otis Street Neighborways Block Party

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    Information available in English, Español, Português, Kreyòl Ayisyen, नेपाली, 繁體中文, 简体中文.

    You’re invited to a winter block party to discuss upcoming safety improvements on Glen and Otis Street at the East Somerville Community School Cafeteria on Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.!

    We’ll have games, music, snacks, hot drinks, and more. After hearing from some community members in door-to-door outreach and cider socials, we have developed potential designs for the street. Join us at the block party to learn more about the proposed designs and share your feedback!

  • Fall Work Update

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    Engagement

    We spent the months of September, October, and November talking to residents on Glen and Otis Street, parents and students at the East Somerville Community and Capuano Schools, and members of local community groups. We engaged with community members, door-to-door canvassing, tabling events at the Somerville Public Library, talking to teens at Teen Empowerment, walking with the Somerville Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Committee, and hosting a Hot Cider Social at the East Somerville Community School. Over this time, we talked to and got feedback from over 60 people. If you didn’t get to talk to us, you still can! Email us at somerville@neighborways.com.

    Data Collection

    We completed observational and video data collection on the current use patterns at four locations on Glen and Otis Streets from August through October. We studied the street during weekdays and weekends multiple times a day to understand how people are using the street. This data will help us create designs that make the streets safer.

    CultureHouse staff talking to Glen Street residentCanvassing

    East Somerville residents gathered at hot cider socialHot Cider Social

    We are now taking what we learned and drafting up design options for the streets. We plan to share these for public feedback in early 2024.

  • Glen and Otis Street Social

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    On Saturday, November 18, 10:30am–12pm, join Neighborways Design at the East Somerville Community School cafeteria for refreshments, friendly conversation, and a visioning session for the upcoming safety improvements on Glen and Otis Street.

  • Glen Street Walk Audit

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    We will be hosting a walk audit of Glen Street with the Somerville Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Committee (PTAC) on October 24th, We will meet at the Capuano School at 6pm and walk the street while discussing opportunities for safety improvements. More information on the event is available here.

Page last updated: 16 May 2024, 03:17 PM