Transportation & Mobility

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The emissions from driving vehicles contributes to 34% of Somerville's total greenhouse gas emissions. We can curb our greenhouse gas emissions through promoting low-carbon options such as walking, biking, taking public transportation and carpooling to get where we need to go. Luckily, Somerville is already ahead of the game. Our city has a culture of sustainable transportation, where our urban location gives us access to public transit, walkable streets, and safe bike lanes. 

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Electric Vehicles

In order to fully realize our emissions reduction potential, transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) will be required. EVs don’t produce greenhouse gas pollution on the road, they also need less maintenance and help keep our air clean. Driving electric is a big part of our future and we want to make owning an EV accessible for everyone. That means creating more infrastructure for EVs, like adding additional charging stations in convenient and accessible places.
 

 

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Source: Massachusetts Vehicle Census GeoDOT

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW?
The number of fully electric (zero-emission) vehicles registered in Somerville has increased by almost 200% since 2020!

EV Charging Stations

Somerville is working to make it easier to choose electric by installing charging stations with multiple plugs throughout the City. Currently, Somerville has 24 public plugs. Check them out with this map:
 

Starting July 1, 2024, Somerville’s public chargers cost $0.25/kWh of charging provided, with payments managed through the ChargePoint app. This fee helps the City maintain our existing stations and expand our charging infrastructure. 

Charging infrastructure in Somerville goes beyond these City-owned locations, and a full map of chargers that are publicly accessible can be found at plugshare.com. 

If you are a private property owner with a parking space looking to install EV charging, or if you are a renter who would like to suggest that your landlord install EV charging at your home, we have developed a guide for Installing EV Charging at Home. In addition, Eversource has a resource for utility customers that includes contact information for preferred manufacturers and installers to help you find the best services possible when installing charging equipment and the State has an online for EV rebates at mor-ev.org.  
 

Low-Carbon Transportation

Public Transit

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Somerville is a public transit hotspot, and the City is dedicated to enhancing public transportation by improving the 15 existing bus routes (and over 400 bus stops) that run through the city, while also bringing train service in the form of the Assembly Square T station (opened in 2014) and through the Green Line Extension project (opened in 2022).   

Citywide Bicycle Network Plan
 

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Check out the Plan!

In April 2023, the City completed the Bicycle Network Plan, where it laid out goals, strategies, and actions to make Somerville a better place to bike and achieve community priorities like:

• Rapidly de-carbonizing the transportation system
• Building safe bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
• Connecting residents and workers to economic opportunities
   

What You Can Do

Get Around the City Sustainably

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• Learn about the City’s Transit Benefits Program - free monthly MBTA passes are available for youth and low-income residents
• Use the Bluebikes Locator Map to find a Buebike station near you
• Make Explore state-funded EV incentives