Community Meeting to Discuss Powder House Blvd. Improvements, October 24

Please join Ward 7 Alderman Katjana Ballantyne, and staff from the City’s Engineering Department and Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development on Wednesday, October 24 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of the West Somerville Neighborhood School at 177 Powder House Blvd. to discuss upcoming improvements and paving to Powder House Blvd.

 

As part of the City’s Sidewalk and Pavement Management Plan, work has been ongoing to reconstruct sidewalks and repave Powder House from Burnham St. to Alewife Brook Parkway. Through the month of October, contractors will continue work to reconstruct sidewalks, primarily between Burnham St. and North St. Once that work is complete a timeline for paving will be determined.

 

As part of the overall project, several new traffic-calming measures will also be installed along this portion of Powder House. Curb bump-outs will be added at North St. to improve that intersection, and uphill bike lanes will be painted, providing a safety benefit to bicyclists while narrowing vehicle travel lanes, encouraging drivers to drive more cautiously. These bike lanes will reduce the width of vehicular travel lanes, which in turn forces drivers to reduce speeds. Other traffic-calming measures that were previously proposed were considered, but are not feasible as part of the repaving project.

 

Please join us at the meeting to discuss these changes and to ask any remaining questions you may have of the project team.

 

If you have any questions in advance, please contact construction@somervillema.gov.