Special Traffic Commission Meeting to Deliberate New Draft Safety Plan for Holland Street, October 6

The Somerville Traffic Commission will host a special virtual meeting on Thursday, October 6, at 5:30 p.m. to review public comment and deliberate the City’s new draft safety plan for Holland Street. This meeting follows the special Traffic Commission meeting held on September 21, where Mayor Ballantyne and City staff presented the draft plan and Commissioners heard public comment. 

The draft plan was developed after a Somerville resident was killed while biking in Teele Square in August. In response to the crash, the Mayor directed City staff to prepare an enhanced safety plan for Holland Street that includes protected bike lanes in both directions from Teele Square to Buena Vista Road. This plan maintains parking on one side of Holland Street but restricts parking on the other side in order to create protected bike lanes. Loading zones and accessible parking spaces would be increased. The new safety plan would be implemented this fall, pending approval by the Traffic Commission.  

To join the meeting on October 6, go to somervillema.gov/hollandstreetdesign. The full proposed designs, as well as a recording of the September 21 meeting and presentation slides, are also available on the project website.  

Residents can continue to send written comments about the draft safety plan to the Traffic Commission until 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 6. Comments can be sent by email to the Traffic Commission at trafficcommission@somervillema.gov (Please CC: transportation@somervillema.gov) or by mail to: Parking Department, ATTN: Traffic Commission, 133 Holland St, Somerville, MA 02144.  

Interpretation into Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Kreyol, Nepali, Mandarin, Cantonese, or other languages may be available upon advance request by contacting the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs at somerviva@somervillema.gov or calling 311 at 617-666-3311. 

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Adrienne Pomeroy, at 617-625-6600 ext. 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.