City of Cambridge Launches Safety Improvement Project on Broadway

The City of Cambridge is installing separated bike lanes on Broadway between Quincy St and Portland St.

What to Expect:

• Installation of separated bike lanes: This refers to bike lanes along the curb, separated from vehicles by white flex-posts or other physical barriers.
• Changes for people walking and taking the bus: Bus stop locations may change, and pedestrian safety enhancements will improve crosswalks.
• A reduction of on-street parking:
  • We haven't finished design yet, but we hope to maintain about 40% of the current spaces.
  • The amount of parking that remains will depend on which design options we choose during the community feedback process and will vary by location.

Community Events

We're planning one virtual webinar format community meeting over Zoom and two in-person open houses. The schedule for these events is:

• Tuesday, January 28 : Virtual Community Meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Zoom. This will include an approximately 45-minute presentation by city staff, followed by time for attendees to ask questions.
• Tuesday, February 4 : In-Person Open House from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Fletcher-Maynard Academy, 225 Windsor St. This is a drop-in event. You can come at any time and stay for however long you like.
• Thursday, February 6 : In-Person Open House from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway. This is a drop-in event. You can come at any time and stay for however long you like.

At all three events, we'll cover key information about the project. This includes:

• Overview of the project, including timeline, project goals, benefits and impacts, and key design features.
• Detailed plans for Section A of the project. Section A is between Portland St and Columbia St. Click here to see a map of the project sections. This is a first draft, which we will then incorporate changes based on your feedback.

We will post the presentation and meeting materials ahead of time. We'll share an email when these materials become available. A recording of the meeting, including question and answer will be posted afterwards.

Project Background

Quick-build projects like this one do not require construction: we do not plan to dig into the ground or make changes to the width or shape of the road. Instead, the City uses paint, flex-posts, new signage, minor traffic signal upgrades, and changes to signal timing. These methods allow us to make changes to our streets more rapidly and to make adjustments even after a design is installed.

Broadway is a key piece in the City of Cambridge's plan for a safe, connected bicycle network. Separated bicycle lanes increase comfort for people biking by using a barrier to separate them from vehicle traffic. The City's goal is to encourage more people to bike and increase safety by building a network of these separated lanes, connecting important destinations throughout Cambridge.

Safer, more comfortable bike lanes:

• Result in safer outcomes for all users, not just people biking. We consider changes, such as turn lanes, to make traffic patterns more predictable and traffic calming measures to reduce driver speeds.
• Provide safer streets for all users, including bikers, pedestrians, and drivers
• Help people travel around their neighborhoods and run local errands quickly, safely, and conveniently
• Provide travel options for people of all ages, abilities, and identities
• Help us get closer to "Vision Zero "-our commitment to eliminating transportation-related deaths and serious injuries while increasing healthy, equitable mobility for all
• The Safety Improvement Project on Broadway will also help the City meet the requirements of the Cycling Safety Ordinance.

Get Involved

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.