Chris Allen, Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advocacy Group member, presented possible solutions to Somerville’s traffic crisis.

By Denise Keniston

On Wednesday, April 3, members of the public attended and spoke at a public hearing on traffic safety, traffic calming, and the Traffic Calming Petition submitted by the Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advocacy Group and signed by approximately 350 people.

The Somerville community has been wrestling with the horrific crash that killed teacher Allison Donovan on February 8 in a crosswalk on Powder House Boulevard, at the intersection of Hardan Road, near the West Somerville Neighborhood School.

Within days of the crash, a petition with 350 signatures, was presented to the council to accelerate traffic calming and safety. Ward 5 Councilor Mark Niedergang chairs the Traffic and Parking Committee of the Whole that held the public hearing. “Traffic calming on our streets is literally a matter of life and death in Somerville,” he said. “Those of us who’ve lived here for a while probably know someone – a pedestrian or cyclist – who’ve been hit by a motor vehicle.”

Brian Merrick is a 30-year Somerville resident and believes increased enforcement is one key to making streets safer.

Specifically, the group is requesting 10 miles of street with calming measures and 50 intersections and crosswalks updated to provide traffic calming. They also asked that the city review budget changes, enforcement changes, organizational changes, cultural differences in government, and priority changes.

“What we’re pushing for, what that big picture goal is, is changing how we prioritize our infrastructure, we need to create an institutional culture where pedestrian mobility is prioritized in all new infrastructure,” said Chris Allen, a Somerville resident and member of the advocacy group. “Any time new infrastructure at an intersection is updated, anytime we’re going through changing curb cuts, can we update a crosswalk in that area? That currently our culture prioritizes traffic, right of way, and parking, all these little things require changes.”

Broadway resident Brian Merrick attested to the dangers on his street. “We’ve lived there for 30 years, and witnessed a lot of problems, including the fatality in the crosswalk at Wallace Street and Broadway many years ago and another serious injury right in front of our house,” he said. “The problem is that there is no enforcement of the speed limit which is 30 mph, it’s a residential area. There have been many fender-benders caused by people speeding, having to stop for people in the crosswalk, and I want to put in a word for increasing ticketing.”

Laura Beretsky, a Hooker Avenue resident and West Somerville Neighborhood School parent, spoke about promises made and broken by the city and administration. “I am really familiar with the intersection where the hit-run happened, and we parents saw that coming,” she said. “In 2016 we started a petition to ask for a raised crosswalk to be put in, and it never was. Where the plan was rolled out for Powder House Boulevard, the raised bed wasn’t included, and we were all really outraged and dumbfounded as to why it wasn’t there. This isn’t the only intersection like that. So, put the money where it needs to go, please.”

Laura Beretsky expressed outrage that her group’s suggestions for Powder House Boulevard were ignored.

Anton Tutter has lived in Ward 8 for 18 years and believes enforcement is critical. “About Somerville cycling and infrastructure, making it safer, I’d like to thank city officials for making it happen, however, what I haven’t seen is any significant enforcement. Traffic violations have increased. I’ve seen a growing number of people running red lights, failure to stop at crosswalks and failure to stop at stop signs,” said Tutter. “When I moved here 18 years ago, there was a campaign to educate drivers about the violation of not stopping when there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk. $250 fine if you drive when there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk. I don’t see that anymore.”

The Somerville Police Department responded to the February 8 fatality by adding four additional officers to the traffic unit ostensibly to write more citations and tickets to curb driver behavior. Chief of Police David Fallon and other members of the SPD were present at the public hearing. “Those officers are going to be out there enforcing the rules of the road for pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, and motor vehicle enforcement,” said Fallon. “We’ll measure the increase in citations, education, and traffic data and well assess in a year or so. At this time, we believe four additional officers is a good commitment.”

If the SPD has been quick to respond, the Mayor’s Office, the city administration, is seen as moving slowly, now and throughout its history. Ward 6 Councilor Lance Davis, whose ward includes Davis Square, recalls several instances of council orders regarding traffic calming that stretch back twenty years that have gone unanswered by the administration. “To date, we’ve basically done nothing. A little extra paint and bump out at Willow, but getting to Elm Street is still as dangerous as it ever says despite our requests to do something,” said Davis, “The point is we’ve been trying to do something for years, and our predecessors had been trying to do something at these locations. I know this issue is one of capacity. We need to drive capacity more urgently so we can do something about this. We’re just not moving fast enough and legislating by tragedy is no one’s idea of how to run a city.”

Brad Rawson Dir. Of Transportation of Infrastructure says concrete plans for 2019, 2020 and 2021 are forthcoming.

Director of Transportation and Infrastructure Brad Rawson spoke on behalf of the administration and, alone, fielded the questions and frustrations of councilors and residents acknowledging the administration has no concrete plans to share with councilors or the public at this time. “Not in this slideshow is there a specific roadmap for 2019, 2020, 2021 projects,” said Rawson. “Those projects will be forthcoming as part of that Vision Zero. We know, many times, our residents have been frustrated.”

Vision Zero aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries on Somerville’s streets. Launched by Mayor Joseph Curtatone in September 2017, Vision Zero Somerville reaffirms the city’s commitment to multi-modal road safety. The initiative will take a multi-department, data-driven approach to improve safety for all road users, whether on bicycles or on foot, in vehicles, or aboard public transit.

However, the magnitude of Somerville’s traffic issues appear to be overwhelming for the current staff and, as such, the Mayor’s Office will be asking for increased funds to facilitate projects. “The mayor has asked our team to begin honoring what we hear from you and from other and prepare a substantial funding proposal for the council’s consideration,” says Rawson. “In the meantime, we placed 100’s of flex posts [around the city]. We’ve started with paint-based solutions because it takes so darn long to design, to bid, to construct more solid solutions.”

The next meeting of Vision Zero is April 24 and the next meeting of the next meeting of the Traffic and Parking Committee is May15.