By Ryan DiLello

The City of Somerville and adjacent committees held a virtual community meeting on Thursday to discuss the latest draft of Somerville Bicycle Network Vision, a comprehensive plan to expand bike-lane accessibility and safety throughout the city.

The Bicycle Network addresses goals laid out within the Somervision 2040 initiative: to reduce emissions from personal vehicles, shift 75% of work-commutes to non-car modes, and to support the city’s walking, biking, and transit commuters.

Thursday’s community meeting kicked off with some results from a survey the city conducted on residents’ biking habits and concerns. The study found that most Somerville cyclists choose to pedal around for the sake of utility, convenience, sustainability, and physical activity. The most common biking destinations include shops, homes, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and public parks. When asked to rate how safe residents feel biking through Somerville, on a scale of 1-10, the average response was a 5.5.

According to the survey, the main reasons preventing residents from biking are aggressive vehicles, lack of a connected bike network, lack of protection for bikes, and dangerous intersections.

Respondents expressed the need for improved bicycle networks, better bike visibility, and smoother, more bike-friendly roads. Key areas in which bikers say they feel unsafe include Union Square, Elm Street, Somerville Ave, and Highland Ave. Dangerous intersections included McGrath Highway and Davis Square, and Teel Square. 

Through the Bicycle Network, the city will designate new corridors for various bikeway facilities and improve connections within the current network. The current network spans a total 22.66 miles, with 12.7 miles of bike lanes, 5.5 miles of shared-use paths, and 4.46 miles of protected bike lanes. The infrastructure supports 13% of current bicycle usage, providing pathways for the 8% of residents who commute via bicycle.

The latest draft of the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan.

In sharing the latest draft of the Bicycle Network, the city announced five guiding design principles. The first was accessibility, ensuring that every cyclist in Somerville can use the bikeways. The second and third were connectivity and continuity, enabling cyclists to easily reach their destinations without any dangerous passages. Next was comfort, maximizing shade and minimizing uphill travel. And lastly, accommodating multi-modal transportation, considering the need for safe walkways and public transit access points.  

The full Bicycle Network plan is available for download on the city website. The city is encouraging residents to provide feedback on the plan by reaching out to transportation@somervillema.gov or by interacting with the map directly: https://voice.somervillema.gov/somerville-bicycle-network-plan/maps/draft-network-vision