Recommendations for the proposed bike lane changes on Somerville Ave. were voted on by the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee at their recent meeting. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

By C. Scott Morris

The Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee, in a unanimous vote, endorsed comments for the upcoming Somerville Avenue design project. The vote took place in a meeting last Thursday at the City Hall Annex.

The project plans to move bike lanes from the street to beside sidewalks, adding to bike lane protection. It’s part of the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan and will use materials like paint, flex posts, and signs to create boundaries. But it will not include any major construction, according to the project webpage.

Greg Hanafin, a transportation planner in Somerville’s mobility division, said the design process for the project will likely begin this fall.

Committee Chair Lena Webb, along with committee members Amanda Rychel, Paul Morgan, and Tom Lamar, rode along Somerville Avenue before the meeting to identify problem areas.

They recorded locations with sharp angles, tight spaces, high traffic volume, and difficult crossings.

“We’re very supportive [of the project] overall,” said Webb. “One big issue that we came up with, that we all agree on, is cars entering the door-zone bike lanes to get around left-turning vehicles.”

She said the committee is excited for the physical separation in the new plan, which will hopefully stop people from going into the bike lanes. But she feels like the timeline could be accelerated.

The committee highlighted current areas by the Prestige Car Wash, the Cambria Hotel, and the Market Basket grocery store. They recommend tightly separated flex posts and other treatments, like clear corners, to protect the bike lanes and make crossing entrances and exits safer. Clear corners ensure visibility for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers by prohibiting parking near crossings and intersections.

They also mentioned that Somerville Avenue intersects Central Street, Laurel Street, and Properzi Way are intersections where oncoming traffic makes left turns difficult for cyclists.

Lamar recommended adding a bike signal to the intersection on Park Street. He also suggested swapping the bike lane and the right turn lane.

The committee questioned whether a two-stage turn box could help bikers moving westward, who are turning onto Park Street from Somerville Avenue.

Additionally, the committee mentioned that cyclists traveling west from Bow Street onto Somerville Avenue have to navigate poorly parked cars to access the bike lane, and where outdoor dining, by Hot Tomatoes, can encroach on the lane.

Alex Frieden, a committee member, said that the bike lane sometimes becomes a “mixing bowl,” and it could happen by the restaurant.

“We’re thinking signal and crosswalk improvements as well as bikeway improvements,” said Ted Feldman, vice chair of the committee.

Hanafin said the city can evaluate the necessity of the signals at T-intersections and use treatments other than red-yellow-green lights.

Webb requested additional crosswalks to improve access to businesses, noting, specifically, the lack of one near the Belmont Street intersection.

After recommendations made by the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee, Hanafin gave updates on other quick-build city projects.

He said the final design for Middlesex Avenue is still in process, with installation beginning later this year.

The final design for the Elm-Beacon Connector project is expected to come out this fall, with installation starting in the first half of next year, he said.

The Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee meets once a month, and all are welcome. Follow the committee’s social media page on Bluesky at @somervillebikes.bsky.social for updates.