Committee Report - T&P - 6-4-18 — File 206076

Traffic and Parking Committee Page 1 of 8 Printed 6/11/2018 June 4, 2018 REPORT OF THE TRAFFIC AND PARKING COMMITTEE Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Mark Niedergang Chair Present Ben Ewen-Campen Vice Chair Present Wilfred N. Mbah Alderman at Large Present Others present: Brad Rawson - OSPCD, Terry Smith - T&P, Ryan Dunn - GLX Community Working Group, Annie Connor - Legislative Liaison, Rositha Durham - Clerk of Committees. The meeting took place in the Committee Room and was called to order at 6:30 PM by Chairman Niedergang and adjourned at 8:10 PM. Approval of the April 19, 2018 Minutes RESULT: ACCEPTED 205802: That the Director of SPCD report to the Wards 1, 2 and 3 Aldermen and this Board on the plans for any GLX-related closures of Washington Street, near the McGrath Highway underpass. Mr. Rawson reported that six out of the seven ResiStat spring cycle meetings have been completed and information about closures was passed on to residents. The Washington Street rail bridge will be closed for approximately 10 months and will be taken out of service in 2019. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205352: That the Director of SPCD report to the Ward 5 Alderman and this Board on the plans for closure of the Ball Square bridge and Broadway for GLX construction activity. Mr. Rawson told the committee that the Ball Square bridge requires full closure for 12 months, perhaps beginning in the fall 2018, however the details are not yet finalized. OSPCD is using ResiStat to communicate to the community as much information as possible. The proposal for Ball Square will be available for review within a couple of months and finalized by the end of the summer. There will be a public meeting scheduled for mid-July. According to Mr. Rawson, there will be ‘all hands on deck’ approach for the city in terms of communication with the

Traffic and Parking Committee Page 2 of 8 Printed 6/11/2018 community and business owners. There will be press materials available in hardcopy and electronically about rodents and tree work, as it relates to the GLX. Mr. Dunn, from the GLX Community Working Group, stated that news about the bridge closure spread quickly within the community and the closure may cause some anxiety for the community. Bus traffic rerouting is a major concern, as well as pedestrians walking around the construction site and detours for pedestrians and bicyclists moving around the construction. Questions were asked about response times for emergency vehicles and rerouting fire trucks during these closures and the committee was informed that Fire Department has been briefed directly as part of the weekly sessions that also include the Police Department and DPW. The city is also looking to hire a GLX liaison. There was a discussion about encouraging the MBTA to come up with options for re-routing trucks and it was suggested that the signage be used on Route 93 in Dorchester and in Charlestown, long before drivers reach Sullivan Square, to provide early notifications about the closures. There were other questions about bridge closures and how they may affect ambulances near Washington Street and if they have been involved in conversations. Mr. Rawson will reach out to the Fire Chief about Cataldo Ambulance’s involvement in this matter. A question was asked about how the city can prevent trucks from coming in the square to help optimize traffic. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205285: That the Director of SPCD share plans, when available, for its upcoming Vision Zero planning process. Mr. Rawson stated that Vision Zero is a public facing framework to help prevent roadway fatalities. Both the Cities of Boston and Cambridge are ahead of Somerville with implementation of this program. There are a few other cities who have also put together a Vision Zero plan. Asked about the number of accidents in the last five years, Mr. Rawson stated that the information is available online and will show that 600-700 crashes per year. The information records the type of crash and the weather conditions at the time. There have only been 20 severe crashes per year in Somerville, while Boston has experienced 700 severe crashes per year. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205936: That the Administration work with this Board on a fund for traffic calming and pedestrian/transit infrastructure pilot projects through such sources as demand pricing for meters in business districts and the creation of incentives for residents to forgo residential permits so as to create more business permits. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205696: That the Commission of Public Works, the Director of Traffic and Parking and the Director of Engineering provide this Board with a written policy requiring written notice to abutters of a prolonged street closure related to construction.

Traffic and Parking Committee Page 3 of 8 Printed 6/11/2018 Ms. Connor spoke about the 48-hour notification requirement and informed the committee that the contractor is required to flyer the area. The approach has been relatively successful in the past. The city is happy to work on a written policy but as it stands at the present time, the burden is on the contractor to notify the residents/community. The city believes the 48-hour notification policy seems to be feasible. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 204127: That the Traffic Commission create a requirement to notify abutters of pending agenda items which may impact their streets. Ms. Connor has emailed the Traffic and Parking Director and has made some progress. Standard Operating Procedures developed by the Police Department is that the police detail must notify command and Traffic and Parking of street closings. Alderman Ewen-Campen’s motion that the Administration work with relevant department heads to create a written policy requiring written notifications to abutters regarding street closings, was approved. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 204876: That the Director of SPCD and the Director of Traffic and Parking meet with the Committee on Traffic and Parking to discuss policies and procedures to limit residential parking permits for residents of properties that are granted relief from parking requirements by the Zoning Board of Appeals or the Planning Board. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205700: That the Administration report on the feasibility of giving parking permits to cars that are part of car-share programs and housed in Somerville for an extended period of time. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 204874: That the Director of Traffic and Parking publish de-identified parking permit data in the city’s open data portal so as to permit community analysis and discussion of issues related to the supply and demand of parking. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 202984: That the Director of Traffic and Parking report the number of guest passes and resident parking stickers issued for FY15, FY16 and FY17 to date. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 203070: That the Director of SPCD provide this Board with data on car ownership and parking issues at developments permitted in the past five years.

Traffic and Parking Committee Page 4 of 8 Printed 6/11/2018 RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 204267: That the Director of Traffic and Parking place blinking SLOW - CHILDREN signs on the Cross Street side of the East Somerville Community School. Mr. Smith stated that the Traffic and Parking Department does not have those particular signs. Chairman Niedergang will ask the ward alderman if a “Caution - Children” sign would work as an alternative. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 204382: That the Director of Traffic and Parking evaluate the new crosswalk signal at Mystic Avenue and Temple Street for safety and timing issues and report back to this Board. Alderman Hirsch wrote to the Chair of this committee, stating there is no place to cross the street and that the crosswalk button was pushed several times before the signal engaged. This location is under discussion with MassDot relating to funding. Winter Hill and Ten Hills needs a safe way of passage. Mr. Rawson will look into this matter, as well as the signal timing which seems long. He will check with MassDot staff to see if there are any hardwiring problems with the signal. The city does not control this area but does have a great relationship with Mass Dot. Chairman Niedergang will apprise Alderman Clingan about this meeting’s discussion on the matter. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 203074: That the Director of Traffic and Parking consider prohibiting car traffic around Artisan Way and Assembly Row to allow for increased pedestrian accessibility. Mr. Rawson stated he will have the staff start pulling traffic data to help understand how many cars go through this area and the speed of the cars. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205920: That the Commissioner of Public Works install a street light on the corner of Grand Union Boulevard and Artisan Way. Chairman Niedergang will contact Alderman McLaughlin for clarification on this request. It was stated that a signal would require a study. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205919: That the Director of SPCD promote bicycle-safe infrastructures on all future Assembly Square development. Mr. Rawson stated that they have had community meetings for Middlesex and Mystic Avenue. Middlesex is the highest speed street in the area.

Traffic and Parking Committee Page 5 of 8 Printed 6/11/2018 RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205831: That the Director of Engineering share with this Board the feasibility of creating a pedestrian crossing on Somerville Avenue, between Belmont and Spring Streets. A number of residents have complained about this matter. Mr. Rawson stated OSPCD has just started looking at the data for crash cluster history and they will review the fact pattern of existing conditions within a week or so to determine the next steps. The committee will be updated in the fall. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205927: That the Directors of Traffic and Parking and SPCD install a bicycle corral in place of the first parking spot on the northeast corner of the intersection of Washington Street and Washington Terrace. Alderman Ewen-Campen stated that residents have been expecting to remove parking space and put in the bike corral. Mr. Rawson stated that they did not check inventory and placed an order and will follow up on the status. The Traffic Commission has already approved removing the parking space. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 205805: That the Director of Traffic and Parking install a sign at the mouth of Warren Avenue informing drivers of large trucks that access to Highland Avenue is limited to smaller vehicles due to the turning radius at its intersection with Columbus Avenue. (2nd request) Alderman Ewen-Campen said Traffic and Parking has ordered the signs to be fabricated and they have been delivered. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 204323: That the Director of SPCD, the Director of Traffic and Parking, and the Commissioner of Public Works suggest additional measures to slow the speeding traffic at the crosswalk in front of the West Somerville Neighborhood School. Mr. Rawson stated the construction continues and repaving will be done once the utility work is complete. The rapid blinking signage has improved conditions. Bike lanes have slowed down traffic. A raised table may be installed after the completion of the paving, which is not included in the construction. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205795: That the Director of SPCD improve the Teele Square traffic signal wait time by reducing the 2 to 3 cycle wait time to on demand or one cycle wait time during morning and evening rush hours.

Traffic and Parking Committee Page 6 of 8 Printed 6/11/2018 Mr. Rawson would like to engage the Board members to gain a better understanding of this request and understand existing conditions. Chairman Niedergang will communicate with the ward alderman to reach out to Mr. Rawson on this matter. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 204791: That the Commissioner of Public Works and/or the Director of Traffic and Parking install a second crosswalk at the intersection of College Avenue with Kidder Avenue and Summit Street, with additional pedestrian safety measures. Mr. Smith said there are no ADA ramps at the intersection and that this request will need to go to engineering to consider if there is funding for this request. Questions were raised about the priorities on these types of requests, existing crosswalks put in before ADA regulations and if grandfathered, can they be repainted? RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 204792: That the Commissioner of Public Works and/or the Director of Traffic and Parking install an overhead Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon at the crosswalk at the West Branch Library, with bump-outs on either side of the crosswalk. Mr. Rawson stated that two overhead Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons have been installed and that he has received information about a bump-out for the library. He will contact the ward alderman. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205815: That the Director of SPCD, the Director of Engineering, and the Director of Traffic and Parking consider installing a crosswalk on Lowell Street between the bridge and Magoun Square, and report to the Ward 5 Alderman on whether and when it could be done. Mr. Rawson stated that a traffic control system was installed and is the best candidate for this area. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 205693: That the Director of SPCD and the Director of Traffic and Parking report to this Board on traffic calming options for Richardson Street. This street is not a heavy traffic street, however, it is very wide and goes straight to Lowell Street. There was a discussion about perhaps narrowing the street or adding parking to help slow down traffic. Mr. Rawson will continue to analyze this request. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 204619: That the Director of SPCD inform the Ward 5 Alderman and this Board no later than November 28, 2017 whether the physical neighborhood traffic calming measures for Broadway at Glenwood Road (plastic bollards, cones, rubber curbs, etc.) will be installed in

Traffic and Parking Committee Page 7 of 8 Printed 6/11/2018 2017. Mr. Rawson stated there was a plan to do physical intervention. One of several crossings in Winter Hill with collected data. It was discussed there is 500 ft of linear distance concept by the administration that shows robust lane changes, paint and bollards. There are also lane queue jumps for buses and painted curbs for pedestrians. There will also be Resistat meetings on this matter. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 204550: That the Director of Traffic and Parking and/or the Director of SPCD work with their counterparts in Medford to improve the intersection of Broadway, Albion and Winchester Streets, where there are no street signs or markings, and review other intersections on the Medford-Somerville line before the GLX opens. Mr. Rawson stated he had a diagram at the ResiStat meeting. He talked about possible 90 ft crosswalks and painted curb extensions to help make it clears for motorist and pedestrians. Mr. Rais is trying to pull a budget together to address this area. Hopefully the city will be able to make a change this year. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 204926: Traffic and Parking Director submitting responses to various Board Orders submitted 11/9/17, 11/21/17 and 12/14/17. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 205131: Director of Traffic and Parking responding to items approved at the January 25, 2018 meeting. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 205132: Director of Traffic and Parking responding to items approved at the January 11, 2018 meeting. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 205236: Director of Traffic and Parking responding to Items from the 2/8/18 meeting. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 205534: Traffic and Parking Director responding to various Board Orders from the 2/22/18 meeting. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 205080: That the Director of Traffic and Parking stripe the entire street space by the curb

Traffic and Parking Committee Page 8 of 8 Printed 6/11/2018 at the hydrant at 33 Hudson Street to deter parking there. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 204161: That the Director of Traffic and Parking replace the faded “No Parking Anytime” sign above the “No Parking Loading Zone” sign on the east side of Lowell Street, north of Albion Street. (2nd request) RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 203280: That the Director of Traffic and Parking install a NO LEFT TURN sign at the corner of Webster Avenue and Newton Street. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 203281: That the Director of Traffic and Parking install NO PARKING FROM HERE TO CORNER signage on Summer Street, at the intersection of Greene Street, to create an adequate line of sight when turning from Greene Street. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 204124: That the Director of Traffic and Parking establish a loading zone at 223 Somerville Avenue and extend the hours of the loading zone at 220 Somerville Avenue from 6PM to 8PM. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED 204123: That the Director of Traffic and Parking evaluate the intersection of Dimick and Marion Streets for addition STOP signs. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED