PTAC_SBAC_COVID_letter — File 210333

Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Committee To: ​Mayor Joseph Curtatone ​ ​Somerville City Council Re: ​SBAC and PTAC vision for transportation response to COVID-19 Mayor Joseph Curtatone and the Somerville City Council NOTE: This letter was originally discussed at the May 21 Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee meeting, before the City's Shared Streets draft plan was made public and before the Phase 1 Implementation of Shared Streets in East Somerville and Winter Hill, or the expanded sidewalk on Bow St. While those are significant improvements and consistent with the asks of this letter, this letter does not seek to evaluate those recent outcomes, but rather to suggest high-level transportation goals for Somerville during this unprecedented disruption of our usual transportation systems. The Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee and the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee are jointly writing to applaud the City of Somerville for its Shared Streets pilot program, and endorse a vision of how our streets and public spaces safer during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many residents are able to stay home from their jobs, stay indoors, and maintain social distancing, we must recognize that not all residents have the luxury to completely isolate themselves. Many people must leave their homes every day, whether to commute to their essential jobs or to make essential trips for food and other necessities. During these trips, residents in Somerville are faced with sidewalks that are too narrow for safe social distancing. Families are forced into the street to maintain distance, where speeding has increased due to the reduction in vehicle traffic, and cyclists are forced to ride alongside dangerously speeding cars. With the rise in bike ridership and the need to prioritize use of public transit for essential trips and workers during this time, we must make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to move safely around Somerville. As a city with one of the highest rates of transit, pedestrian, and bicycle transit modes in the country, Somerville must take bold and immediate action to accommodate our diverse road users. It is increasingly clear, particularly during this time of reduced traffic volumes and increased reliance on walking and biking, that the allocation of public space in our city is skewed disproportionately in favor of cars.

Cities around the world are making necessary changes to make trips safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and we urge Somerville to do the same, without further delay. The following is a list of measures the city should work to implement immediately: • Roll out a robust network of Shared Streets — The City’s Shared Streets pilot program is an important first step, but a continuous network of Shared Streets should be built out as quickly as possible. • Expedite missing links in the pedestrian and bicycle network, including reallocating parking spaces and travel lanes to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists. Shared Streets are necessary but not sufficient, as many trips will still require traveling on arterial roads. • Implement traffic calming measures at pedestrian crossings. • Continue to automate pedestrian crossing signals, while keeping in mind the needs of the blind community. • Devise a plan for the 33% percent of Somerville workers who normally rely on the MBTA, so that everyone who wants to walk or bike has a safe route, and those who still take the MBTA have sufficient space and buses are not caught in traffic • Allow businesses to expand outdoor seating into streets so that outdoor seating is not in competition with wide sidewalks. • In addition, we ask that the City address pervasive speeding, as lighter traffic volumes appear to have caused speeding throughout the City We are pleased with the city’s announcement of the Shared Streets pilot program. We urge the city to rapidly expand this program and complete recent work to automate pedestrian signals. We look forward to Somerville continuing to be a leader in safe pedestrian and bike accommodations. Sincerely, Tom Lamar Chair, Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee Zachary Rosenberg Chair, Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Committee On behalf of both committees