Resolution - Traffic Calming Prospect Hill — File 26-1112

WHEREAS: Somerville is committed to ensuring the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers on residential streets; and WHEREAS: A Prospect Hill resident was recently in a car crash due to a vehicle driving unsafely on Boston Street, as reported by the resident to a city councilor who witnessed the aftermath of the crash; and WHEREAS: The Prospect Hill neighborhood includes a significant number of families with small children; and WHEREAS: The neighborhood contains a playground used by young children and a well-used park used by residents of all ages throughout the year; and WHEREAS: Drivers are frequently observed running stop signs and driving the wrong way down one-way streets, as witnessed by numerous residents of the neighborhood; and WHEREAS: Many residents of the neighborhood have begun submitting accounts of crashes, aggressive driving, and close calls in response to this latest crash; and WHEREAS: The streets of the Prospect Hill neighborhood are frequently used during rush hour by through traffic seeking to avoid congestion on Highland Avenue, in Union Square, and on McGrath Highway; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT, RESOLVED: That the Director of Mobility conduct a traffic study of Boston Street, Monroe Street, Walnut Street, Prospect Hill Avenue, Prospect Hill Parkway, Columbus Avenue, and Stone Avenue to evaluate traffic safety conditions; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Director of Mobility implement appropriate traffic calming measures on those streets, informed by the results of the traffic study.