Committee Report - T&P - 12-6-12 — File 194074

December 6, 2012 Traffic and Parking Committee Page 1 of 2 Printed 12/11/2012 REPORT OF THE TRAFFIC AND PARKING COMMITTEE Attendee Name Title Status Arrived William M. Roche Chair Present Robert C. Trane Vice Chair Present Tony Lafuente Ward Four Alderman Present Maryann M. Heuston Ward Two Alderman Present Sean T. O’Donovan Ward Five Alderman Present Thomas F. Taylor Ward Three Alderman Present Matthew Dias Director, Traffic and Parking Present Omar Boukili Aide to Mayor Present Alex Epstein Bicycle Committee Member Present Hayes Morrison Dir., Transportation & Infrastructure Present 193587 - Requesting approval of a Complete Streets Ordinance to insure equal access for all users of the public ways.: Ms. Morrison spoke about the need to have “complete streets”, i.e., a roadway that takes into account the needs of motorists, pedestrians, transit users and vehicles, bicyclists, and commercial and emergency vehicles using the roadway in a manner that is sensitive to the local context and recognizes that Somerville is a dense, urban setting. To fulfill this need, the Administration is proposing an amendment, (referred to as Article VII - Complete Street Ordinance), to Chapter 12 of the city’s Code of Ordinances. Included in this amendment are requirements for the City of Somerville to: • enhance the safety, access, convenience and comfort of all users, • provide for equality in use among all users, • balance the needs of various users in a flexible manner, • incorporate elements into public transportation projects and existing streets, • conduct a yearly “rules of the road” education campaign to better inform cyclists of city/state traffic regulations, • follow various state, federal and urban guidelines, and

Committee Meeting December 6, 2012 Traffic and Parking Committee Page 2 of 2 Printed 12/11/2012 • incorporate bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities, when applicable and practical, in all street projects, (with certain exceptions). Chairman Roche’s motion that the language in the proposed amendment be reviewed by the Law Department to limit the city’s liability, was approved. Chairman Roche’s motion that the City Solicitor review the proposed amendment, as follows: Section (6) - to determine what happens when state guidelines change; and Section (7) - which may be ambiguous - to determine if the cost is proportional to the project and how the difference would impact the city, was approved. Several members of the public provided comments on this matter and Chairman Roche submitted an email from a constituent. The committee has completed its work on this item and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Legislative Matters. RESULT: WORK COMPLETED