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River Street Reconstruction Project Update and Survey
The City has decided to
reschedule the
Carl Barron Plaza (aka The Circle)
outreach to a later date
. This outreach was originally scheduled for September 14 and 17. We do not expect this to affect the overall project schedule. The City will seek public input on the design of this important plaza space in Central Square after advancing the draft concepts for the River Street corridor and the MBTA bus terminal area. In the meantime, the City will be sharing summaries of the input received to date on the Carl Barron Plaza.
Take the pre-construction
survey
and tell us how River Street works for you
. Not only will your survey responses help inform the design of the River Street, but they will also be compared to post-construction survey results to evaluate the project. Please
click here
to fill out the survey.
New information has been posted to the River Street Reconstruction web site
. This includes the
Design Toolbox
, a reference document intended to provide a quick overview of potential design solutions for mobility and streetscape opportunities and challenges. This document is not intended to propose specific designs for River Street, but it is a great reference to get a sense for the kinds of design features that might be possible. In addition, summaries from a number of spring and summer activities are now posted under 'Documents' tab on the
project web page
, including two public site walks and the July Working Group meeting.
For more information on the River Street Reconstruction project or to be added to the project email list, please visit:
cambridgema.gov/riverstreet.
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Meetings
(Click the meeting titles for details)
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Tuesday, September 10, 6:30 PM
Agenda: PB-348, 580 Massachusetts Avenue; PB-350, 810 Main Street; PB-351, 567 Massachusetts Avenue
Wednesday, September 11, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Tuesday, September 17, 6:30 PM
Agenda: PB-349, 599 Massachusetts Avenue; PB-352, 31 Church Street; Article 19 Amendment - Zoning Petition
Wednesday, September 18, 5:30 PM
Tuesday, September 24, 6:30 PM
Agenda: Cambridgeside PUD-8 Zoning Petition; Shared Mobility Zoning Petition; PB-353, 45-51 New Street
Thursday, September 26, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, October 15, 3:30 PM
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Ames Place Open Space Visioning Session
Thursday, September 12, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Danny Lewin Park, 130 Broadway
Please join the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority and Kendall Square Association in a discussion on how to make Ames Place Open Space a more connected area in Kendall Square. Register
here
to share your ideas, meet fellow Kendall Square lovers and enjoy light refreshments outside. All are welcome to attend, so please spread the word! If you have any questions, please contact Alexandra Levering (
[email protected]
).
Learn more and register
.
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Danehy Park Family Day
Saturday, September 14, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM (
Rain date: September 15
)
Danehy Park, 99 Sherman Street
Enjoy a fun-filled day of children's amusement rides, arts and crafts, music and roving performers, plus free hot dogs, chips, sodas, T-shirts, and colorful kites (while supplies last)! Check out performances throughout the day at the children's stage.
Shuttle buses will be running throughout Cambridge to provide transportation. Danehy Park can be reached by public transportation: #74 bus or #78 bus from Harvard Square; #83 bus from Central Square; or take a shuttle bus from the Alewife MBTA Station. Picnics and lawn chairs are encouraged.
More information
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MOTHERLOAD Film Screening
Sunday, September 15, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street
MOTHERLOAD is a crowdsourced documentary about a new mother’s quest to understand the increasing isolation and disconnection of the digital age, its planetary impact, and how cargo bikes could be an antidote. Bring the kids! Doors at 11, Screening begins at 11:30, Discussion 12:45-1:30. Suggested $5 donation for adults.
More information
.
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Bike Trivia
Thursday, September 19, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
CultureHouse, 500 Kendall Street
Come show off your two-wheeled knowledge at Bike Trivia. If you arrive by bike, you get an extra point! Winner gets a prize.
More information
.
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PARK(ing) Day
Friday, September 20, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Locations across Cambridge
Join us in the Official City of Cambridge PARK(ing) Day celebration as we transform 150 parking spots into engaging and creative community spaces.
PARK(ing) Day is an annual international event where residents, artists, and activists come together to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into "PARK(ing)" spaces: temporary public places. The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat … at least until the meter runs out!
More information
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Bow Tie Bicycle Ride
Sunday, September 22, Assemble 9:30 AM, Ride departs 10:00 AM
Joan Lorentz Park, Outside the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway
The ride will begin and end outside of the Cambridge Public Library Main Branch. We will begin assembling at 9:30 AM and depart promptly at 10:00 AM. The ride will be escorted by the Cambridge Police Department's Bike Patrol and take about two hours, including a midway break at the Main Library. The ride will go at a relaxed pace, but we ask that young children ride tandem with an adult (trailers, bike seats, tag-alongs, etc.).
Bike mechanics from Urban Adventours will be on hand before the ride to make quick safety checks. The mechanics will be making minor adjustments, like tire pressure, and emergency repairs only. Please make sure your bike is in reasonable working order ahead of the ride.
The Department of Public Works will also be on site before the ride with their interactive
stormwater display
.
There is no registration or charge for the tour -- just show up and enjoy! And don't forget your bow-tie!
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Cycle to the Source Bike Ride
Wednesday, September 28, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
(Rain date: Sunday, September 29
)
Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Plant, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway
Cycle to the Source is a 33 mile bike tour of the Cambridge Watershed. It is a chance to explore where your water comes from, how it is collected, and what steps are taken to ensure the city has clean drinking water. It will include stops at the upper reservoirs, dams, gatehouses, and the CWD field office. This event is free and open to the public, but for safety reasons is for adults only.
Register
here
if you’d like to participate! All you need is a working bike, helmet, lunch, and water. If you would like to join but need a bike, Urban Adventours rents hybrid and road bikes that are suitable for the event. $65 will cover the cost of the bike, helmet, and delivery to Fresh Pond on the morning of the tour. Visit their
website
for more information.
More information
.
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2019 Moving Together Conference
Thursday, October 24, 7:45 AM - 4:00 PM
Boston Park Plaza Hotel, 50 Park Plaza, Boston
Each year the Moving Together Conference brings together transportation leaders and individuals involved in the areas of planning, public health, bike and pedestrian safety, transit, advocacy, elected office, law enforcement and education
.
Learn more and register
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Announcements and Actions
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*NEW*
Main Street Separated Bike Lane Project
Working in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the City of Cambridge will be installing a new segment of separated bicycle lane on Main Street, from the Broadway merge to the beginning of the Longfellow Bridge. This will
involve the removal of a travel lane approaching the bridge, and will
not impact parking supply. This change
will significantly enhance safety for cyclists traveling in this area and help reduce vehicle speeds approaching the bridge, and
is not expected to increase delay for vehicles heading into Boston.
At approximately the same time, MassDOT will install a similar treatment on the Longfellow Bridge, extending from the point where the City’s project end for several hundred feet onto the bridge. These improvements are the result of ongoing coordination between the City, the Commonwealth, transportation advocates, and local stakeholders. Installation of these improvements will take place in the next few weeks.
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*NEW*
City to Conduct Porter Square and Lower Mass Ave Customer Intercept Survey 9/10-9/20
As part of its Customer Intercept Survey Program for Cambridge’s commercial districts, the Community Development Department (CDD) will begin surveying Porter Square and Lower Massachusetts Avenue on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 through Friday, September 20, 2019 (weather permitting). Representatives from the City will be in the area handing out surveys to residents, patrons, and visitors.
Surveys may also be picked up, filled out, and submitted at: Joie de Vivre (1792 Mass. Ave.), Honeycomb Creamery (1702 Massachusetts Ave.), and Spirer Jewelers (1780 Mass. Ave).
The purpose of the Commercial District Customer Intercept Survey is to provide CDD's Economic Development Division with a better understanding of what Cambridge residents and Porter Square/Lower Mass. Ave. customers want in their commercial district.
More information
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*NEW*
FY19 City of Cambridge Annual Report Now Available
The City of Cambridge’s online FY19 Annual Report is now available for viewing at
CambridgeMA.Gov/FY19AnnualReport
. A limited supply of the FY19 Annual Report print companion edition is also available in the brochure racks at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue.
The FY19 Annual Report includes key highlights for the fiscal year from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019, including the Cambridge City Council's adoption of the
Cycling Safety Ordinance
in April 2019, which solidifies the city's commitment to improving its bicycle network. The ordinance mandates that when a street is rebuilt through the Five-Year Sidewalk and Street Reconstruction Plan, separated bicycle lanes will be included on those streets identified for separation in the Cambridge Bicycle Plan.
More information
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Ames Street Two-Way Separated Bike Lane Project
As part of the mitigation commitments in the Planning Board Special Permit for their Kendall Square Project, MIT will be implementing a two-way separated bicycle lane along Ames Street from Main Street to Memorial Drive, completing the missing link in a protected bicycle connection that runs from Binney Street to the Charles River. Initial construction on this improvement has already started, and more significant changes will begin to take place in late August and early September. This project will involve the removal of the parking spaces located on the east (northbound) side of Ames Street in this segment, to create space for the separated bicycle lane. In addition, MIT is also installing a signalized crossing of Memorial Drive at Ames Street for pedestrians and bicycles and is completing installation of bicycle signals at Main Street and Ames Street.
More information
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Job Opportunities
- City of Boston, Director of Engineering: The Boston Transportation Department is searching for a Director of Engineering who is well versed in state of the art tools and practices to create sustainable and multi-modal transportation networks including bicycle, pedestrian and transit focused street design and cutting edge safety treatments. To learn more and apply, click here.
- Urban AdvenTours: Do you love riding bikes and being outdoors? Are you looking for an active, hands-on job that provides a livable income? Urban Adventours (UA) is Boston’s Downtown Bicycle Shop, and they are looking for hard working people who are passionate about bicycles to help grow their fast paced, dynamic business. To learn more about open positions and apply, click here.
- WalkBoston, Intern: WalkBoston interns gain experience in transportation-related planning and design, community engagement, advocacy, and neighborhood revitalization efforts. If you have an interest in learning firsthand how walkability affects community health, civic participation and overall quality of life, then an internship at WalkBoston could be a career-enhancing experience for you. This is a paid internship; work study preferred. To learn more and apply, click here.
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DPW Releases 2019 Five Year Plan for Street & Sidewalk Reconstruction
- The Bicycle Ordinance - passed in April 2019, the Cycling Safety Ordinance supports the City's commitment to Vision Zero and the construction of a connected network of permanent separated bicycle lanes across the City.
- Climate change considerations including extreme flooding and the Urban Heat Index
- Urban Forest Master Plan - sidewalk and street reconstruction provides opportunities for the City to increase it's urban canopy, making neighborhoods more resilient to climate change, reducing the urban heat island effect, mitigating stormwater runoff, reducing nutrient runoff, and contributing to community well-being. The Urban Forest Master Plan provides a guide to developing this urban forest.
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Bicycle Plan 2020 WikiMap Live
As part of the
Cambridge Bicycle Plan 2020
process, the City of Cambridge has launched a
Bicycle Plan 2020 WikiMap
to collect public feedback on bicycling in the city.
Through this online WikiMap tool, you can provide feedback, input, and suggestions in two ways:
- Comment on the City's existing network of bicycle facilities. How is our network of streets and paths working now? Are there places that are great for bicycling and that you would like to see expanded or replicated? Are there places that are particularly problematic and you would like to see changed?
- Comment on the City's Bicycle Network Vision. Through the 2015 Bicycle Plan process, a Bicycle Network Vision was created to help guide the development a bicycle network that is safety-focused, comfortable, connected, and convenient for people of all ages and abilities. An explanation of the process to develop the Network Vision can be read here. An update to this Network Vision will be part of the Bicycle Plan 2020 outcomes.
Enter the WikiMap
here
. To comment, select the base map you want in the
View Options
and then select either "Add Street/Path Comment" or "Add Point/Intersection Comment" at the top of the page. You may enter as many comments as you want.
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Subscribe to the Bicycle Plan 2020 Newsletter
To receive periodic emails with updates on the Cambridge Bicycle Plan 2020 process and postings about upcoming meetings and opportunities to get involved,
subscribe here
.
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Current Board Vacancies
The City is currently looking to fill the following
board vacancies
. Applications to serve on these committees can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at
cambridgema.gov/apply
. A cover letter and resume or applicable experience can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue.
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About the Active Transportation Report
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This weekly e-
newsletter provides information about upcoming meetings, events, news, and actions related to walking, bicycling, and an active lifestyle, as well as items of general interest for transportation in Cambridge.
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