Bicycles

Another public meeting for Beacon Street Reconstruction meeting is coming on up on Tuesday, March 5th at 6:00pm in the Argenziano School cafetorium (290 Washington Street). I strongly urge all with an interest in the…

Small business owners worry that without lots of parking spaces available immediately outside their business their sales will drop.  As the City of Somerville this past summer repurposed curbside parking spaces for bike corrals, some business owners m…

Bicyclists, pedestrians, and other users of the Community Path should come to this meeting and ask that the CPX crossing over the Fitchburg Line be designed in.

No, there hasn’t been a premature dropping of a local New Years Eve time-ball–City Hall has dropped the ball on long-promised bike enforcement and a companion public safety campaign—yet again…

Bicycle advocates have turned out to the first two meetings in support of a dedicated cycle track.

Tour Date: Saturday, 10/20 from 1:30 to 4:00 pm.

Rain Date: Sunday  10/21, same time.

On Saturday, October 13, the Somerville Bicycle Committee will lead the 20th annual Tour de Somerville.

This year’s theme is “Edge of the City”. We’ll ride as close as possible to the Somerville city…

The Friends of the Community Path sent this letter to the George Proakis and the Planning Board on August 17, with no reply so far:…

Adam Auster of Arlington, in an Aug. 19 update, notes you may now walk on the boardwalk at the Alewife Greenway path, connecting to the Minuteman Bikeway to Somerville.

See an update and photos…

The air quality determination governs whether the state is required to do all of the Green Line Extension or whether it can quit early.

Somerville will only get its transportation needs met if the legislature adequately funds the MBTA and other mass transit.

For more information, see MPO Transportation Im

This year’s theme will take us from one end of the City to the other, learning about Somerville’s wealth of parks and what they used to be.

Want to avoid getting a ticket? Watch the episode and find out how, as well as what you can do to stay safe in Somerville and how to find out more on the Somerville biking culture.

Two years ago, I began making a Google Map of obscure stairways, ramps, paths, and shortcuts in and near Somerville. Since Google Map URLs are quite long, I gave this map a shorter one that’s easy to remember:

http://TinyURL.com/ObscureSomerville

This meeting will present five options for fixing the break in the Minuteman Trail at Mass Ave. and Rt. 60 in Arlington Center, which forces bicyclists onto the streets and sidewalks.

This is a first look at the proposed design for the Community Path. All concerned with the path and the Green Line Extension should show up and comment.

On Thursday, 6 pm, November 3rd, at the VNA, 259 Lowell St., the Board of Aldermen’s Public Safety Committee will discuss the Administration’s disinclination to implement a promised Bicycle Safety Campaign for the city’s cyclists…

The Somerville Bicycle Committee invites you to ride our 19th Annual Tour de Somerville.  This year’s theme is “Arts in the ‘Ville”.

We’ll meet at 10 am on Saturday, October 15 in Seven Hills…

We will present a summary of the City’s almost finished Comprehensive Plan, followed by discussion. The plan is the product of over two years of work by the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.

Extending the Community Path along the proposed Green Line spur will encourage people to bike and walk through central Somerville.

An important improvement to McGrath Highway would be to return it to its original concept, as a ground-level boulevard with predestrian crossings.

It is important to reunite neighborhoods, lower traffic speeds, and add more trees to make McGrath Hwy a boulevard.

Please join us in our efforts to connect the Minuteman Bikeway and Charles River path networks, by extending the Community Path!…

MA DOT holding a Public hearing on Broadway Streetscape improvement Project on January 26, 2011 at the Cross Street Senior Center, 7 pm. Public Comments are also accepted via mail.

Please join the Somerville Bicycle Committee on Saturday evening, Dec 18, to celebrate the coming of winter and year round cycling. We will enjoy a casual bike tour to see some of the city’s…

We will be prioritizing our action list this meeting. We are looking for new members to help us with our mission of extending the Community Path (along part of the future Green Line route) to the Charles River.
Meeting is at the VNA, 259 Lowell Street.

The public is invited to make suggestions about pedestrian, bicycle, and bus access to the station, as well as safety lighting, station design, comfort, signs and area maps.

The current issues are the status of the Green Line Extension and Community Path, extending the Green Line to Route 16, and funding the Assembly Square Orange Line T-Stop.

Large Retail Cluster Parking: Proposal is to double the parking requirement for large retail (> 25,000 s.f.). Staff believes that because Somerville has little parking available, the effect will be to discourage suburban format in Somerville. Developers would have to build parking garages, which is expensive.

The meeting will include:

* A brief history of the Friends of the Community Path
* An update on current status of the proposed Path extension
* An overview of our goals and activities
* A discussion of the kinds of help we often need (attending meetings/events, taking minutes, tabling, strategizing, making inroads, mapping, urban planning, writing, fund raising, research, press announcements, technical, web/blog, social networking, schlepping, etc.)
* Q&A

The agenda includes the following:

* Change to the zoning ordinance to allow self-storage in Assembly Square
* Changes to the zoning ordinance to revise the procedures for reviewing Special Permits, Special Permits with Site Plan Approval, and variances
* Changes to the zoning ordinance to revise the parking requirements for large scale retail
* Change to the zoning ordinance to allow Historic Carriage House as a use in certain districts
* Special permit to allow Federal Realty to exceed signage size requirements in Assembly Square.

Last week I was riding through Union Square with my daughter on the back of our tandem bicycle. As I pulled up to stop at the red light, a woman rolled down the window on her mini-van/SUV and screamed at us: “Do NOT ride on this road with that kid!” Her tone and facial expression overflowed with anger and hostility as she whipped around the corner staring daggers.…

The Somerville Bicycle Committee will hold the 18th annual Tour de Somerville on Saturday, October 16. This year’s theme is “Paths, Present and Future: A Mystic River Ramble”.

This bike tour will explore current…

A change-of-use ordinance is being submitted to the Board of Aldermen to allow self-storage/wholesale storage in locations in Assembly Square near I-93 and not suitable for better development. I understand that the goal is to allow a developer to place a self-storage facility at the foot of Foley Street, replacing a truck storage facility near the current (poorly-maintained) pedestrian underpass from Assembly Square to the Stop & Shop on Mystic Avenue. The underlying urban design problem is how to use a development in this location to establish a pedestrian-friendly gateway to Assembly Square, given (a) the planned Assembly Square T-Stop at the head of Foley Street and (b) a proposed Foley Street connection under I-93 to East Somerville.

Land use planning is the primary function of municipal government. This ordinance provides an ideal opportunity to observe and participate in the public land use process, from Ordinance to Planning Board special permit.

Public input is needed on accessibility, waterfront and water activities design, and pedestrian and bicycle access along Foley Street.

This is the sixth in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Pedestrian and bicycle safety is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square roadways and Orange Line T-Stop and around the new Green Line stops.

This is the fifth in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Pedestrian and bicycle safety is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square roadways and Orange Line T-Stop and around the new Green Line stops.

This meeting was devoted entirely to passing the proposed modifications to the Preliminary Master Plan for Assembly Square. The Planning Staff had asked Federal Realty to generalize the use mix from Office and R&D because Somerville zoning has a very narrow definition of Office use. Federal Realty widened the definition to include all Somerville uses under special permit. The Planning Board stated that in the absence of any opposition, they would waive the reading of the 70 conditions and voted to approve the changes to the PUD. Some citizens present had expected to have a period for written comment before the vote.

This meeting was held at 6:30 at the State Transportation Building, around the corner from the Boylston T-Stop. A half-dozen officials from the Federal transportation authorities were present, along with some translators (never called upon) and a half-dozen or so members of the MPO. Only about a half-dozen members of the public showed up, all from Somerville.

The Boston MPO must be certified by the federal government in order for the Boston area to receive federal funding for transportation improvements. Citizen input is an important part of this process.

This is the fourth in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Pedestrian and bicycle safety is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square roadways and Orange Line T-Stop and around the new Green Line stops.

This is the third in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Pedestrian and bicycle safety is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square roadways and Orange Line T-Stop and around the new Green Line stops.

This is the second in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Pedestrian and bicycle safety is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square roadways and Orange Line T-Stop and around the new Green Line stops.

This is the first in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Safe pedestrian and bicycle access is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square Orange Line T-Stop and new Green Line stops.

This meeting is important because bridges are in need of repair in and around Somerville, and these repairs should include pedestrian and bicycle access.

All citizens of Somerville and Medford should evaluate this document and give feedback, because this is one of the final steps before the project begins implementation. Written comments will be accepted until July 23.

This meeting is important because it provides an early opportunity to influence future plans for Davis Square.

At this meeting, citizens will evaluate professional designs and documentation for the Green stations in your neighborhood.

This meeting is important because it begins work on sustainable station designs for the Green Line Extension.

This meeting is important because it provides background information on sustainable station designs for the Green Line Extension.

The 9th annual Historic Bike Tour will once again be sponsored in collaboration with the Somerville Bike Committee.  The theme this year will be the “Lost Theatres of Somerville.”  The guided ride, accompanied by the…

MAPC Bike Meeting with Dr. Anne Lusk

Tues. Mar. 23 6:00 PM

MAPC Offices
60 Temple Place
Boston MA (map)

This Metropolitan Area Planning Council meeting features Dr…

Regional Transportation Advisory Council Meeting

Wed. Feb. 10 3:00 PM

State Transportation Building
Conf. Rm. 4
10 Park Plaza
Boston MA (map)

Jan. 28, 2010 MPO

Comment Period on Amendment to MPO Public Participation Plan

Starts: Mon. Feb. 8
Ends: Thurs. Mar. 25

Amendment (PDF)

This is the beginning of the 45-day comment…

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Planning Meeting

Tues., Feb. 16, 6:30 PM

Upper Hall
Greek Orthodox Church
29 Central St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the rescheduling of the…

This is the first 2010 meeting of the Somerville Bicycle Committee. They may be discussing the contamination issue on the bike path.

BOA Committee on Parks and Open Space

Wed. Jan. 6, 7:00 PM

2nd Floor Comm. Room
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

Agenda

Public Meeting on Mystic River Reservation Recreational Path Extension (Wellington Undercarriage)

Thurs. Dec. 17 6:30 PM

Mystic Activity Center
535 Mystic Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting is…

Community ratifies set of 11 principles for land use planning along the Green Line extension.

Ward 5 ResiStat Meeting

Tues. Dec. 1, 7:00 PM

Cafeterium
John F. Kennedy School
5 Cherry St.
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting, sponsored by Mayor Curtatone and Ward…

The City of Somerville will be auctioning off over 300 bicycles on Saturday, November 14th from 11 to 3 p.m. at the Somerville High School Atrium located at 81 Highland Avenue in Somerville.  All those…

RIDE YOUR BIKE OR THE T TO THE BOSTON UNDER WATER CLIMATE FESTIVAL!!!   (co-organized by Somerville Climate Action)

Join the Somerville Bicycle Committee for our 17th annual fall Tour de Somerville. This year’s theme is “Somerville: City of Seven (Or More) Hills”.

We’ll meet on Saturday, October 17 at 10 am at…

Get the skinny on Somerville’s own sassy, classy, and definitely brassy festival of alternative marching bands coming up October 11th, and find out how to be part of the fun!

Get some bike tune-up help and tips with Ace Wheelworks

and learn how to get involved in the International Day of Climate Action on October 24th

with Somerville

Two days ago, the City of Somerville announced it would start enforcing regulations prohibiting the use of bicycles on sidewalks with fines between $20 and $50… Given the city’s budget problems, I wonder whether this policy change is motivated more by a need to find new sources of revenue rather than by public safety concerns.

Join the Somerville Bicycle Committee for the 16th Annual Tour de Somerville on Saturday, October 18th.   We’ll meet at 10 am at Seven Hills Park, behind the Holland Street T entrance in Davis Square. …

This Saturday, May 31, I’m co-leading a bicycle tour of historical sights around Somerville, on behalf of the Somerville Bicycle Committee and the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission. The ride will focus on the many commuter rail stations that Somerville once had, and on the Green Line stations that will soon take their place.

The ride starts at 10 am at Somerville City Hall …