Agenda Text
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Traffic & Parking Engineer Responding to Various Board Orders.
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Official Text
To the Honorable Board of Aldermen:
The following are responses by Traffic and Parking to various B.O.A. Orders of March 25, 2010.
B.O.A. #10
That the Director of Traffic and parking ensure the protection of persons and property at the intersection at 132 Cedar St and Lexington Ave.
The Somerville Police Department has forwarded the accident history of this intersection since 1/1/04. There have been only 3 accidents at this location in this time period. This area is considered a low accident location.
Traffic and Parking has reviewed this area. This intersection is in compliance with all aspects of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
There are no additional actions required or which Traffic and Parking can initiate at this location at the present time.
B.O.A. #12
That the City Solicitor with the Director of Traffic and parking consider including Clark St as a zoned parking area since residents have difficulty parking due to the pickup and dropoff at the Argenziano School.
Traffic and Parking will consider this request and act accordingly as this issue is developed.
B.O.A. #13
That the Director of Traffic and Parking inform this Board when additional traffic-slowing signage will be available.
DPW is responsible for the purchase of these Traffic Control Devices. This Board Order should be forwarded to DPW.
B.O.A. #21
That the Director of Traffic and Parking provide the Ward 6 Alderman with road closing plans in advance of major road races in Davis Square to maximize notification to residents and to ensure that only the most limited number of streets are impacted.
Traffic and Parking will coordinate with the Ward 6 Alderman on this Board Order.
B.O.A. #22
That the City Traffic Engineer initiate a study to reduce traffic on College Ave from Powderhouse Rotary to Davis Square at the same time as bicycle symbols are installed on both sides of the street next month.
Local traffic patterns along the College Ave corridor were devised by previous Traffic and Parking administrations to reduce traffic on local residential streets and to channelize traffic to/from Davis Square from the Powderhouse Rotary via College Ave. Traffic and Parking stills supports this concept. Traffic and Parking does not support any initiate which would change the street network in this area and allow additional vehicle traffic to flow through local residential streets to access or exit Davis Square.
Traffic and Parking has advocated and vigorously support alternative modes of transportation via bicyclists and pedestrians throughout the City. By increasing these modes of transportation along College Ave the number of vehicles is hopefully expected to decrease.
Since 2008 Traffic and Parking has increased various types of Bike Lanes in the City from 2,600 linear feet to 24,200 linear feet. This year Traffic and Parking is pursuing a course of action to add several additional miles of bike lanes in the City. Also to enhance pedestrian safety and encourage walking as a means of transportation Traffic and Parking since 2007has repainted on average over 350 crosswalks per year.
It is by the above initiatives that Traffic and Parking is striving to reduce vehicle traffic on all streets including College Ave in Somerville.