Community Corner

Will Davis Square Keep Its Brick Sidewalks?

Planners Tuesday night discussed what changes to Davis Square the city might undertake in the next couple of years.

Should Davis Square's sidewalks be replaced with new bricks or converted to another material, like concrete pavers, concrete with brick accents of even concrete with colorful glass mixed in?

That was one of the topics under consideration Tuesday evening at a meeting about improving Davis Square's streets, the fourth and final such meeting held this summer.

The city is planning to make improvements to the square's streetscape in the next couple of years, though there isn't a precise timeline yet.

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Participants at Tuesday's meeting also discussed what style of benches, tables, trash bins and lights to put in square.

Planners presented some recommendations, based on earlier meetings, for changes to the area's streetscape.

Find out what's happening in Somervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Some of the most significant changes include the following:

  • Eliminating the "slip lane" that allows drivers to turn left from Highland Avenue onto Elm Street and turing that area into a pedestrian plaza
  • Widening the sidewalk and narrowing the traffic lanes on Elm Street near Chester Street
  • Altering the signal and intersection layout at Highland Avenue and Cutter Avenue
  • Installing a traffic table at the intersection of Grove Street and Highland Avenue

Planners are not officially recommending, though they're considering, altering the area around Summer, Elm and Russell streets by turing part of Summer Street into a pedestrian plaza. They're also studying ways to improve the flow of the through the square.

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