Removing the brick??? Come on! It is a historical aspect that gives character to Davis Sq. So what's the plan, rip it out & make it look generic, like any other square?! Ludicrous!

I like the brick, but it's a difficult surface to maintain, as the bricks loosen and become uneven over time. If I were using a wheelchair, I'd probably hate it.

I right with Jen and Ron, the brick is great and adds character - rather than replacing it with concrete they can update it to more modern brick paving technology - that way they can address the concerns of loose, uneven walkways while maintaining the character.

Keep the brick! It adds character. Also, it's cheaper to fix the areas that need attention than replace all of it.

What's with all the traffic changes... they ideas don't sound good to me. Don't fix what ain't broken.

I completely agree with Nancy... we shouldn't go too crazy in the bike/pedestrian direction. I think there's a nice balance now.

Bluestone. The best sidewalk paver material.

But they're difficult to replace when you have to cut up the sidewalk for utility work.

I don't understand how eliminating the “slip lane” will work.

If you're driving into the square on Highland Avenue, and you need to get to Elm Street coming out of the square, how are you going to be able to do that?

I'm guessing part of the plan is to get more people to take a left at Grove Street before getting to the square, but if you're parked after that, then you have to… I don't know, maybe go past the Theatre, drive behind Seven Hills Park, then loop around Buena Vista Road back to Elm Street.

It could work, I guess, but seems much more cumbersome, and it will put a lot more traffic on what are currently some pretty quiet streets.

Anyone who has tried to walk from one side of Davis Square to the other withOUT crossing against lights of jaywalking, would fully support changes. As a resident of Davis Square, I am completely frustrated in the set-up for pedestrians. It is broken, it should be fixed. Crossing the street 3-4 times just to get from one point in the square to the other is insane.

Turning the slip lane into just a normal hard-left would make driving in the square more easy, I believe. Right now, there are multiple left turn lanes which makes the whole thing pretty confusing. The addition of a nice pedestrian plaza would be an incredible benefit for the local businesses like Mike by making the area more open. It would also mean that the current little memorial which is isolated on an island in the center of traffic might actually get some traffic and use, and would generally make this much more comfortable.

My only recommendation would be to make sure there are trees out in that plaza. A big thing of concrete can be rather harsh and univiting, as the "Davis Square Plaza" near the Starbucks/Chipotle is evidence of.

In any case, this is awesome news. I live in apartment a block or so away. I guess it will make things a little louder but I think its worth it. If i wanted complete silence, I wouldn't have picked an apartment in the center of the square.

Hire an outside traffic manager/architect/planner qualified to solve these problems. This is much too important to allow "the public" to solve these problems. Go over to Medford Square and witness the disaster that cost them several millions and they still can't get it right after almost 25 years. I'm talking about a national search or go to MIT and Harvard gradutes schools and ask for help in solving this problem.

I agree that the pedestrian crossings right now take far too long. The result is that pedestrians ignore them. I also wish they would make it easier to bike into Davis Square from points south and east. Right now, the one-ways make it very awkward for bicycles. I think we need a few strategic counter-flow bike lanes, such as on Elm west of Summer. Finally, the way the eastern portion of the community path connects to the area around the T station is totally illogical, forcing bikes to either terrify pedestrians on a sidewalk or, if heading east, bike the wrong way on the busway.