The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is conducting a study about the McGrath Highway that could lead to the roadway being torn down. Would that be a good thing or a bad thing? We asked people on the street what they think.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would allow for the construction of casinos in Massachusetts. With initial support from Massachusetts State Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) and Gov. Deval Patrick, the bill is likely to become law. Somerville's representatives on Beacon Hill are split but mostly against the bill. In a poll run on Somerville Patch, which attracted 46 votes as of Tuesday, 65 percent of respondents said they didn't want casinos in the state; 34 percent said they did. We asked people on the street what they think of casinos …

Back to school. Somerville's public schools began the academic year last week. Tufts University is back in session.  Even for people who haven't been in a classroom for years, the beginning of the school year can elicit thoughts of new beginnings. For others, it causes anxiety about homework, expenses and showing up to math class without clothes. Back-to-school season is an important time of year, and we asked people on the street what this time of year means to them.

Are you happy? That was a question the city of Somerville asked residents in a recent city census. Somerville was the first city in the country to ask such a question, and the results were made public on Aug. 23.  The city's effort to measure happiness has been covered by the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor and other national newspapers. CBS Evening News is planning to feature Somerville's survey, too. We asked people on the street what they think of happiness in Somerville.

A website called TheStreet, which primarily covers the stock market, recently named Somerville the ninth best bike city in the country. The city's student population, accessible squares and proximity to Boston, Cambridge and major bike paths were some of the reasons Somerville earned this honor, according to the website. We asked people what they thought of bicycling in Somerville and what they felt about the city's ninth-place position on the list. We also asked about the city that was ranked number five on the list: Cambridge. Here's what people said. By the way, here's the entire top ten …

Almost every week in the booking log provided by Somerville police, there is at least one incident—usually more—involving substance abuse of some sort. Over the summer, the city hosted a "How to Save a Life" workshop "in response to the growing concerns nationally around the increase[d] use of prescription drugs and overdose." Among other things, the announcement for the workshop cited problems in Somerville between 2000 and 2005 when 21 young people in Somerville died as a result of substance abuse or suicide. We asked people on the street for their views on substance abuse and addiction. …

Residents in Somerville learned early this month that plans for the Green Line Extension, which would bring the MBTA's Green Line subway service into Somerville and Medford, were delayed . Instead of being complete in 2015, as previously predicted, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation now predicts the project will be complete sometime between 2018 and 2020—if it can find funding. The state has a legal obligation to complete the project by the end of 2014. We asked people on the street what they thought about these delays.

What does Somerville need? A supermarket? A hardware store? A surfboard repair company? We asked people in Davis Square what they thought. Here's what they said.

If the federal government does not raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2, it would begin to default on its debt and will have trouble paying its bills. Many fear this could lead to negative, even catastrophic, consequences: A partial shut-down of government, a downgrade of the government's credit rating and possibly a wider economic downturn. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., are at loggerheads in regard to the debt ceiling, the default issue and methods for improving the fiscal health of the country. How would a federal default affect government and business here in …

GQ, the men's style and culture magazine, named Boston the worst-dressed city in America. Of Somerville and Cambridge, GQ said, "Everyone dresses like the proprietor of his or her very own meth lab." We asked people in Somerville what they thought about fashion in Somerville and Boston. Here's what some of you said.

Boston has seen an increase in violence this summer. Over the July Fourth weekend, 13 people were shot in that city. While Somerville has not experienced something similar—knock on wood—we asked if people feel safe here.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the last film in the highly popular Harry Potter movie series, premiers in the United States on Friday. Harry Potter is a topic that divides. Some people love the books and movies so much they dress up as wizards and play competitive quidditch. Others find the whole thing silly. We asked people in Davis Square what they thought about Harry Potter. What about you? Will you be dressed in robes on Friday, trotting around with a broom between your legs, or does the whole thing make you grouchy? Did you matriculate at Brown, only to have Emma Watson …

Recently, we asked Ward 6 residents about concerns they have in their part of the city, which includes Davis Square, the Powderhouse neighborhood, part of Ball Square and the Somerville side of Porter Square. Here's what they said.

During summer, Somerville seems to explode with vegetation and activity. We asked people to name their favorite thing about Somerville during the summer.

We asked people what they would change about roads in Somerville. Here's what they said.

After a Ward 5 ResiStat community meeting held June 6, we asked some local residents to tell us about their thoughts and concerns for their neighborhood. Here's what they said.

Members of the Somerville High School class of 2011 are moving onto the next phase of their lives.  We asked some graduating students about their plans for the future. Are they going to college? Do they have specific aspirations? This week, some of them share their plans with us.

This week we asked residents of East Somerville, whom we spoke with during last week's Ward 1 community meeting, to share their thoughts and concerns about their neighborhood.

With so many restaurants in Somerville, it's hard to choose a favorite. That didn't stop us from asking.