Beacon Street Plan Opponents Strike Back on 'Greater Somerville'

Sam Coren and John Allen spoke about their qualms with the project on the Somerville affairs show.

Hayes Morrison, director of transportation and infrastructure with the city of Somerville, and Mark Chase, a Somerville resident and transportation planner, were guests on SCATV's "Greater Somerville" in late March to speak in favor of plans to reconstruct Beacon Street. On Tuesday, Sam Coren and John Allen, who have voiced opposition to the plans, had their turn. Speaking to "Greater Somerville" host Joseph Lynch, Coren, a resident of Ward 2, where the reconstruction would take place, said the neighborhood didn't really get involved in the project until after designers had begun submitting plans to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. When she saw the proposal, "It just felt really incomplete," she said. Coren and Allen talked …

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AHM

6:26 pm on Thursday, April 4, 2013

That's the other thing, cars can't pass each other so bikers will have to do the same thing drivers do and slow down and follow the speed of the bike traffic at a reasonable distance same as cars which will make it safer for the biker so they can stop in time in case of impending problems. And I do bike and drive still. I also would like to see one day where they make bikers as responsable for …   more ›

'We Are Committed to the Cycle Track,' Says Beacon Street Planner [VIDEO]

Hayes Morrison, Somerville's director of transportation and infrastructure, spoke about plans to reconstruct Beacon Street on SCATV's "Greater Somerville."

Hayes Morrison, director of transportation and infrastructure with the city of Somerville, was on SCATV's "Greater Somerville" Tuesday to talk about plans to reconstruct Beacon Street. The plans have cause some controversy, and not just in Somerville. At least one national transportation blog has written about the issue. Speaking to "Greater Somerville" host KyAnn Anderson, Morrison talked about the need to reconstruct the crumbling road, changes in its use over the past decade and efforts to bring more parking into the design. Much of the controversy stems from plans to install a cycle track and the proposed loss of parking spots along the roadway, which has angered some residnets in the area. State Sen. Patricia Jehlen has spoken against…

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Mayor Defends Street Improvements that Don't Emphasize Parking [VIDEO]

"People aren't moving to Somerville because they have more parking," the mayor said at the annual Business Town Meeting.

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone defended his administration's push to create more biking and walking infrastructure in the city, even when those plans come at the expense of parking. What's more, he said embracing multiple modes of transportation is good for local businesses and the local economy. The mayor spoke about the matter Wednesday after addressing members of the local business community at the annual Business Town Meeting hosted by the Somerville Chamber of Commerce. During a question and answer session, an audience member asked the mayor to talk about the city's efforts to build cycling infrastructure and reconstruct streetscapes and complaints from some about lack of parking. "I argue that people aren't moving to Somerville …

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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: 'Misinformation Abounds About Beacon Street Cycletracks'

Alex Epstein, a Beacon Street resident and chair of the Somerville Bicycle Committee, addresses what he calls "false and misleading statements" regarding plans to reconstruct Beacon Street.

Editor's note: The author of this letter, Alex Epstein, is a Beacon Street resident and chair of the Somerville Bicycle Committee. He is writing in response to a boisterous public meeting, held Tuesday night, about a plans to reconstruct Beacon Street. Here's what Epstein wrote: I was surprised and extremely disappointed by a number of false and misleading statements, made at Tuesday night's Beacon Street reconstruction meeting, against improving bicycle facilities. I feel compelled to set the record straight with the vocal critics who've shown no bounds in their factual creativity opposing the project. And now they've even got the ear of an elected official. It was claimed that "the majority of the neighborhood" opposes the project, and a…

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Sen. Jehlen Speaks Out Against Beacon Street Reconstruction Plan

Anger about the proposal continued Tuesday night even as the city works to increase parking spaces included in the plan.

Somerville State Sen. Patricia Jehlen weighed in on a proposed plan to reconstruct Beacon Street, a plan that would add cycle tracks and eliminate some parking spaces along the street. The proposal has been a contentious issue in the neighborhood in recent months. Jehlen, speaking Tuesday at a community meeting about the project held at the Argenziano School, was skeptical about the cycle tracks. "Will these tiny cycle tracks actually increase safety?" she asked. "I strongly doubt that a five-block track will attract more cyclists. I think what will attract more cyclists is paving the street!" the senator said to applause from those who oppose the reconstruction plan. Jehlen said of the proposal, "If this makes people unhappy and [it's] …

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Beacon Street Reconstruction Meeting Scheduled for March 5

The meeting will take place at the Argenziano School at 6 p.m.

There's another community meeting scheduled about the proposed reconstruction of Beacon Street. Here's the announcement from the city about the meeting: Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston and the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development invite all interested community members to a follow up meeting on the proposed Beacon Street reconstruction and streetscape project, on Tuesday, March 5th at 6:00pm in the Argenziano School cafetorium (290 Washington Street).  More detailed information on the meeting and the project in general will be available on the project website, www.somervillema.gov/beaconstreet, in advance of the meeting.   Beacon Street: From Main Artery to Parking Lot Courtesy of the …

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BLOG: Resolving the Beacon Street 'Dust Up'

Blogger Charlie Denison shares a guest post by three Somerville residents who report in detail about a recent city-sponsored meeting regarding reconstruction plans for Beacon Street.

Planners Make Changes to Beacon Street Reconstruction Design

New plans for Beacon Street could recapture parking spaces lost in a previous design.

Designers have made changes to plans for the reconstruction of Beacon Street that could recover several parking spaces lost in a previous design proposal. By moving parking to the south side of Beacon Street, the new design would include nearly 10 more parking spots than a previous design, which called for parking on the north side of the street, according to Hayes Morrison, Somerville's director of transportation and infrastructure. In addition, the city "is trying to identify parcels that would be willing to rent," Morrison said, explaining those parcels would be used for off-street parking. Planners are trying to identify another 30 to 40 parking spaces through renting, she said. All told, the updated design and attempt to secure off-…

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BrianM

7:56 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Hear, hear. Incidentally, if this is the mayor's pet project, where was the mayor at last night's meeting?   more ›

Blog: Local Parking Expert Looks at Beacon Street Proposal, Counts Cars

Blogger Charlie Denison shares an article by Somerville resident Mark Chase, a parking consultant, who spent a few sleepless nights counting parking spaces on Beacon Street in an effort to inform decisions about that street's reconstruction.

Beacon Street Meeting Scheduled for Jan. 28

Those interested in plans to reconstruct Beacon Street should attend the meeting, at 6 p.m. at the Argenziano School.

Plans for the reconstruction of Beacon Street, which call for significant changes to parking and bicycle routes along the roadway, have led to a number of opinions. There's a meeting about the proposed reconstruction effort on Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Argenziano School. Here's the official notice from the city: Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston and The Mayor's Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD), invite all interested community members to an informational meeting on the project design for the reconstruction of Beacon Street.   The meeting will be held on Monday, January 28th at 6:00 p.m. at the Argenziano School Cafetorium – 290 Washington Street. For more information, please contact …

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SomGuy

11:41 am on Monday, January 28, 2013

A fair bike tax would help pay to educate all the dumb vehicle drivers.   more ›