Medford Receives 4th Shared Streets Grant From State, for Rt. 28 Bike Lanes

NEWEST GRANT AWARD TO FUND PROTECTED BIKE LANES ON RT. 28 BRIDGE BETWEEN WELLINGTON CIRCLE AND ASSEMBLY SQUARE

City of Somerville, as lead applicant for the grant, will implement the new bike lane on the State road this fall.

Thanks to another Shared Streets grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and in partnership with the City of Somerville, new protected bike lanes will be installed on the Wellington Bridge (Route 28/Fellsway) this fall. This latest Shared Streets grant brings Medford’s total Shared Streets award to more than $175,000 over four grants within the last three months. Shared Streets funding has helped the City to establish outdoor dining and support local restaurants, create a dedicated bus lane on Mystic Ave. (in process), and complete a Safe Routes to Schools project around the Columbus School.

A total of 1,500 feet of protected bike lanes will be installed in both directions on the Wellington Bridge, closing a key bicycle gap between the Cities of Medford and Somerville, connecting existing off-street multi-use paths on either side of the bridge and improving the safety of multimodal mobility between the cities. The project also supports safe physical distancing options for cyclists during the COVID-19 emergency. Under current conditions, cyclists are forced to share a narrow, 4-foot sidewalk with pedestrians, making the space inconsistent with current public health guidelines for physical distancing.

As the lead applicant for the grant, the City of Somerville will oversee the project which will include restriping lanes on the Wellington Bridge, and adding vertical delineators, signage, lane markings, and quick-build curb ramp to create protected bike lanes. In addition to the bike lanes, narrower travel lanes will contribute to lower speeds in this area, making the road safer for all users.

The implementation of protected bike lanes in this location would complement other improvement projects currently planned and on-going in both cities, such as multi-use path connections for enhanced access to Macdonald Park in Medford.

 

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