[SBC] Bike and Ped facilities at Assembly Square redevelopment

[alanjane at highstream.net]

Kevin Prior, Chair of the Planning Board
c/o Michael C. Gleba, Director of Planning
Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143

Re: 	Assembly Square Development Plans

Dear Planning Board (this letter is also attached as a PDF document):

The recent settlement agreement and proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD)
zoning is a great framework of smart-growth and transit-oriented development
needed at Assembly Square for all of Somerville and the region. We first want
to thank all the organizations and individuals that have worked so long and
hard to get to this improved vision and plan for redevelopment at Assembly
Square.

The Somerville Bicycle Committee has a number of suggestions that we believe,
while perhaps small within the scheme of this large development, are extremely
important for pedestrians and bicyclists and which will reduce motor vehicle
traffic to Assembly Square, the largest problem that the development and the
City will need to deal with. Thus, please incorporate the following comments
into the Assembly Square requirements.

INTRODUCTION
We were very pleased to see pedestrian and bicycle paths and other facilities
mentioned in the agreement that was signed a few weeks ago and felt that they
were a very good start of a design that includes access to the redevelopment by
all modes of transportation. However, the agreed upon pedestrian and bicycle
ways are not included in the Preliminary Master Plan PUD in sufficient detail.
It is very important that bicycle and pedestrians route are considered
everywhere in the design so that, along with the Orange line connection, auto
use to the site is minimized. Therefore, we believe that there needs to be at
least the inclusion of the following language for three categories of bicycle
and pedestrian access needs:

1. MYSTIC RIVER PATHS -  The existing bicycle and pedestrian paths along the
Mystic River should be completed from the Ten Hills neighborhood, under Route
28, along the shore line of the DRC land along the redeveloped Assembly Square,
under the MBTA Orange Line and commuter rail tracks to Draw 7 Park. From Draw 7
Park, paths should go across the Amelia Earhart dam as well as continuing to
the planned Path along the Mystic River shoreline of the MBTA Bus Yard, which
sits on the Somerville/Boston (Charlestown) border, and connects to Route 99
(NOTE: the MBTA has agreed to construct this Path as part of a settlement with
the USEPA). This bike and pedestrian corridor will be both a long-distance
route for recreational and commuting but also allow access to the planned
Amelia Earhart dam crossing to Everett, the new Orange Line Station and
Assembly Square itself.

2. AREA CONNECTIONS - Bicycle “facilities” are needed on roadways leading to and
into the redeveloped Assembly Square. Depending on how busy the motor vehicle
traffic is expected to be, these facilities could be separate paths, lanes
alongside motor vehicle lanes or shared lanes with motor vehicles. The needed
bike and pedestrian connections from surrounding areas include from Sullivan
Square, under I-93 at Foss Park/lower Broadway area, and Ten Hills are
challenging at best but still very important. As these will all also be very
busy motor vehicle connection points. While we understand that the developers
and this PUD does not encompass all these connection points, the developers
need to insure these bicycle and pedestrian connections are implemented in the
same sense that regional roads that they don’t control still will be connected
to their internal streets.

3. INTERNAL CIRCULATION - Bicyclists and pedestrians will need access of course
to- and between all the buildings within the development. In addition to the
creative placement of sidewalks and paths that will make this a
pedestrian-oriented development, bike facilities should be included on the
busier internal streets. At a minimum, this should include bike lanes of
sufficient width along Assembly Square Drive and Foley Street all the way to
the new Orange Line station. Consideration should also be give to a separated
bike path along Assembly Square Drive since it will be such a busy
thoroughfare. In addition, an easterly exit from the new Orange Line station
for pedestrians and bicyclists to access Draw 7 Park should be added. Although
not primarily and bicycle issue, the present plans do not show an entrance to
the IKEA anywhere near the new Orange Line station.

4. BICYCLE PARKING - The bicycle paths and lanes need to access bicycle parking
that is mentioned in the PUD documents and already required by Somerville’s
zoning regulations. Since there will be significant bicycle parking demand,
locked, covered and/or other more sophisticated bicycle parking facilities
(rather than simple racks) in convenient locations should be part of the final
designs. If the largest development, IKEA, installed a state-of-the-art bicycle
parking facility, it would be a showcase to show the entire country how bicycles
and bicycle parking are incorporated into smart-growth development.

Also, the above paths must be state-of-the-art designed and implemented by
planners experienced in this field or the resulting facilities will not attract
sufficient bicyclists and pedestrians to replace motor vehicles and/or attract
non-auto drivers to the businesses.

Thank you again for considering these critical requests. The Somerville Bicycle
Committee stands ready to assist the developer and City to bring these
pedestrian and bicycle facilities to fruition at Assembly Square. The result
will be a development that the City and all will be proud of and will help
bring more people to the development while reducing motor vehicle demand on the
roads and lessen the amount of auto parking required.

Sincerely,


Alan Moore
Chair, Somerville Bike Committee

cc: 	Federal Realty
	VHB
	Somerville SPCD
STEP




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