[SBC] Meeting re: Lower Broadway

[Denison, Charles]

http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/x833712444/Talk-about-making-
lower-Broadway-even-more-beautiful

Talk about making lower Broadway even more beautiful

Mon Jun 16, 2008, 06:51 PM EDT

Somerville - 

Mayor Joe Curtatone, Ward 1 Alderman William Roche, and Monica Lamboy,
director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development,
announces that, in conjunction with East Somerville Main Streets,
residents and business owners in East Somerville are invited to a
community meeting to discuss preliminary plans and designs for a
streetscape and roadway improvement project for Broadway, between
McGrath Highway and the city line near Sullivan Square.

The meeting, which will be held Wednesday, June 25, at 6 p.m. at the
Cross Street Senior Center at 165 Cross St. East, will give the public
an opportunity to review and comment on the city's effort to develop a
pedestrian-friendly, multi-modal, transit-oriented street that
encourages people to walk, bike and gather along East Somerville's
central business corridor.

"Broadway is one of Somerville's major gateway corridors, and Broadway
is a valuable business district," said Curtatone. "This type of
streetscape project can enhance economic activity and create an
attractive environment to draw pedestrian shoppers while smoothing
transportation access of all kinds. In order to do that, we need to
balance the needs of the businesses, residents, and the public while at
the same time being sensitive to the history of the area."

"This is an exciting project with tremendous potential to make lasting
contributions to East Somerville's economic development and quality of
life," said Roche. "Our neighborhood has already proven that real
leadership and initiative yields exciting, positive new growth
potential. We have been anticipating this project for a number of years
now, and I appreciate the hard work that East Somerville Main Streets
has put into developing an effective public participation and advisory
process."

At the meeting, the city will present the new street configuration for
travel lanes on Broadway to accommodate various modes of travel and
increase pedestrian activity that has been developed based upon
community input from this winter. Residents and business owners will
have an opportunity to offer their input on additional key streetscape
elements such as paving treatments, street furniture (benches, lamps,
trash cans) and landscaping.

"This project will significantly enhance the Broadway commercial
corridor and make East Somerville into a shopping and dining destination
for nearby residents and visitors to the area," said Lamboy. "We are
genuinely excited about getting feedback from all interested parties on
the concepts we've developed so far."

The city hopes to develop a final design concept in July. Members of the
public will find a preview of the proposed concept on the city's Web
site at www.somervillema.gov.
For more information, call Martha Tai, senior economic development
planner, 617-625-6600, ext. 2518, or e-mail mtai at somervillema.gov.