Somerville Receives Shared Streets Funding For Bus, Bike Lane

SOMERVILLE, MA — Somerville was awarded funding in the first round of the state's Shared Streets and Spaces grant program.

The program, launched June 10, provides technical and funding assistance to help cities and towns conceive, design and implement tactical changes to curbs, streets, on-street parking spaces and off-street parking lots in support of public health, safe mobility and renewed commerce in their communities. The first round of funding, totaling $1 million, went to 12 communities. Three-quarters of the funding is being provided to Environmental Justice communities.

Somerville will use its funding to "create a dedicated bus lane and protected bicycle lanes at a high-delay intersection on a top 20 MBTA bus route," according to a press release. Director of Somerville’s Mobility Division Brad Rawson told Streetsblog MASS a westbound bus-and-bike lane and an eastbound protected bike lane will be installed on Washington Street east of McGrath Highway.

The project will facilitate transit for the 86 bus, the city's highest-trafficked bus route.