The planning process for the Mass Ave Corridor in East Arlington (a one mile stretch between the Cambridge line and Pond Lane) began Fall 2008. It has included four community meetings, a community workshop/charrette, and over a dozen meetings with the business community as well as ad hoc neighborhood groups opposed to the Plan. Additionally, the planning work has been guided by an Advisory Committee appointed by the Town that includes planning and public works staff, Selectman Jack Hurd, two TAC representatives, neighborhood residents and business owners. The original committee numbered ten and was expanded to twenty in the Spring 2009.

Currently, the Plans call out for a reapportionment of the road space to provide space for all users of the road. The de facto four lanes will be changed to reflect the increasing demand for bicycle access and new turn lanes on to Lake Street and at a handful of other locations. The roadway is planned to include three traffic lanes (two eastbound, one west from Cambridge line to Bates Road and one eastbound, one west and a center turn lane from Bates to Pond Lane), bike lanes and on-street parking on both sides of the street. We believe this will rationalize and calm traffic without impeding access to side streets or causing additional traffic congestions. Three consecutive traffic studies have all concluded that four lanes are unnecessary on Mass Ave.

Nearly 100% of the legal parking spaces along Mass Ave will be retained and a handful of new ones added in the business district. Sidewalks will be widened in a few select places in the business district–in front of the Capitol theater for instance. New traffic signals, lighting and street trees will be added as well. Traffic signals will be maintained at their current location with a new one at Bates Road, the only designated north-south collector street in the neighborhood. Pedestrian crossing distance will be shorter in most places because of bump outs and new crosswalks have been located in two or three locations. See http://www.town.arlington.ma.us/public_documents/ArlingtonMA_Planning/MassAve/index for copies of the plan.

The EALS Coalition supports the current plan recently sent to MassHighway for their 25% design review. We do remain concerned, however, that pedestrian safety is still lacking at some of the unsignalized crosswalks where two east bound traffic lanes remain. Our intention is to continue to explore options to improve pedestrian safety, such as the inclusion small pedestrian refuge islands between the two directions of traffic (see photo at bottom).