Safety Improvement Project on Cambridge Street

Project Area

The project begins at Oak Street, where it meets the Inman Square project, and extends to Second Street, where it will meet with the O'Brien Highway Reconstruction Project. 

Click here for a larger version of the project map. 

Nearby Projects

The Safety Improvement Project on Cambridge Street will connect with nearby projects enhancing pedestrian and bike facilities, including: 

• O'Brien Highway (Route 28) Reconstruction Project: Divco West, the developer of Cambridge Crossing, is redesigning and reconstructing O'Brien Highway from Land Boulevard to Third Street and some nearby streets. The project includes new separated bike lanes on Cambridge Street between O'Brien Highway and Second Street, which will connect to this project. Other improvements include new sidewalks, enhanced pedestrian crossings, and landscaping. This project is still underway. 
• Grand Junction Path Project: The Grand Junction Multi-use Path is a proposed off-street multi-use path running alongside the existing railroad tracks in the Grand Junction corridor from Boston University Bridge to Somerville. The planned path will intersect with Cambridge Street between Warren Street and Lambert Street. Construction on sections of the path will likely happen at different times and will begin once final design and permitting are complete.
• Inman Square Intersection Improvements Project: As part of this project, the City added separated bike lanes to Cambridge Street between Fayette Street and Oak Street. The project also included pedestrian safety improvements, bus stop enhancements, and public space activation. This project was completed in 2023. 
• Cambridge Street Bicycle Safety Demonstration Project: As part of this project, the City of Cambridge added quick-build separated bike lanes to the section of Cambridge Street west of Inman Square, from Quincy Street to Inman Square. This project was completed in 2017.

As part of this project, we're making improvements to bus service. Each bus stop will include a reconstructed sidewalk, which extends out into the street. This allows passengers to more easily get on and off the bus. Buses will stop in the travel lane, rather than pull to the curb, speeding up boarding times and reducing conflicts between bus riders and cyclists.

Example of a Bus Boarding Island that extends out into the street. This reduces boarding times and improves accessibility by allowing drivers to more easily access the curb.

Proposed bus stop locations in Section A of the project. Stops at Prospect St and Norfolk St will be combined to a single stop in each direction.

In November 2023, we inventoried existing parking supply and regulations. In the map below, we've noted existing parking regulations on Cambridge Street and 300 feet down each side street. 

About half of the existing parking on Cambridge Street will need to be removed to make space for separated bike lanes. 

Click here to view the Cambridge Street Parking Map

Existing Parking Spaces Tally

The Safety Improvement Project on Cambridge Street will build off the feedback you shared during the City's recent Our Cambridge Street plan. Read the full plan here. 

Our Cambridge Street goals related to this project include:

• Look for opportunities to enhance the street for people walking by:
  • 9A: Improving crossings for safe intersections.
• Look for opportunities to streamline deliveries to support local businesses by:
  • 10A: Providing clearer designation and better enforcement of existing loading zones.
  • 10C: Providing sufficient loading areas based on the needs of the businesses on each block.
• Look for opportunities to enhance the street for people bicycling by:
  • 12C: Incorporating separated bicycle facilities along the length of Cambridge Street
• Look for opportunities to enhance the street for people riding the bus and The Ride (13)

In spring 2024, we collected baseline information about the street.

• Click here to see turning movement counts from April 9, 2024 (number of drivers going in each direction at an intersection)
• Click here to see user counts and speed data from May 14 and May 15, 2024, including vehicle speed and bicycle volume counts

Data Collection Summary

• Turning Movement Counts (TMCs) at 5 locations
  • Cambridge St at Prospect St
  • Cambridge St at Columbia St
  • Cambridge St at Cardinal Medeiros Ave/Warren St
  • Cambridge St at Warren St
  • Cambridge St at Third St
• Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) counts, which includes vehicle speed data and bicycle counts, at 2 locations
  • Cambridge St at King Open School
  • Cambridge St between 5th St and Sciarappa St

Key Findings

• About 272 bicycles a day in one direction, or 10% of traffic on the street, despite poor bike infrastructure
  • During the morning peak hour, approximately 100 bicycles in one direction, or 20% of total traffic
• Approximately 25% of drivers travelled above the 25mph speed limit
• Approximately 5% of drivers travelled above 30 mph

We will compare baseline counts with counts performed after the project is complete. This will let us review the project's effect on people's behavior; for example, we can see if people drive slower or if more people choose to bike on the street.

Between January 2021 and September 2023, the Cambridge Police Department created 149* crash reports for the section of Cambridge Street between Oak Street and Second Street. 

*In one crash, a driver hit another driver and a pedestrian, causing injuries to both.

Click this link to see a high-resolution map

A road safety audit is a process where city leaders and roadway engineers can evaluate the need for various roadway improvements. It is typically done ahead of identifying a project timeline.

For this road safety audit, Cambridge staff, MassDOT and its consultant evaluated the intersections of Cambridge Street at Windsor Street, Willow Street, Hunting Street, and Harding Street. 

Click here to read the road safety audit. 

The study included recommendations for general improvements along Cambridge Street as well as improvements at each intersection.

Highlighted Findings:

The considered the findings below most relevant to this project.

• 35 crashes involving bicycles or pedestrians from 2010 to 2019. 
  • Four doorings
  • Three sideswipe crashes
  • Greatest number of pedestrian and bicycle crashes occurred at the intersection of Cambridge Street and Windsor Street: 11 involving bicycles and seven involving pedestrians.
• General recommendations:
  • Improve safety around school pick up and drop off near the King Open School.
  • Evaluate traffic calming measures on side streets to discourage cut-through traffic.
  • Consider providing separated bike lanes and making other bike safety improvements.
  • Enhance pedestrian accommodations and ensure curb ramps are ADA compliant.

• At Windsor Street:
  
  • Consider adding "Do Not Block Intersection" signage and pavement markings.
  • Evaluate signal timings.
  • Consider implementing bicycle lanes.
  • Consider adding green bicycle conflict markings at conflict points.
  • Ensure all signage is sufficiently retroreflective.
  • Refresh pavement markings.
• At Hunting Street:
  • Ensure acceptable sight distance at the northeast corner of the intersection.

The city recently published an updated data report about biking in Cambridge. Click here to view the report.

As part of the Our Cambridge Street Planning Study, the City gathered information on the neighborhood around the eastern section of Cambridge Street. For the purposes of this analysis, the City defined the study area as within a .25 mile walk of the section of Cambridge Street between Inman Square and Lechmere.

Demographics

Age:

• Seniors over 65: 13% of the population
• Youth under 19: 12% of the population
• Median Age: 34

Income:

• 15% of households are experiencing poverty (compared to 11% citywide)
• Median household income: $100,537 (compared to $107,374 citywide)

Race and Ethnicity:

• 62.1% non-Hispanic White
• 15.3% Asian
• 11.6% Hispanic
• 7.3% African-American
• 2.8% two or more races
• 0.8% other

Places of birth for foreign-born population:

About 28-30% of the population is foreign-born.

• 11% China
• 6% India
• 5% Portugal
• 5% Brazil
• 5% Canada

Businesses

Total number of first-floor businesses: 225 (as of October 2021)

• 53 professional offices
• 39 restaurants
• 24 salons/barber shops
• 18 services (such as health/wellness, cleaning, repair, pets, and laundry businesses)
• 15 retail 
• 12 medical offices
• 9 day care centers
• 9 institutions
• 9 convenience stores
• 8 banks
• 6 specialty food stores
• 4 social service organizations
• 4 auto businesses
• 4 liquor stores
• 4 cafes
• 3 social clubs
• 2 post offices
• 2 pharmacies
• 1 industrial
• 22 vacant (as of October 2021)

In 2019, the Cambridge City Council passed the Cycling Safety Ordinance. The 2019 Ordinance requires the City to install separated bike lanes when:

• Roads are being reconstructed as part of the City’s Five-Year Plan for Streets and Sidewalks
• AND those roads are designated for greater separation in Cambridge’s 2020 Bicycle Network Vision

In 2020, the Cambridge City Council passed amendments to the ordinance, requiring the installation of about 25 miles of separated bike lanes within the next five to seven years. The ordinance requires that the City install separated bike lanes on:

• All of Massachusetts Avenue
• Garden Street, eastbound from Huron Avenue to Berkeley Street and westbound from Mason Street to Huron Avenue
• Broadway from Quincy Street to Hampshire Street
• Cambridge Street from Oak Street to Second Street
• Hampshire Street from Amory Street to Broadway
• 11.6 miles in other locations from the 2020 Bicycle Plan

Mt Auburn St at Holyoke St - Before and After

The images below show Mt Auburn St at Holyoke St before and after separated bike lanes were installed as a part of the Inner Mount Auburn Safety Improvement Project.

Key Components of Separated Bike Lanes

• Bike lanes create dedicated space for people who are biking.
• Buffers (painted lines on the street) create space between people biking and people driving. They help prevent unintentional collisions that could cause serious harm to the people involved. Depending on the location, there may be a parking lane next to the buffer area. In these instances, drivers can use the buffer area to safely get in and out of the car and to load and unload items.
• Flex posts are placed in the buffer area and serve as a vertical barrier in the buffer area.
• Travel lanes allow space for people to drive down the street, but can be used by anyone.
• Green markings help alert people turning from the travel lane that they should look out for people on bikes. These are generally installed at intersections and across driveways.
• Parking creates space for people to store their vehicles while they are in the area. This part of the street may also be designated as loading zones, which help make it easier for delivery people to do their jobs.
• Daylighting is when the parking lane is pulled back 20 feet to make it easier for people driving down the street and people waiting to cross the street to see each other. These areas are generally marked with lines on the ground. There may also be flex posts.

Why Install Separated Bike Lanes

Separated bike lanes provide more space and vertical separation between people on bikes and people in cars. More people are comfortable biking in separated bike lanes than in traditional bike lanes or in traffic with cars, buses, and trucks. Separated bike lanes also increase safety for people walking by reducing crossing distances. As we install separated bike lanes, we also look for opportunities to increase visibility at intersections, refresh crosswalk markings, and install appropriate pedestrian crossing signs.

In Cambridge, we take a human-centered approach to street design, engineered to prevent errors as much as possible and lessen the impacts of errors when they do happen.

We design for all ages and abilities. This includes:

• Designing our streets for people who may not have access to a car
• Designing our streets to protect the most vulnerable road users, like cyclists and pedestrians
• Creating safe and accessible facilities, including bike lanes, that can be used by a wide range of people

Our focus is on moving people and goods, not their vehicles

• Biking and riding transit is a more efficient use of limited street space
• We keep access for trucks and local deliveries, but safely.

Looking for information on other streets and transportation projects in the City? Three City departments collaborate on the design, community engagement, installation, and construction for street and transportation improvements: the Community Development Department, Public Works Department, and Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department.

• Current street and transportation projects
• Cycling Safety Ordinance-related projects
• City's Five Year Plan for Streets and Sidewalk Reconstruction 
• Map of Cambridge's existing and currently-planned bike facilities, updated in October 2023. This map is for planning purposes and is subject to change - it is not a route map.