Installation of Bus Lanes and Separated Bike Lanes on South Mass Ave To Begin on May 23, 2022

The City of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will install additional sections of bus lane and separated bike lanes on Mass Ave between Douglass Street and Memorial Drive. Installation will begin late on the evening of May 23, 2022. Work will happen overnight and on evenings with clear weather and warmer overnight temperatures. Installation will include:

• minor paving
• changes to curb regulations
• changes to traffic patterns
• changes to traffic signal locations

In fall 2021, the City of Cambridge collected feedback on a proposal to install a continuous bus lane for buses traveling toward Boston on Massachusetts Avenue between Douglass Street and Memorial Drive. We are also required to install additional segments of separated bike lanes by the Cambridge Cycling Safety Ordinance. The City collected community feedback through the City’s website, visits to businesses, daily e-mail updates, and flyers posted on the street.

New Traffic Patterns & Separated Bike Lanes

The continuous bus lane on Mass Ave and the additional separated bike lanes improve the bus lanes and separated bike lanes created by the South Mass Ave Corridor Safety Improvements project. Dedicated bus lanes make MBTA buses, school buses, and shuttles more reliable. They also provide space for emergency vehicles to get around traffic. Separated bike lanes create a space that is physically separated from vehicle traffic, which improves safety and comfort for people biking.

The new sections of dedicated bus lane and separated bike lanes will make use of the existing space on the street and will require the City to:

• Relocate a food truck at 77 Mass Ave
• Ban the left turn on Central Square-bound Mass Ave to southbound Vassar St
• Remove 4 metered parking spots between Windsor and Vassar Streets in front of 181 Mass Ave

We created graphics to show all these proposed changes. You can view those graphics at the bottom of this webpage.

Contact

If you have questions about this project, contact Andrew Reker at areker@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-6959.

Cross section at 410 Massachusetts Avenue | Lafayette Square - Click here to view larger image

Cross section at South of Sidney Street- Click here to view larger image

Cross section at North of Albany Street- Click here to view larger image

Key

Plan Drawing – Douglass to Sidney -  Click here to view larger image

Plan Drawing – Sidney to State/Blanche -Click here to view larger image

Plan Drawing – Windsor to Grand Junction Railroad Crossing - Click here to view larger image

Plan Drawing – Grand Junction Railroad Crossing to Mid-block crosswalk - Click here to view larger image

Plan Drawing – Mid-block crosswalk to Memorial Drive - Click here to view larger image