The City of Cambridge will begin installing flex posts on Hampshire Street on Thursday, September 14 and Friday, September 15 as part of the Hampshire Street Safety Improvement Project.
Flex posts will separate bike lanes from traffic lanes and parking. When this project is complete, Hampshire Street will have separated bike lanes connecting Inman Square all the way to Broadway. This "quick-build" project is changing the layout of the street with new pavement markings, signs, and flex posts.
Flex Posts
The City will begin installing flex posts on Hampshire Street between Inman Square and Cardinal Medeiros Avenue on Thursday, September 14 and Friday, September 15. Hours of work are between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Crews will be working in the street during these hours and intermittent partial closures of the travel lane and/or bike lane may be required. Please drive and bike carefully along the corridor while work is underway. Crews will begin by installing posts along bike lanes that are not next to parking spaces. Additional days of work will be needed to finish installing flex posts along remaining sections of the street.
Installing Separated Bike Lanes and Relocating the Bus Stop at One Kendall Square
So far, the City has not painted pavement markings to install separated bike lanes on the block of Hampshire Street closest to Broadway. We anticipate that we will be able to relocate the bus stop at One Kendall Square the week of September 25. At that time, we will make changes to parking, including relocating a loading zone and installing an accessible/ disability parking space.
The City is targeting an early October installation of the separated bike lanes in this block (Hampshire Street between Broadway and Cardinal Medeiros Avenue).
Learn More
Visit the project webpage for more details on these changes. Sign up for the project email list for updates on future work.
About the Hampshire Street Safety Improvement Project
When this project is installed, Hampshire Street will have separated bike lanes connecting Inman Square all the way to Broadway. This "quick-build" project will change the layout of the street with new pavement markings, signs, and flex posts.
Between November 2022 and June 2023, the City solicited feedback on the Hampshire Street Safety Improvement Project through three online community meetings, two in-person open houses, a comment map, design options survey, and one-on-one conversations with residents, business owners, and other stakeholders. Read materials from these meetings and watch recordings on the project webpage.
This project helps the City of Cambridge meet the requirements of the Cycling Safety Ordinance, which mandates the installation of 25 miles of separated bike lanes by approximately 2026. These lanes increase comfort for people biking by using a physical barrier or curb to separate them from vehicles.
Hampshire Street is a key piece in the City of Cambridge’s plan for a safe, connected bicycle network. The City’s goal is to encourage more people to bike and increase safety by building a network of separated lanes, connecting important destinations throughout Cambridge. Safer, more comfortable bike infrastructure helps us get closer to “Vision Zero”—our commitment to eliminating transportation-related deaths and serious injuries while increasing healthy, equitable mobility for all.
Questions about this project? Visit the project webpage or contact Street Design Project Manager Andreas Wolfe at 617-349-9162 or awolfe@cambridgema.gov.