Contact Information Adam Shulman Transportation Planner ashulman@cambridgema.gov
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Accessibility Statement The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at tpt@cambridgema.gov , 617-349-4700 (voice), or via relay at 711.
Phase 1 of the First/Second Street Study was completed in February 2022 and resulted in two concepts for First Street and Second Street. The City project team recommends continuing the study in a Phase 2 to gather more information and conduct further analysis.
CambridgeSide mall is being redeveloped by the property owner, New England Development (NED), into a new mixed-use development project, which will include housing, office, research and development, and retail uses. As a part of this process, NED will be making significant changes to the buildings located along the First Street side of the mall and may make additional space available for public use. Additionally, NED is supporting the City of Cambridge by providing funding for this First/Second Street Corridor Study.
Through Phase 1 of the study, the City worked with the community and a stakeholder group to identify how to provide safe and comfortable north/south travel connections for people of all ages and abilities, regardless of their mode of transportation, between Binney Street and Cambridge Street. Our findings and recommendations were published in February 2022.
Given the width of First Street, there may not be enough space to accommodate all the needs that exist along this corridor, which include accessible sidewalks, bus priority, bicycle facilities, parking, tree planting, and general travel lanes. As a result, in Phase 1 of the study, we looked at which of these needs can appropriately be accommodated on other streets such as Second Street. We also thought about how changes may impact nearby streets.
When this study is complete, we hope to have a 10% Conceptual Design Plan, which identifies the preferred street design, and provides high-level plans, sketches, and drawings.
After the study is complete, the City will establish a schedule to advance the 10% Conceptual Design Plan to a final design plan for implementation. This secondary process will include additional opportunities for community input on the details of the plan.
Project Goals
Improve safety and experience for all users
Provide a north/south connection for people of all ages and abilities who are biking between Kendall Square and Lechmere/North Point
Ensure that plans account for a future bus connection between Lechmere and Kendall Square, and points beyond
Maintain pedestrian and motor vehicle access for individuals and emergency response
Manage curbside uses, including residential parking on Second Street
Identify opportunities for additional tree plantings
Ensure that plans are in line with the City’s plans and policies including Vision Zero, Complete Streets, Envision Cambridge, Vehicle Trip Reduction Ordinance, and the Cambridge Growth Policy.
February 2022: Phase 1 Findings and Recommendations Based on input from the surveys of street users, two stakeholder meetings, and the community meeting held on September 30, 2021, two cross-section concepts were developed for the First/Second Street Corridor study.
Concept 1 includes bus lanes in both directions on First Street paired with Bicycle Priority Street treatments on Second Street. Concept 2 includes separated bicycle lanes on First Street and a bus lane in one direction (the direction of the bus lane may change partway along First Street).
The two Concept Plans can be seen in portrait or landscape view below:
Concept 1: Portrait view Landscape view
Concept 2: Portrait view Landscape view
You can find the project team's Findings and Recommendations memo for more information.
Read Memo
Next Steps Based on stakeholder working group and community feedback, and after thoughtful consideration of the two concepts, the City project team determined that more information and analysis is needed before one concept can be selected over the other. The City project team recommends that the study be continued to a Phase 2 to further address the questions raised by the work done to date. The project team is currently working on a scope for the Phase 2 study.
Please email questions or comments to ashulman@cambridgema.gov .
Previous Updates
We sent the Stakeholder Group the Findings and Recommendations and concept plans for Concept 1 (landscape view) Concept 2 (landscape view)
We held a community meeting on September 30, 2021 on two street design concepts. You can view view the meeting presentation and watch the recording . Please email questions or comments by October 22, 2021 to ashulman@cambridgema.gov
We met with the Stakeholder Group on Monday, June 14. During the meeting we share information about potential cross-sections for First St and collected stakeholder feedback about how each of potential cross-section does or doesn't meet the study goals. You can review the meeting presentation .
Community members were invited to share their experiences on First St and Second St. Signs were posted on both streets and side streets to let people know about the survey.
We asked people if they traveled on First St and if they traveled on Second St. For each street that they traveled on, we asked:
What works well for you when you are on the street?
What problems, issues, or opportunities for improvements do you experience when you are on the street?
What modes of transportation do you use to travel on the street?
Why do you travel on the street?
We met with the Stakeholder Group on Monday, April 12. During the meeting we share information about the study's context and purpose, collected stakeholder feedback on desired streetscape elements for First and Second Street, and discussed issues and opportunities. You can review the meeting presentation .
Background Information We do not expect you to read or become an expert in all of these items. However, we are providing this information so that you may gain a better understanding of the information that we are using to inform our decisions.
The Complete Streets Policy
Vision Zero
The Cambridge Bicycle Plan (existing and proposed)
The Cambridge Transit Strategic Plan
The Urban Forestry Master Plan
Envision Cambridge
The Climate Action Plan
The New Mobility Blueprint
The Vehicle Trip Reduction Ordinance
The Parking and Transportation Demand Management (PTDM) Ordinance
The First Street Garage Parking Study
The Cambridge Growth Policy
The Kendall Square Mobility Task Force Transportation Kendall
The MBTA Green Line 69 , 80 , 87 , and 88
The MBTA Red Line 64 , 68 , 85 and CT2
Private Transit Services
The EZRide shuttle bus
The CambridgeSide Shuttle Bus
The Alexandria Real Estate Equites Shuttle Bus is a private shuttle bus for employees of Alexandria Real Estate Equity or their tenant companies which operates between MBTA North Station and Alexandria’s buildings in East Cambridge and Cambridgeport.
The CambridgeSide 2.0 Project Cambridgeside 2.0 Special Permit Application .
The MIT Volpe Redevelopment Project MIT Volpe Redevelopment Project Special Permit Application .
The North Point/Cambridge Crossing Project North Point/Cambridge Crossing Special Permit Application .
The 40 Thorndike Project 40 Thorndike Project Special Permit Application .
The First Street Assemblage Project by Urban Spaces LLC assembled multiple sites on First Street into residential, office and retail projects. View the First Street Assemblage Project Special Permit Application .
The Binney Street Redevelopment Project by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. assembled multiple sites on Binney Street into research and development, residential, and retail projects. View the Binney Street Redevelopment Project Special Permit Application .
The Cambridge Five-Year Sidewalk and Street Reconstruction Plan
The Streetscape Redesign for Binney/Galileo/Broadway
The re-design and re-construction of O'Brien Highway
The Green Line Extension (GLX)
The Grand Junction Multi-use Path