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A view of Main Street in Cambridge shows a UHaul storefront with a moving truck parked out front, several cars on the road, and a pedestrian crossing in the background. Tere are traditional bike lanes in both directions.

Main Street Safety Improvement Project

Map shows the project area for the Main Street Safety Improvement Project. A blue line runs down Main Street between Portland Street, near Newtowne Court, and Lafayette Square. Another segment connects Main Street to Mass Ave via the Sidney Street Extension.

Through the Main Street Safety Improvement Project, the City will add separated bike lanes to Main Street between Massachusetts Avenue and Portland Street, creating a more-comfortable bike connection between the Port and Central Square.

Click here for a larger version of the project area map.

This quick-build project will change the layout of the street with new pavement markings, signs, and flex-posts.

The Main Street Safety Improvement Project will:

  • Install separated bike lanes in both directions, adding to the City's network of separated bike lanes.
  • Remove a significant number of parking spaces in the project area. This is because separated bike lanes, with the extra buffer area, are wider than the traditional bike lanes there now.
  • Improve crossings for people walking.
  • Address safety at key intersections

These changes will align with the Cambridge Bicycle Plan and Vision Zero Action Plan and will help us meet the requirements of the Cambridge Cycling Safety Ordinance.

Get Involved

We want to hear from you! 

Comment Form

Do you have feedback or questions? Let us know using the Main Street Safety Improvement Project comment form.

Share Your Thoughts

Project Phases

There are opportunities to give feedback throughout this project. Right now, we are in Phase 2. We do not have complete project plans yet; we are gathering feedback on draft design options. 

 

Phase 1
Introduction

Introduce the project to the community. To help us design the street, we will gather feedback on how people currently use the street, safety concerns, and parking/loading needs.

March 2023 to Late May 2023
Phase 2
Design Feedback

After hearing feedback on how you use the street, we will come up with draft design options. Next, we present those options to the community and ask for feedback.

Late May 2023 to Fall 2023
Phase 3 (We're Here!)
Final Feedback

We use the Phase 2 feedback to come up with a preferred design. Then, we present that design to the community, gather feedback on final adjustments, and finalize project plans.

Time Estimate: 2024
Phase 4
Project Installation

After we finalize the project plans, we reach out to the community to inform them about the final plans, the installation schedule, and what to expect during and after installation. Then, we install the project.

Time Estimate: 2024

Upcoming Events

Check Back Soon

We'll post information on upcoming meetings here when we schedule them!

Project Updates

September 20, 2023 Update

Schedule Update

In our original project schedule, we planned to finalize design plans this fall. We're expanding outreach efforts and lengthening our timeline to ensure we reach as many people as possible. We now plan to finalize designs and install separated bike lanes in 2024.

Nearby Projects

Separated bike lanes on Main Street between Portland Street and Albany Street

Next month, the Ragon Institute will begin installing separated bike lanes on Main Street between Portland Street and Albany Street (the block to the east of the Main Street Safety Improvement Project area). This work is part of their Planning Board Special Permit requirements.

The north side of the street (headed toward Mass Ave) will have quick-build separated bike lanes (paint and white posts). The south side of the street (headed toward Kendall Square) will have fully-constructed bike lanes at sidewalk level. Click here for project plans submitted to the City.

The Port Infrastructure Improvements Project

The Port Infrastructure Improvements Project will replace water, sewer, and drain lines in much of The Port neighborhood. Once these lines are replaced, many streets and sidewalks will be reconstructed. Design work for the roadways is ongoing. The project will impact the streets north of Main Street. Click here for the latest on this project.

Data

May 2023 Volume and Speed Counts

On Wednesday, May 10, 2023 and Thursday, May 11, 2023, Cambridge's consultant, Kittelson, conducted vehicle and bike counts at two spots near the project area:

  • Main Street east of Cherry Street
  • Main Street west of Portland Street

Find high-level data from the counts outlined below. Download the full count report for more data. 

Full Data

Main Street at Cherry Street

Numbers below are averages from May 10 and May 11, 2023. 

Counts:

  • 7,596 total vehicles (includes bikes, cars, buses, etc.)
  • 1,278 bikes
  • 16.8% of counted vehicles were bikes

Speeds

Vehicles headed toward Mass Ave (westbound)

  • 32 mph: 85th percentile speed
  • 36.1% of vehicles were traveling over 25mph

Vehicles headed away from Mass Ave (eastbound)

  • 26 mph: 85th percentile speed
  • 17.6% of vehicles were traveling over 25mph

Main Street at Portland Street

Numbers below are averages from May 10 and May 11, 2023. 

Counts:

  • 9,316 total vehicles (includes bikes, cars, buses, etc.)
  • 1,237 bikes
  • 13.8% of counted vehicles were bikes

Speeds

Vehicles headed toward Mass Ave (westbound)

  • 33 mph: 85th percentile speed
  • 50.4% of vehicles were traveling over 25mph

Vehicles headed away from Mass Ave (eastbound)

  • 29 mph: 85th percentile speed
  • 37.3% of vehicles traveling over 25mph

Full Data

Crash Data

Crash Data

At our first community meeting on March 16, 2023, we shared crash data from Main Street between 2020 and 2022. Click here to see the slide shared at the meeting (summarized below).

Between 2020 and 2022, there were 34 crashes along the project area reported to the Cambridge Police Department. Data showed that people walking and biking were more vulnerable to injury. 

Involving Number of Crashes Injury Crashes
Driver & Driver 15 7%
Driver & Pedestrian 2 50%
Driver & Cyclist 7 71%
Driver & Object 10 0%
Cyclist & Cyclist 0

N/A

Cyclist & Pedestrian 0 N/A
 

Cambridge Police Department Crash Data

Outreach

Design Options Survey (June to December 2023)

A design options survey, open between June and December 2023, will help us come up with a preferred design for separated bike lanes on Main Street. We divided the project area into sections to review layout options:

  • Sidney Street Extension to Windsor Street (two options)
  • Windsor Street to Portland Street (three options)
  • Main Street/ Sidney Street / Mass Ave intersection (two options)

In this survey, we showed you the design options for these three sections and ask for feedback.

This survey closed on December 17, 2023.

Click here to see the survey results.

Survey Postcards

We want to hear from you!

What side of the street should have a parking lane? Where do you park on Main Street now? The City of Cambridge is adding separated bike lanes and making other safety improvements to Main Street between Mass Ave and Portland Street, including the street in front of Newtowne Court. 

Take the online survey in EnglishKreyòl Ayisyen,Español, and አማርኛ to share your thoughts.

Postcard with QR Code in englishPostcard with QR Code in SpanishPostcard with QR Code in AmharicPostcard with QR Code in Haitian Creole

Comment Map (March to May 2023)

Between March 2023 and May 2023, we invited people to submit comments on the current street conditions via a community feedback map.

We asked people to tell us:

  • How you currently use the street. What elements are important to keep? 
  • Safety concerns that you have while walking, riding, or driving on this section of Main Street. 
  • What can we do to improve traffic safety?
  • Where is it most important to keep parking or loading? Which parking or loading types are most important to you?

View the Map 

Want to leave more general feedback? Fill out the project comment form

March 2023 Postcards

In early March 2023, about 3,800 addresses in the neighborhood around the project area will receive a postcard with information about the beginning of the project and the first two meetings.

Front of postcard sent to 3,800 addresses in the project area. INcludes information about the project area and what changes the project will make. More information at www.cambridgema.gov/MainStreetSafety. Front of postcard sent to 3,800 addresses in the project area. Includes information about the first community meeting and community open house. More information at www.cambridgema.gov/MainStreetSafety.

 

Posters

We will regularly post information about the project and meetings on posters in and around the project area. 

On a fence by a playground, four signs announce a Main Street Ice Cream Party on September 14. Each sign is in a different language: English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Amharic.

Project Emails

We send emails to announce meetings, project updates, and opportunities for feedback. You can sign up for the email list here.

Read the emails we've sent about this project below (listed from newest to oldest):

Website News Items

Read the news stories we've published on the City of Cambridge website about the Main Street Safety Improvement Project below:

  • October 5, 2023: We’re Adding Separated Bike Lanes to Part of Main Street – Take the Design Options Survey
  • April 10, 2023: We're Adding Separated Bike Lanes to Part of Main Street—and We Want to Hear from You
  • February 28, 2023: Cambridge Launches Separated Bike Lane Project on Main Street
  • October 31, 2022: Traffic Department Announces Projects on Hampshire Street, Main Street, and Aberdeen Avenue

Past Meetings

 

Thursday, September 14: Ice Cream Party

The Main Street Safety Improvement Project Ice Cream Party! 

On Thursday, September 14, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. we hosted an ice cream party to review draft project designs at the Pisani Center (131 Washington Street)

   Man behind red ice cream cart     4 signs on aisles

At this event we:

  • Enjoyed free ice cream
  • Learned more about the project 
  • Residents shared their thoughts on:
    •  What side of the street should parking go on?
    • What types of parking should we keep? 

Translation and interpretation was available in Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Amharic.

Review materials shared at the event: 

Couldn't make it? Take the survey.

Sign up for the project email list to learn more about upcoming events. 

Open House at Intersection of Main Street/Bishop Allen Drive: Thursday, June 8, 2023

On Thursday, June 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., the City of Cambridge hosted an open house for the Main Street Safety Improvement Project at the plaza at the intersection of Main Street and Bishop Allen Drive.  

The open house provided an opportunity for the community to drop by in-person to talk to city staff, ask questions, and provide feedback. Information presented at the open house was similar to what was presented at the May 31 virtual community meeting for the project.

The open house will consist of display boards showing the following:

  • Design alternatives based on community feedback
  • An introduction of the project, its goals, and its objectives
  • A review of background and planning information, including the Cycling Safety Ordinance, Cambridge Bicycle Network Vision, and the Vision Zero Action Plan
  • The anticipated timeline for the project

Click here to download the boards from the meeting

Open House at the Pisani Center: Tuesday, June 6, 2023

On Tuesday, June 6, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., the City of Cambridge will held an open house for the Main Street Safety Improvement Project at the Pisani Center at 131 Washington St. 

The open house provided an opportunity for the community to drop by in-person to talk to city staff, ask questions, and provide feedback. Information presented at the open house was similar to what was presented at the May 31 virtual community meeting for the project. 

The open house consisted of display boards showing the following:

  • Design alternatives based on community feedback
  • An introduction of the project, its goals, and its objectives
  • A review of background and planning information, including the Cycling Safety Ordinance, Cambridge Bicycle Network Vision, and the Vision Zero Action Plan
  • The anticipated timeline for the project

Click here to download the boards from the meeting

Second Online Community Meeting: Wednesday, May 31, 2023

On Wednesday, May 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the City of Cambridge will held the second community meeting for the Main Street Safety Improvement Project on Zoom.

During the meeting, we: 

  • Shared design options for adding quick-build separated bike lanes based on community feedback. To fit the bike lanes, we will have to remove a significant number of parking spaces. The design options will have parking and bike lanes in different layouts on the street
  • Summarized feedback received on the project so far
  • Reviewed background and planning information, including the Cycling Safety Ordinance, Cambridge Bicycle Network Vision, and the Vision Zero Action Plan
  • Gave an opportunity to ask questions and provide your feedback

Meeting Materials

Meeting Updates

Please review the slides, recording, or transcript for a full overview of what was discussed during the meeting.

City employees introduced the project; reviewed background and planning information, including information on the Cycling Safety Ordinance, Cambridge Bicycle Network Vision, and the Vision Zero Action Plan; shared a project timeline; and provided an opportunity for community members to ask questions and provide feedback.

With feedback from the first phase of this project, we drafted several design options for the street. 

Feedback So Far

We reviewed what we've heard so far at in-person events, via a comment form, and via the online feedback map. 

Street Layout Options

We divided the project area into two sections to review layout options. The options show parking in different areas. All options have one-way separated bike lanes along the curb.

Take the Design Options Survey

Sidney Street Extension to Windsor Street

Mix of businesses, industrial uses, houses of worship, and residential. 

Two layout options:

  • Option 1: Parking on the north side of the street (8 spaces + one accessible space)
  • Option 2: Parking switches sides (12 spaces + one accessible space)

Windsor Street to Portland Street

Residential (Newtowne Court) on the north side, with businesses and industrial uses on the south side. 

Three layout options: (Strong community support for all spaces to be permit parking)

  • Option 1: Parking on the north side (19 spaces on the north/residential side of the street)
  • Option 2: Parking on the south side (29 spaces on the south side of the street, across the street from residences)
  • Option 3: Parking switches sides (22 spaces total: 12 on the south side of the street and 10 on the north/residential side)

Intersection: Main Street at Lafayette Square

Two design options:

  • Option 1: Modify existing intersection to improve separation, add bike signals
  • Option 2: No thrus at Main or Columbia, protecting some crosswalks from turning vehicles

 

Open House: Wednesday, April 26, 2023

We hosted an in-person open house on Wednesday, April 26, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Pisani Center (131 Washington St, in between Newtowne Court and Washington Elms).

About a half-dozen people stand in front of the Pisani Center, looking at boards about the Main Street Safety Improvement project.  A map with sticky notes about current conditions on Main Street. On top of the map, a laminated flyer reads "Bike Lanes Coming Soon, Some Parking will be Removed"  Photo of a poster board in front of a tent. The board includes information about the Main Street Safety Improvement Project limits, changes, schedule, and website.

The open house provided an opportunity for the community to drop by in-person to talk to city staff, ask questions, and provide feedback on the project. Information presented at the open house was similar to information presented at the March 16 virtual community meeting.

The open house included display boards showing the following:

  • An introduction of the project, its goals, and its objectives
  • Background, including information on separated bike lanes, crash data, and context on Main Street
  • Overview of planning information, including the Cycling Safety Ordinance, Cambridge Bicycle Network Vision, and the Vision Zero Action Plan
  • Information about how to receive updates about the project
  • The expected timeline for the project

There were also printed maps of the area for attendees to reference in their discussions with staff and to record specific location-based feedback.

Click here to view PDFs of the boards

Open House: Wednesday, March 22, 2023

We hosted an in-person open house on Wednesday, March 22, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the plaza at the corner of Main Street and Bishop Allen Drive.

Seven people stand in a plaza of Main Street. Some residents are chatting with city staff, others are looking at posters. A poster in the foreground shows the timeline for the project, from March 2023 to late summer 2023.  Nine people stand in the plaza on Main Street across from the U-Haul. Some community members are chatting with each other, others are talking to City staff. Several posters about the project are visible.

The open house provided an opportunity for the community to drop by in-person to talk to city staff, ask questions, and provide feedback on the project. Information presented at the open house was similar to information presented at the March 16 virtual community meeting.

The open house included display boards showing the following:

There were also printed maps of the area for attendees to reference in their discussions with staff and to record specific location-based feedback.

View Open House Posters

First Community Meeting: Thursday, March 16, 2023

We hosted the first community meeting for the Main Street Safety Improvement Project on Thursday, March 16, 2023, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Zoom.

This meeting was the first of several outreach events over the next few months to discuss safety improvements to Main Street between Massachusetts Avenue (Lafayette Square) and Portland Street. Our goals for this project are to install separated bicycle lanes in both directions, improve crossing locations for people walking, identify locations for parking and loading, and address safety at key intersections. 

Meeting Materials

Meeting Updates

Please review the slides, recording, or transcript for a full overview of what was discussed during the meeting. City employees introduced the project; reviewed background and planning information, including information on the Cycling Safety OrdinanceCambridge Bicycle Network Vision, and the Vision Zero Action Plan; shared a project timeline; and provided an opportunity for community members to ask questions and provide feedback.

We are starting the project by gathering feedback before we create draft designs for the street.  

Separated Bike Lanes

We are planning to add separated bike lanes between Massachusetts Avenue and Portland Street. Separated bike lanes physically separate people biking from people driving with extra space and flex posts between the bike lane and car travel lane. This takes up more space on the street than the regular bike lanes in the area now. 

Parking

  • We will need to remove about half the parking spaces in the project area. This is because separated bike lanes, with the extra buffer area, are wider than the traditional bike lanes there now. 
  • Right now, there are about 90 parking and loading spaces in the project area. Click here for a map of existing parking types.

We want to hear from you: What types of parking and loading are important to keep? Where? 

Crosswalks and Walking

We are making quick-build improvements to existing crosswalks and addressing safety at key intersections.  Click here for a map of existing crosswalks

We want to hear from you: What crossings work well? Which do you have concerns about? 

Crash Data

Between 2020 and 2022, there were 34 reported crashes in the project area. Data showed that people walking and biking were more vulnerable to injury. Click here for more information

Background

Project Area

This project will include improvements to Main Street between Lafayette Square and Portland Street, connecting to Mass Ave via the Sidney Street Extension. 

Map shows the project area for the Main Street Safety Improvement Project. A blue line runs down Main Street between Portland Street, near Newtowne Court, and Lafayette Square. Another segment connects Main Street to Mass Ave via the Sidney Street Extension.

Click here for a larger version of the project area map.

Separated Bike Lanes on the Rest of Main Street

Main Street will eventually have separated bike lanes that connect Central Square to Kendall Square, including a mixture of quick-build and full-construction separated bike lanes.

The Main Street Safety Improvement Project is one of several planned or in-progress projects that will add to this network.

Separated bike lanes on Main Street: The Main Street Safety Improvement Project limits are Mass Ave to Portland Street; Ragon Institute will add separated bike lanes between Portland Street and Albany Street; Albany Street to Vassar Street is part of the Grand Junction Multiuse Path Project, and Vassar Street to Kendall Square will be a Cambridge Redevelopment Authority project.

Click here for a larger version of the map above

Portland Street to Albany Street: The Ragon Institute will add separated bike lanes between Portland Street and Albany Street. The north side of the street (headed toward Mass Ave) will have quick-build separated bike lanes. The south side of the street (headed toward Kendall Square) will have fully-constructed separated bike lanes. Click here to see the plans submitted to the City.

Albany Street to Vassar Street: The City of Cambridge will add separated bike lanes between Albany Street and Vassar Street as part of the Grand Junction Multiuse Path Project

Vassar Street to Third Street: The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority made recommendations for adding separated bike lanes between Vassar Street and Third Street as part of a streetscape redesign project. Click here to learn more

Third Street to Longfellow Bridge: There are already separated bike lanes on this section of Main Street. 

Project Schedule

Note: This schedule is based on the latest information we have and is subject to change. 

Phase 1: Introduction

  • March 16, 2023: First Community Meeting
  • March 22, 2023: Community Open House
  • April 26, 2023: Community Open House

Project introduction

Discussion of preliminary plans and opportunities for feedback

Phase 2: Design Feedback

  • May 31, 2023: Second Community Meeting and Second Community Open House 
  • Tuesday, June 6: Community Open House
  • Thursday, June 8: Community Open House
  • Thursday, September 14: Ice Cream Party

Present draft layouts and give opportunities for feedback

Phase 3: Finalize and Install

  • Early 2024: Third Community Meeting and Open Houses
  • 2024: Installation

Present revised layout and solicit feedback

Finalize project design

Announce installation schedule

Install project

Documents

Key documents from throughout the process. Check "Past Meetings" for more context, video recordings, and overviews. See "Outreach" section above for more details on project emails and outreach.

Phase 1 (Introduction) 

Phase 2 (Design Feedback)

The Cycling Safety Ordinance

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

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 Network Vision

Map shows the streets where the Cycling Safety Ordinance requires separated bike lanes, and other streets designated for greater separation in the 2020 Bike Plan. This project is on Main Street, connecting to separated bike lanes on Massachusetts Avenue.

Learn more:

 

 

What drives our street design?

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.

"Quick Build" Projects versus "Construction" Projects

This is a quick-build project, which means we are not digging into the ground or making changes to the width or shape of the road. Instead, we will make improvements using paint, flex-posts, stencils, new signage, changes to parking regulations, and traffic signal adjustments. Quick-build projects allow us to make changes to our streets more rapidly and to make adjustments even after a design is installed.

A construction project would involve more extensive changes, including moving curbs and/or removing medians. Work becomes more complex any time we dig into the ground, and construction projects usually include work on underground infrastructure such as traffic signal wires and water, drainage, and sewer pipes. When roads are reconstructed as part of the City’s Five-Year Plan for Streets and Sidewalks, roads designated for greater separation in Cambridge’s 2020 Bicycle Network Vision, including existing quick-build bike lanes, are turned into permanent separated bike lanes.

About Separated Bike Lanes

Separated bike lanes provide dedicated spaces for bicycles, physically separated from traffic by a vertical structure like a curb, flex-post, or other barrier. Compared to traditional bike lanes, more people are comfortable biking in bike lanes that are separated from traffic with a barrier or curb. The experience is also much more comfortable than riding in traffic with cars, buses, and trucks.

Separated bike lanes also increase safety for people walking by reducing crossing distances at crosswalks and visually narrowing the roadway width. 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.

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. 

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.

The left image shows Inner Mt Auburn St with a standard bike lane, travel lane, and a parking lane. The right image shows Inner Mt Auburn St with a bike lane, buffer area with flex posts, a travel lane, a parking lane, and daylighting.

 

Other Streets and Transportation Projects

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.

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