Mass Ave Partial Construction

Construction Notice: Contractor to Mobilize the week of April 21

Beginning the week of April 21, the City’s contractor, Newport Construction, will mobilize Massachusetts Avenue ahead of the start of the median removal work. Massachusetts Avenue is scheduled for partial construction between Forest Street and Waterhouse Street as part of the City’s Cycling Safety Ordinance. This project will include removal of the center concrete median, utility installations to improve the water main and drainage, select sidewalk enhancements for accessibility, and removing former MBTA trolly bus poles.

Crews will install tree protection and silt sacks along the street and will be saw cutting areas of the roadway prior to starting the removal of the center concrete median.

Detours will be in place during work hours. Please look for Detour signs, Road Closed signs, and No Parking signs as they will be changing frequently during the work.

What to Expect During Construction:

• General work hours will be 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
• There will be no work on Monday, April 21 due to the Patriots Day Holiday.
• “No Parking” signs will be posted; please be sure to check dates/times.
• Vehicle access in and out of properties will be maintained but may be restricted for short periods.
• Access will be maintained for emergency vehicles and City services.

The median removal work is anticipated to take 4-6 weeks, weather pending. An additional notice will be sent to residents in the coming weeks with details on the start of underground utility improvement work.

Information & Assistance:

Questions regarding this project? Contact Linda Spencer, Project Administrator-Community Relations at 617-349-9734/ massave4@cambridgema.gov or Emily Boyle, Senior Engineer, at 617-349-4898/ eboyle@cambridgema.gov. If you have a special need or disability, please contact us to arrange for special accommodation that may be necessary. In case of an emergency after hours, please call the 24-hour line at 617-349-4800. For more information about the project, and to sign up to receive future updates via email, visit the project page at: www.CambridgeMA.gov/MassAvePartialConstruction

Construction Open House, Wednesday, March 26, 5:30-7:30 PM

Construction on Waterhouse Street to Linnaean Street is set to begin this Spring. A Construction Open House will be held for attendees to understand what to expect during construction of this section and to view the final design for upcoming improvements. The Construction Open House is set for Wednesday, March 26, 5:30-7:30 PM, Lesley University, University Hall Atrium, 1815 Mass Ave, 2nd Floor (accessible by elevator). View flyer here.

September 2024:

• City's Design Consultant Kleinfelder will be collecting traffic counts on Massachusetts Avenue between Harvard Street and Alewife Brook Parkway. These counts will be used to help gauge the impacts of various design options for the roadway and will eventually be used to help determine traffic signal timings

June 2024:  

• In anticipation of future construction as part of the Mass Ave Partial Construction Project, The City's Design Consultant Kleinfelder will be collecting pavement cores for Mass Ave between Linnaean Street and Waterhouse Street

Design Open House Video Series Part One

Design Open House Video Series Part Two

See additional materials from the Design Open House on December 5, 2023, under the Documents tab above. To provide feedback on the concept design fill out our survey at arcg.is/0CafTa

December 2023

Tree Transplanting

In anticipation of future construction as part of the Mass Ave Partial Construction Project, the DPW’s contractor, Cambridge Landscape, will be transplanting six small trees located in the Porter Square area. The trees are currently small enough to be relocated.

• 1924 Mass Ave – two Japanese Elm trees transplant to Riverside Press Park
• 2067 Mass Ave – 1 London Planetree, two Elm trees, one Sweetgum transplant to Riverside Press Park

Winter 2023/2024

Eversource

In anticipation of future construction as part of the Mass Ave Partial Construction Project, Eversource will be installing new gas main on Mass Ave between Somerville Ave and Mossland Street (Somerville) to Cameron Ave.

• Eversource is currently coordinating with the city to obtain permits for this work
• Additional information about the work will continue to be posted with the Mass Ave Partial Construction updates

The Mass Ave Partial Construction Design Open House: Tuesday, December 5th, 2023

Join us on Tuesday, December 5th, from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Lesley University | University Hall Second Floor (accessible by elevator) | 1815 Mass Ave, Cambridge MA

The Cambridge Department of Public Works invites you to attend our open house to learn more about the Mass Ave Partial Construction Project (Linnaean Street to Waterhouse Street) and see updated designs.

The evening includes presentations, a chance to engage with project staff, and more.

View the flyer for the event here.

Spring 2023 - Winter 2024

• Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group Members appointed and kick off meeting held in May 
• Develop design concepts and advance the designs phases
• Review sewer and storm water collection system inspections and identify necessary repairs
• Evaluate the condition of the water distribution system
• Develop a phased construction approach along the two-mile project limits
• Monitor progress on other construction activities within the project limits (MBTA - removal of trolley bus infrastructure, Eversource gas main work)

May 26, 2023: Mass Ave Partial Construction summary of costs document now available under the 'documents' tab

April 24, 2023: City Manger Yi-AN Huang appoints the following persons as members of the Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group.

November 9, 2022: New Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group Members Sought

Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang is seeking volunteers to serve on a new Working Group to help guide the Mass Ave Partial Construction Project on Mass Ave, from Waterhouse Street to Alewife Brook Parkway.

Project Goals
The project was initiated in response to the city’s Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO) and the goals include:

• Improving the safety and comfort for people walking, biking, and taking transit;
  
• Reducing travel times and improving the reliability of MBTA buses;
  
• Maintaining loading and short-term parking access to support local businesses;
  
• Implementing changes in line with the Cambridge Bicycle Plan, Vision Zero
  

Action Plan and the Cambridge Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO), which requires separated bike lanes on Mass Ave.

Individuals who are excited about shaping the future of Mass Ave and want to work collaboratively with city staff to accomplish the goals above are encouraged to apply.

Membership and Meetings
The Working Group is anticipated to be made up of 15-20 members, representing a diverse set of interests along the Mass Ave corridor to ensure that each perspective is heard and that there is adequate representation reporting back to the larger community. The Working Group will include residents, business owners, institutional representatives, and a variety of people that use the corridor to live, work, walk, bike or take the bus.

It is anticipated that the group will meet eight to ten times between January 2023 and December 2023. Meetings of the Working Group will be open to the public.

Working Group members will have two overall responsibilities:

• Serve as a community representative to advise the City Manager and staff on key issues related to the design of improvements on Mass Ave;
  
• Help communicate the process and design of the project back to the larger community.
  

There are several key elements where the Working Group will be asked to help shape the design of the Mass Ave corridor:

• Design of separated bicycle lanes;
  
• Evaluation of existing crossing locations for pedestrians and recommendations for additional crossing opportunities;
  
• Curb use regulations (i.e., understand where parking/stopping/loading is possible and not possible, and advise on curb use regulations);
  
• Options for bus priority.
  

How to Apply
Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the City’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply and selecting “MassAve Partial Construction Working Group” in the list of Current Vacancies. A letter of interest can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, December 12, 2022.

Notice: Work at various locations along Mass Ave between Waterhouse Street and Churchill Ave Beginning November 15, 2022

Beginning November 15, the Department of Public Works and its contractor will be working at various locations along Mass Ave between Waterhouse Street and Churchill Ave.

Work hours will be Tuesday, November 15 through Friday, November 18 from 7am to 4pm.

This work is part of the MassAve4 Mass Ave Partial Construction Project and is being performed to document the existing conditions of the median and subsurface conditions. A series of test pits will be excavated along the center concrete median. The construction crew will begin near Mass Ave and Waterhouse Street. The work areas will be set up in the inside westbound lane adjacent to the median.

There will be parking impacts along Mass Ave as the construction crew advances westbound. No Parking signage will be posted at various locations along Mass Ave, and the crew will minimize parking impacts to the extent possible.

Questions about the MassAve4 project? Feedback can be sent to massave4@cambridgema.gov.

To receive future updates via email, please click the orange button under the Contact tab.

Recommendation Submitted to City Council

In April 2022, after an extensive community engagement process, the City Council approved the submitted recommendation that these MassAve4 segments undergo partial construction to adhere to the Cycling Safety Ordinance and manage the complication factors of the bus stops and overhead wires. The full report of that recommendation can be found here. 

The boards presented at yesterday's pop up session can be found on the "Documents" tab.

DATE CHANGE: Pop Up Info Session -Tuesday, March 22, 2022 3-7PM

Due to forecasted rain, the date of this event has been changed. It will now be on Tuesday, March 22nd 3-7PM. 

On Tuesday, March 22nd, 3-7PM., we will hold an outdoor pop up information session to discuss changes to Mass Ave in relation to the Cycling Safety Ordinance.

During the event, you will have a chance to:

• Engage directly with members of our staff,
• Review updates to the plan
• Ask questions and receive information

We hope you can attend as we value the feedback we get from residents and businesses.

Pop Up Info Session - Saturday, March 19, 2022 10AM-2PM

On Saturday, March 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., we will hold an outdoor pop up information session to discuss changes to Mass Ave in relation to the Cycling Safety Ordinance.

During the event, you will have a chance to:

• Engage directly with members of our staff,
• Review updates to the plan
• Ask questions and receive information

We hope you can attend as we value the feedback we get from residents and businesses.

The presentation for the March 3, 2022 Community Meeting is now available to view. 

To submit a question or feedback in advance of the meeting, please email massave4@cambridgema.gov The team will try to answer as many questions as possible at the community meeting. Questions may be grouped together by category. 

After viewing the presentation, please take this short survey.

Community Meeting - Thursday, March 3, 2022 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

The City of Cambridge invites you to a virtual community meeting on Thursday, March 3, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. to discuss projects associated with the Cycling Safety Ordinance. This meeting will focus on the segments from Dudley Street to Beech Street and Roseland Street to Waterhouse Street

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://cambridgema.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hNDtVTP9R6mICqQKTsC9xg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

There will be a presentation starting at 6 p.m. followed by a question and answer session. Attendees will be able to unmute themselves and ask questions or they can submit questions via the Q&A function in zoom. 

The presentation will also be posted to the project page in advance of the meeting so that residents can submit questions in advance and join the meeting at 6:20 p.m. for just the Q&A portion. Questions can be submitted to massave4@cambridgema.gov.

The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request. To receive future updates via email, please contact massave4@cambridgema.gov. 

The boards presented at each of the Pop-Up Info Sessions are now available to view on the Documents tab.

Presentation Now Available to View

The MassAve4 Cycling Safety Ordinance Project introduction video is now available to view.

This video focuses on the segments of Massachusetts Avenue between Dudley Street and Beech Street and Roseland Street to Waterhouse Street

This video will highlight:

• Where the City is in the process of evaluating the MassAve4 segments
• The project timeline as it relates to the Cycling Safety Ordinance requirements
• The range of design possibilities
• How to provide feedback to the project team

The video does not have specific plans for these segments. We are in the beginning stages of the community process that will be used to develop a recommended implementation strategy and schedule that will be presented to the City Council for approval in April 2022.

Please join us at one of the pop-up community info sessions listed below to ask questions, give feedback, and learn more about the project. A formal presentation will not be given at these events. They are informal drop-in sessions where City staff and members of the project team are available to discuss the project.

• Saturday, November 13^th, 2021 10AM-12PM Cambridge Common (Waterhouse & Mass Ave)

• Saturday, November 13^th, 2021 2PM-4PM St. John’s Church Parking Lot (2254 Mass Ave)

• Monday, November 15^th, 2021 3PM-6PM St. John’s Church Parking Lot (2254 Mass Ave)

• Tuesday, November 16^th, 2021 3PM-6PM Cambridge Common (Waterhouse & Mass Ave)

If you are unable to attend one of these sessions, please submit feedback or questions to massave4@cambridgema.gov

Community Meeting Notice: Mass Ave Improvements, Dudley Street to Beech Street, Roseland Street to Waterhouse Street Pop-Up Community Meetings

The City is committed to implementing separated bike lanes on Mass. Ave. to improve safety, consistent with the Cambridge Bike Plan (cambridgema.gov/BikePlan2020) and the Cycling Safety Ordinance (cambridgema.gov/CyclingSafetyOrdinance).

For these two sections of Mass. Ave., City staff must get Council approval by the end of April 2022 on a timeline for implementing separated bike lanes. The implementation could include a combination of quick-build and construction.

We want to know what you think!

On Wednesday, November 10th, a video presentation about the project will be available to view on the project website (cambridgema.gov/MassAve4A).

You are then invited to attend one of the Pop-up Community Meetings listed below to ask questions, give feedback, and learn more about the project.

• Saturday, November 13^th, 2021 10AM-12PM Cambridge Common (Waterhouse & Mass Ave)
• Saturday, November 13^th, 2021 2PM-4PM St. John’s Church Parking Lot (2254 Mass Ave)
• Monday, November 15^th, 2021 3PM-6PM St. John’s Church Parking Lot (2254 Mass Ave)
• Tuesday, November 16^th, 2021 3PM-6PM Cambridge Common (Waterhouse & Mass Ave)

For more information about the project, visit the website (cambridgema.gov/MassAve4A) via the QR Code. Questions or comments? Contact massave4@cambridgema.gov

We hope you can attend as we value the feedback we get from residents and businesses.

The City is working to determine which sections of the Mass4 will implement separated bike lanes using quick-build methods and which sections require construction.  This determination will be based on further analysis and review of the impacts and cost of each approach (quick-build and construction).  

The City will be hosting community meetings throughout the design process. Please see the "Schedule" tab for a general schedule of the project. 

Mass Ave Partial Construction Group Meeting #4

Thursday April 25, 2024

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

To register for this meeting with remote participation on Zoom webinar:

https://bowman.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-BF8M3eHQxC8TvwWiOFgzw

To view full working group flyer click here.

To view the full presentation click here. 

To view the meeting minutes click here. 

Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group Site Walk #3

Thursday, October 12, 2023
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: Meet at the intersection of Day Street and Mass Ave

Working Group Site Walk #3: Day Street to Alewife Brook Parkway

The City and Working Group have participated in two site walks along Mass Ave between Waterhouse Street and Day Street, and will be having a third site walk to observe travel behavior and consider design challenges in the northern segment of the Mass Ave project area:

• The site walk will be between Day Street and Alewife Brook Parkway, an approximately .7 mile segment

All Working Group meetings are open to the public, although time for general public comment will be limited. -The Project will also be holding general public meetings and other public events during the planning and design phase. We encourage interested members of the public to join the Project contact list at cambridgema.gov/massavepartialconstruction in order to learn about these events.

To view the full flyer click here.

Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group Meeting #3

Thursday, September 28, 2023

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

To register for this meeting with remote participation on Zoom webinar:

https://bowman.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S28kCr5JRc6os7HHG7dhnQ

To view full flyer click here.

To view the full presentation click here.

To view the meeting minutes click here.

Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group Site Walk #2

Monday, August 7, 2023
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Location: Meet at the red windmill sculpture at Porter Station
Contact: Kristen Kelleher 617-349-4825 kkelleher@cambridgema.gov

Working Group Site Walk #2: Porter Square to Rice Street

The City and Working Group will be having two site walks along the corridor to observe travel behavior and consider design challenges and possibilities:

• One site walk between Porter Station and Rice Street, an approximately .6 mile segment
• One site walk between Porter Station and Waterhouse Street, an approximately .7 mile segment.

All Working Group meetings are open to the public, although time for general public comment will be limited. The Project will also be holding general public meetings and other public events during the planning and design phase. We encourage interested members of the public to join the Project contact list at cambridgema.gov/massavepartialconstruction in order to learn about these events.

View the full flyer here.

Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group Site Walk #1

Thursday, August 3, 2023
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location: Meet at the red windmill sculpture at Porter Station
Contact: Kristen Kelleher 617-349-4825 kkelleher@cambridgema.gov

Working Group Site Walk #1: Porter Square to Waterhouse Street

The City and Working Group will be having two site walks along the corridor to observe travel behavior and consider design challenges and possibilities:

• One site walk between Porter Station and Rice Street, an approximately .6 mile segment
• One site walk between Porter Station and Waterhouse Street, an approximately .7 mile segment.

All Working Group meetings are open to the public, although time for general public comment will be limited. The Project will also be holding general public meetings and other public events during the planning and design phase. We encourage interested members of the public to join the Project contact list at cambridgema.gov/massavepartialconstruction in order to learn about these events.

View the full flyer here.

Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group Meeting #2

Thursday, June 22, 2023

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

To register for this meeting with remote participation on Zoom webinar:
https://mcmahon.zoom.us/webinar

View Working Group Meeting 2 Flyer here.

The Meeting Minutes from Working Group #2 can be viewed here. 

The Working Group 2 Presentation can be viewed here. 

Mass Ave Partial Construction

Working Group Meeting #1 Thursday, May 18, 2023

The presentation from Working Group Meeting #1 can be viewed here.

The Meeting Minutes from Working Group Meeting #1 can be viewed here.

The Mass Ave Partial Construction Project was initiated in response to the City’s Cycling Safety Ordinance. The project will design and implement improvements to Massachusetts Ave between Waterhouse Street and Alewife Brook Parkway, including separated bicycle facilities, pedestrian and transit improvements, and accommodation for curbside access. Improvements will be accomplished using a combination of quick-build techniques and limited construction such as removal and/or reconfiguration of the roadway median. 

Visit cambridgema.gov/massavepartialconstruction for more complete information about the Project, and for Project updates.

At the first Working Group meeting, the Project Team will describe the purpose and background of the project, introduce Working Group members, review the basis for design and potential design options, and provide space for discussion. Subsequent Working Group meetings will review and promote discussion on specific design elements along the corridor.

All Working Group meetings are open to the public, although time for general public comment will be limited. The Project will also be holding general public meetings and other public events during the planning and design phase. We encourage interested members of the public to join the Project contact list at cambridgema.gov/massavepartialconstruction in order to learn about these events.

Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group Meeting #1
Thursday, May 18, 2023
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
To register for this meeting with remote participation on Zoom webinar:
https://mcmahon.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Y7VNygRnR9KfWcSl5r_TpA#/registration

For more information on this project or to be added to the project email list, please visit: cambridgema.gov/massavepartialconstruction. If you have any questions about this project or the upcoming meeting, contact Jerry Friedman at jfriedman@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-9720.

Working Group Members:

• Mass Ave Open House Linnaean St to Waterhouse St Future Design
• Mass Ave Open House Linnaean St to Waterhouse Construction Roll Plan
• CSO Year 4 Update May 2024
• workinggroup4minutesapril252024
• workinggroup4presentationapril252024
• massavepartialconstructionsegmentbrollplan
• massavepcopenhouseboardchauncyeverettwaterhouse
• massavepcopenhouseboarddraftcurbuse
• massavepcopenhouseboardscombined12052023
• massavepartialconstructionmeetingflyerdecember2023updated
• workinggroup3minutes_20230928
• Working Group Meeting 3 Accessible Presentation
• WG Meeting 3 Flyer Mass Ave
• Working Group Meeting 2 Minutes
• Working Group Meeting 2 Presentation
• CSO Year 3 Update May 2023
• April 2022 MassAve4 Report to Council with Attachments
• April 2022 MassAve4 Report to Council No Attachments
• Working Group 2 Flyer
• Working Group Meeting 1 Minutes
• Working Group Meeting 1 Presentation
• Mass Ave Partial Construction - Additional Cost Information (May 2023)
• Pop Up Event Board 2 - Project Background
• Pop Up Event Board 1
• Pop Up Event Board 3 - Overview
• Pop Up Event Board 4 - Design Opportunities
• Pop Up Event Board 5 - Option Evaluation
• Pop Up Event Board 6 - Comments
• Final Presentation Community Meeting_03032022
• Pop-Up Session Board 1 - Quick Build
• Pop-Up Session Board 2 - Partial Construction
• Pop-Up Session Board 3 - Full Reconstruction
• Pop-Up Session Board 4 - Full Reconstruction Version 2
• Pop-Up Session Board 5 - Survey Questions

Questions or comments? Please contact MassAve4@cambridgema.gov