A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-113, regarding a report on organizing a neighborhood walk on Rindge Avenue

CITY OF CAMBRIDGE Traffic, Parking, and Transportation 344 Broadway Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 www.cambridgema.gov/traffic Joseph E. Barr, Director Phone: [phone removed] Stephanie McAuliffe, Assistant Director for Parking Management Fax: [phone removed] Brooke McKenna, Assistant Director for Street Management MEMORANDUM TO: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager FROM: Joseph E. Barr, Director DATE: February 6, 2019 RE: Awaiting Report 18-113 – Neighborhood Walk on Rindge Avenue This memo is in response to Awaiting Report 18-113 (Order 12 from the October 29, 2018 City Council Meeting), requesting that the Traffic, Parking, + Transportation Department (TP+T) organize a neighborhood walk on Rindge Avenue, to analyze congestion and discuss potential mitigation options. On Wednesday, January 16th, staff members from TP+T walked along Rindge Avenue with Councillor Craig Kelley and community members to discuss potential safety improvements. Attendees for the walk included: • Craig Kelley, City Councillor • Mark Gutierrez, Council Aide • Brooke McKenna, TP+T Assistant Director for Street Management • Patrick Baxter, TP+T Engineering Manager • Najah Casimir, TP+T Communications Manager • Two local residents The walk primarily focused on the intersections at Haskell Street, at Hollis Street / Yerxa Road, and at Cedar Street/Middlesex Street (where an all-way STOP control was recently installed). Based on the concerns expressed by the constituents, TP+T agreed to take the following actions: At Haskell Street • Work to ensure that the flashing school zone sign flashes reliably. • Investigate potential pavement marking materials that can be used to put crosswalk lines on the raised intersection, which is made of concrete pavers. • Update the current pedestrian signs to school crossing signs with arrow signs. • Add additional school crossing signs and arrow signs on the left side of Rindge Avenue, in both directions.

Page 2 of 2 • Remove a parking space on the northeast side of Rindge Avenue to increase visibility of children crossing the street to get to the school. • Coordinate with the Police Department on crossing guards. At Hollis Street / Yerxa Road • Add a pedestrian crossing sign on the southwest corner of Rindge Avenue. At Cedar Street / Middlesex Street • Add a “New Traffic Pattern Ahead” sign on Rindge Avenue, approaching the intersection from the east. • Research best practices on “Stop Sign Ahead” signs and determine if one should be placed with the “New Traffic Pattern Ahead” sign. • Add a left-side stop sign on Rindge Avenue, approaching the intersection from the east. There was also a discussion about the intersection of Rindge Avenue and Sherman Street. A request was made to create a left turn lane in the middle of the intersection to help alleviate some of the delay caused by drivers waiting to turn left onto Sherman. It was determined that this would not be possible as it is unsafe to have cars sitting in the middle of an intersection, and there is not sufficient width to create a left turn lane approaching the intersection. We expect to install the additional signage noted above through the course of the winter, and will follow up on other policy and study items this spring.