Asked the City Manager to confer with the appropriate departments and agencies to ensure the continuation of Riverbend Park closures on Saturdays and Sundays

O-5

Calendar Item # 1

Sufficient access to open space is crucial for the health and well-being of Cambridge residents, and a matter of social equity and justice particularly for underserved communities that may have limited access to these amenities in denser neighborhoods; and

The Envision Cambridge Final Report outlines the importance of adding green space that is publicly accessible and improves connectivity; and

Other cities around the world have made efforts to turn fast-moving roads into accessible and diverse waterfront parks, such as the Paris-Plage along the River Seine which has been in place since 2001; and

The closure of Riverbend Park along Memorial Drive from Gerry’s Landing to Western Avenue on Saturdays and Sundays during the spring, summer, and fall months provides expanded open space, and has become highly utilized by thousands of residents of all ages and abilities throughout the year; and

The Riverside Community Conversation report published by the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department in July 2022 found that 94% of Riverside residents make use of Riverbend Park's open space, but also identified that 10% of Riverside residents indicated that there is unacceptable traffic; and

During six community meetings from May through October 2022, many community members shared specific ideas to reduce the associated impacts of such closures, including adjustments to traffic signal timings on the weekends, changes to lane markings, detouring traffic away from neighborhood streets, and improving communication with residents about the closures; now therefore be it

That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate departments and agencies to ensure the continuation of Riverbend Park closures on Saturdays and Sundays with a schedule based on last year’s successful pilot, starting the first weekend of Spring and ending on the last weekend of Fall; and be it further

That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to expand outreach and communication efforts to residents in the Riverside and West Cambridge neighborhoods to inform residents of traffic changes, and to increase community engagement by supporting open space programming in consultation with community organizations and local businesses at Riverbend Park; and be it further

That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the appropriate city and state agencies to mitigate any related traffic impacts that are observed during the closures, with a particular emphasis on improving traffic signals and lane markings along Western Avenue at Putnam Ave, Memorial Drive, and Soldier's Field Road, and to identify opportunities to provide drivers with information about the closures and wayfinding applications to prevent excess traffic into the Riverside neighborhood and reduce incidents of blocking the box at intersections such as Western Avenue and Putnam Avenue with traffic details and intersection markings; and be it further

That the City Manager report back on this matter to the City Council by March 6, 2023.

In City Council February 27, 2023. Adopted by a yea and nay vote:-

Yeas 7; Nays 2; Absent 0

Attest:- Diane P. LeBlanc, City Clerk

A true copy;

ATTEST:-

Diane P. LeBlanc,

City Clerk

History: 02/13/23

City Council

CHARTER RIGHT

Next: 02/27/23