Davis Square Multimodal Signal Design
Somerville, MA
Project Summary
We are working with the City of Somerville to upgrade the signal at Davis Square to provide greater safety for pedestrians and bicyclists through the intersection, implement transit signal priority to reduce delay for transit riders, and increase the intersection’s efficiency through equitable reallocation of street space. Our traffic engineers developed alternative signal operation scenarios and evaluated them for person-delay, including pedestrians and transit riders. In coordination with the MBTA’s Transit Signal Priority initiative, we developed construction plans for new signal equipment, coordinated timing and phasing changes, relocated curb ramps, and established transit signal priority.
This work formalizes changes to the street configurations that occurred with the COVID-19 pandemic. This included taking away a travel lane and making on-street dining permanent along the a section of Elm Street that is lined with restaurants, and making temporary bus lanes approaching Davis Square permanent. This work is taking steps toward full implementation of the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan (which we also worked on) to create greatly improve public space and reduce the space dedicated vehicle movement.
For more information, visit the project website: https://www.somervillema.gov/signaltiming/davissquare
Expertise Applied
