On June 13, 2024, Somerville took a monumental step toward transforming its urban landscape into a haven for cyclists and pedestrians. The city council passed the groundbreaking Safe Streets Ordinance, a binding law that ensures the comprehensive bike network plan will be implemented (see press release here).
This is not just a vision or a set of guidelines—this is the law. The significance of this ordinance cannot be overstated, and it marks a pivotal moment in the journey towards safer, more accessible streets for everyone.
What Does the Safe Streets Ordinance Entail?
The Safe Streets Ordinance is a legally binding commitment to prioritize and protect vulnerable road users. It mandates the development and maintenance of a robust bike network, complete with protected bike lanes, traffic calming measures, and dedicated pedestrian zones. The ordinance is quite specific, requiring that 29 miles of protected bike lanes be built by 2030.
Why Is This So Significant?
Binding Commitment
The most critical aspect of this ordinance is its binding nature. Unlike previous plans and proposals that relied on voluntary compliance and shifting political will, this law compels the city to follow through. This means that the bike network plan will not gather dust on a shelf but will be actively realized, creating a safer and more interconnected environment for cyclists.
Accountability and Transparency
The ordinance includes mechanisms for accountability and transparency. Regular progress reports, community consultations, and independent audits will keep the city accountable to its residents. This level of oversight is crucial for ensuring that the implementation is not only timely but also aligned with the best interests of the community.
Similarity to Cambridge's Bike Ordinance
The Cambridge Daily has excellent coverage of this new ordinance, and points out that the Somerville law is very similar to the Cycling Safety Ordinance that was passed by Cambridge in 2019. Cambridge's ordinance was updated in 2020 as the Cambridge Bicycle Plan, and it mandated the building of 22.6 miles of protected bike lanes by 2026. However, a recent Cambridge City Council vote delayed that deadline by a year, to 2027 (see our covereage of this unfortunate vote here.) It seems unlikely that Somerville's ordinance will be similarly delayed, given the strong support for biking infrastructure by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, who had appeared at a MassBike event in Somerville in April and spoke forcefully in favor of transportation equity, invoking Martin Luther King Jr's love of biking.
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