FROM THE SOMERSET REPORTER (NJN Publishing)
Thursday, August 24, 2006
The ins and outs of Somerville
By ALLISON ELYSE GUALTIERI
Staff Writer
Those traveling to and from downtown Somerville have their choice of routes, with four major highways converging around the borough. No matter what approach a driver takes, there is a way to get into Somerville.
For the borough, the many entry points are both an asset and a point of contention, as easy access is good for business, but creates traffic and parking hassles around downtown.
"Nothing brings more people into town meetings than parking and traffic," said Mayor Brian Gallagher.
Most of the major roads that lead into town -- Mountain Avenue, West End Avenue, Gaston Avenue, both the north and south ends of Bridge Street -- are not simply routes in and out. They also are places where people work, play, and live.
"Most of the roads leading into town are residential, so how do you alleviate those concerns?" said Gallagher. "What we're trying to do is minimize some of those issues."
One of the biggest areas of concern for residents that live along the heavily-traveled roads in and out of town is speeding on those residential streets, especially the ones that connect travelers from one highway to another.
"The north-south streets have functioned as bypasses for the circle," Gallagher said.
As a result, the borough has explored traffic calming devices to keep people to the largely 25-mph limits, and to try to separate what Gallagher called "destination traffic" from "through traffic."
As assistant borough engineer and a member of the parking and traffic committee, Brendan Nally has been involved in finding solutions to the traffic issues.
"There are a number of roads on the hit list, like Mountain Avenue, William Street, and Spring Street," he said, though one measure the borough has tried has improved traffic flow on Spring Street. The speed humps installed there have drawn nothing but compliments from the residents.
"It was good for that street, and it's been done in Westfield and it's worked for them," Nally said. "It's been well received by residents, and we feel from the data we've gathered from before and after that there's been a reduction in speed. It's been a positive, and other people have been calling and looking to have them put in on their streets."
The speed humps did not work quite as well on Mountain Avenue, when they were installed by the county.
"That wasn't well-received at all," he said, noting that in contrast to the ones installed on Spring Street, the humps were pre-engineered, and drivers felt that they were more abrupt and jarring.
The borough also put out cones to simulate bulb-outs, a traffic calming device used in other municipalities around the state that provide a visual narrowing of the road to slow drivers down. While the cones were a way for the borough to see if bulb-outs worked without paying for the expensive intersection improvements, the project was not highly regarded by motorists on Mountain Avenue, West Summit Street, Cliff Street, and Prospect Street.
In contrast, speeding was reduced when the shoulder lines were painted on North Gaston Avenue, North Bridge Street, and Mountain Avenue, all of which are 25-mph roads.
"By putting the shoulder line in, you restrict the passage for cars going through so the reaction would be to slow down to navigate the constriction," Nally said. The lines also warn drivers that there are cars parked on the side of the road, and to be careful, he added.
And, of course, there is enforcement of the posted speed limits, which Nally said the police department handles well.
"It's always been about speed, and I do know that the police department gets calls and they react accordingly," he said. "They do have a mobile device, a speed-detecting radar unit that they put out on various roads."
Officer Mark Butler, a 17-year veteran of the Somerville Police Department, said that traffic enforcement is one of the priorities on the department's list.
"Most police departments tailor their efforts to what's important to the community, and we're no different," he said, noting that traffic is a huge concern for borough residents.
"One of the important things people want is speed enforcement," he said.
Traffic is a real quality of life issue for people who live on Somerville's main roads, Butler said, and "There's pretty much no way into town that doesn't have residential housing on it."
According to council member Sean Decker, who is a member of the parking and traffic committee, enforcement is the most expensive option, and the borough has been working hard to find grant money to fund other traffic calming projects. This year, he said, there will be a permanent radar and speed sign on Mountain Avenue, with hopefully a second one to appear on that road in the future.
"We don't want to be in the business of writing tickets for money. They're out there to make our roads safe, not to make money. Sure, we can put a cop on any main road in town. People always ask for it, but we only have a certain amount of resources," he said. "You're never writing enough tickets to pay for that cop's salary and benefits for that day."
Decker -- who originally joined the parking and traffic committee as a resident angry with speeders using his street to avoid traffic on Grove and North Bridge Streets -- said that the speed limits and traffic enforcement measures are not in place to impede drivers, but to help keep residents safe without turning downtown patrons away.
"We want to be known as a safe town, and a town you want to come to," he said. "It's a balancing act, because you want to keep your residents safe, but you don't want to put your town out of business."