Shared Streets Project Comes To East Arlington

ARLINGTON, MA — The town installed shared streets components on Mary Street Friday to create safe social distancing space for people walking and bicycling and to slow vehicle speeds on the road. These items include traffic-calming elements such as cones, sandwich boards, sawhorses and signs.

The project is funded by a Shared Streets and Spaces grant from MassDOT totaling $10,947. The statewide grant program is intended to support projects that promote public health, safe mobility, and renewed commerce by quickly providing new or repurposed space for socially-distanced walking, bicycling, dining, retail and bus travel.

The Select Board approved the project in August, building off the Brooks Avenue demonstration from May. The pilot will be installed between Littlejohn Street and Margaret Street.

The Mary Street Shared Streets Pilot Project will be in place for approximately six weeks. The expected timeline is:

• October 9: Town installs shared street pilot project on Mary Street.
• Week of November 16: Town removes materials of Mary Street shared street.
• Winter 2021: Town evaluates data collected during Mary Street shared street