Medford Receives Shared Streets Grant For Bike Connection

MEDFORD, MA — Medford has received a fourth Shared Streets grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to help fund protected bike lanes on the Wellington Bridge. This latest Shared Streets grant brings Medford's total award to more than $175,000 over the past three months.

Shared Streets funding has helped the city establish outdoor dining and support local restaurants, create a dedicated bus lane on Mystic Avenue and complete a Safe Routes to Schools project around the Columbus School.

In partnership with the city of Somerville, which will conduct the work as the lead applicant for the grant, the project will install 1,500 square feet of protected bike lanes on both sides of the bridge, closing a key bicycle gap between Medford and Somerville.

It is also designed to support safe physical distancing options for cyclists during the COVID-19 emergency. Under current conditions, cyclists are forced to share a narrow, four-foot sidewalk with pedestrians, making the space inconsistent with current public health guidelines for physical distancing.

The project will include re-striping lanes on the Wellington Bridge, and adding vertical delineators, signs, lane markings, and quick-build curb ramp to create protected bike lanes. In addition to the bike lanes, narrower travel lanes will contribute to lower speeds in this area, making the road safer for all users.

The implementation of protected bike lanes complements other improvement projects planned and ongoing in both cities, such as multi-use path connections for enhanced access to Macdonald Park in Medford.

Work on the bike lanes is expected to be done this fall.