Porter Square reconstruction

[ceo]

The reconstruction of Porter Square has begun, with the ripping up of the plaza in front of the T entrance. The Mass. Ave entrances to the Porter Station headhouse have been closed for the duration.

Details of the project are here. Highights include:

1. Realigning the Somervile Ave/Mass Ave intersection in both directions to be at more of a right angle (opening up a large plaza in front of CVS).
2. Adding a signaled left turn out of the Porter Square Shopping Center lot onto Mass. Ave southbound.
3. An exclusive right-turn lane from Mass. Ave northbound to Somerville Ave.
4. Presumably, redoing the plaza in front of the T entrance, since they're ripping it up. :-)
5. Relocated bus stops, wider sidewalks, more crosswalks, more trees, all that nifty urban-design spluftiness.

Comments

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

While I'm sure that the construction will be a fair pain in the ass, I must say that the changes sound nice. Especially the crosswalks - there are far too few in that area.

i'm confused?

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

is there any entrance to the station -other than- on mass ave? doesn't this effectively close the station? I couldn't find anything on the cambridge site to this effect.

Re: i'm confused?

[ceo]

Sorry, I was unclear. The headhouse has entrances facing Mass. Ave and facing Somerville Ave. The latter are still open.

[srl.livejournal.com]

Do you know how long the construction is slated to take?

[rmd.livejournal.com]

and the crosswalks that are there are poorly placed with regard to the traffic signals. if you're a driver unfamiliar with the intersection, it's really quite difficult to figure out if you've got the right of way, and with pedestrians stepping out at an angle that almost puts them outside of your peripheral vision, it's really quite a bad scene.

i frequently see other drivers just flailing trying to figure out whether or not they can proceed, or else running red lights.

i recall hearing that the porter square intersection was one of the most dangerous in the state for pedestrians, and i wouldn't doubt it at all.

i like the proposed design -- it adds a crosswalk across mass ave where there really needs to be one, and makes driving through that intersection both easier to understand for the unclear and much safer with regard to pedestrian visibility.

... and oh my god, what is that i see? a path out of the porter square shopping plaza so one can turn left? oh happy day! (although i notice white street is still right turn only, which is okay if there's a path out of the parking lot that let's me turn left.)

are they keeping the horseshoe crabs in front of the headhouse?

(of course, just down somerville ave is that other poorly-signalled intersection -- i routinely see people run the first red light because the second is lit and they don't actually see the first one. i'm always careful pulling out of that side-street...)

[artemii.livejournal.com]

i routinely see people run the first red light because the second is lit and they don't actually see the first one

oooh, just like the end of college ave. in davis.

[joylewis.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this! Very good to know.

Re: i'm confused?

[dmaze]

There are three stairways heading down from street level. There's the escalators in the headhouse, which go down to the turnstile level. There's also a staircase on each side of Mass. Ave. which goes down to the commuter rail platform; there are stairs down from there to the turnstile level as well. I should go and look, but if the plaza area along Mass. Ave. is getting torn up, that wouldn't actually affect access to the station much, since the main entrances to the headhouse are closer to the intersection with Somerville Ave. (facing between CVS and Anna's, for example).