assembly square

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I just walked from Magoun Square to Assembly Square. What a nightmare! It's not far, but it's so pedestrian-hostile I thought I was back in Michigan. There were a couple of places I nearly turned back and went to the Harvard Square Staples instead.

Is there a good way to get across 28 and 93? Other than by taking a bus? I found the white lines for crosswalks, but there were places that seemed to assume a pedestrian would only be going the other way. Or no light at all, with traffic that looked like it would be heavy fairly often.

Comments

[ron_newman]

Broadway to Temple Street, Temple Street under I-93, right turn on Gov. Winthrop or Puritan, cross Route 28 in crosswalk at traffic light.

You can also cross under I-93 at Wheatland Street, just north of Foss Park.

Another crossing under I-93 is at Shore Drive. To easily reach this from Magoun Square or most other parts of Somerville, you'll need to walk down a stairway from the Healey School (at the end of Meacham Street) into the Mystic Housing Project.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I will give these a try next time I need to go that way.

[ron_newman]

I'm curious what route you tried.

Google's first two suggested walking routes are good ones. I don't especially recommend the third, which involves walking down Mystic Ave. next to elevated I-93.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Towards the Sullivan end, there are 3 new traffic lights, none of which help pedestrians:

Lombardi St (the connector under 93 from Mt Vernon Street to Assembly Square Drive) at the 93 South offramp
Mystic Ave at the 93 south offramp's u-turn ramp
Mystic Ave at New Road

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

>there are 3 new traffic lights, none of which help pedestrians:

I hope they help drivers, at least

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

I never had trouble on any of the approaches to any of these intersections before the lights went in.

(The first light in the list is not in operation yet.)

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Never been around Assembly, but I went east on Harvard St. once, crossing 93 and the river... not fun. Found an amazingly wide street on the other side... probably 28/Fellsway, looking at the map. Right near the Wellington development (transit-oriented?) It was a weird contrast: 11 lanes of road next to 4 lone blocks of 6 story buildings with ground retail.

Even Mystic itself was kind of depressing.

[ron_newman]

Once you cross under I-93 there, you're on Route 16. The entire south (right) side of the road is part of the state DCR's Mystic River Reservation and is a fine place to walk or bike, with great views of the Mystic River.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

True! I forgot; that had actually been one of my targets of the walk. Didn't get long though, scary thunderstorm was looming by the time I got there. Then I kept on going, to Wellington, discovering Somerville's suburban side.

[ron_newman]

That's Medford's suburban side. As soon as you crossed Pearson Road, a couple blocks north of Powderhouse Circle, you entered Medford.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Oops, right! Sorry.

[ron_newman]

If you then turned right on 28 and headed back over the Mystic River, you'd be back in Somerville at Assembly Square.

[avjudge]

As Ron says, probably Route 16 - at that point it would still be the Mystic Valley Parkway. Once it crosses Wellington Circle it becomes the Revere Beach Parkway. The Fellsway (28) crosses 16 at right angles (runs N/S) at Wellington Circle.