Around Town

Virtual Hearing on Mt. Auburn Street Redesign Planned by State Officials

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WorldTech EngineeringA hearing will be held to discuss the redesign of Mt. Auburn Street. Pictured is a conceptual drawing of what the new bus stop on Mt. Auburn Street near Parker Street when plans were discussed in 2018. The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:

A Live Virtual Design Public Hearing will be hosted on the MassDOT website below to present the design for the proposed Rehabilitation of Mt.

Around Town

State Repairing Bridge on Mt. Auburn St., Will Impact Traffic on Several Sundays

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MassDOT announced upcoming roadwork on Mt. Auburn Street at the intersection with Belmont Street, just east of Greg’s Restaurant in Cambridge, and near the Mount Auburn Cemetery. MassDOT provided the following announcement:

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing that it will be conducting concrete deck, joint, and asphalt wearing surface repairs on Mount Auburn Street over the bicycle path at the Belmont Street intersection in Cambridge. The repairs will take five consecutive Sunday shifts, starting Sunday, July 25, and will have travel impacts on those Sundays and into the early morning hours of the following Mondays. Starting Sunday, July 25, at 2:00 a.m. and until 2:00 a.m. on Monday, July 26, only a single traffic lane will be open in each direction on Mt.

Business

Tufts Health Plan’s Merger Approved, New Organization Moving Out of Town

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Watertown-based Tufts Health Plan received approval to merge with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, with the merged organization moving out of Town. Plans for the merger first came out in late-May, with the new health services organization moving to the former Reebok headquarters in Canton. Tufts’ main offices has been located in Watertown in the former Western Electric Co. since 1997. Harvard Pilgrim is currently headquartered in Wellesley. The merger officially occurred on Jan.

Accident

Cyclist Falls Off Bike in Watertown Square, Backs Up Traffic

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A man fell off his bicycle on Mt. Auburn Street near Watertown Square Saturday evening, causing traffic delays in the area. The cyclist appeared to have suffered minor injuries, and was taken to hospital by an ambulance, according to a witness. Another witness said the man fell without being touched by another vehicle. He also was described as acting strangely, possibly intoxicated.

Government

Survey Collecting Input About New Bus Priority Lanes on Mt. Auburn St.

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The new red bus priority lane on Mt. Auburn Street near the Cambridge Line. Photo provided by the Watertown Department of Public Works. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Department of Public Works:

As of Nov. 15, after several weeks of calibration, City of Cambridge staff and the Mount Auburn Street Bus Priority project partners consider the implementation of the Mt Auburn Street Bus Priority Pilot to be complete.

Government

Town Council Approves Design Concepts for Mt. Auburn St. Reconstruction

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After many meetings looking at the proposals to reconstruct Mt. Auburn Street, including the controversial road diet, the Town Council voted to approve the preliminary designs Tuesday. The project now moves to the state transportation officials for their input, but there are still many steps before it becomes a reality. 

The Town Council’s Public Works subcommittee recently held two meetings to take a closer look at the plans for the major corridor through town, particularly focusing on Coolidge Square and the business district near the intersection with Common  Street. Residents and business owners had a lot of concerns, ranging from reducing the lanes from two to one each way, loss of parking and loading areas for businesses, and bicycle and pedestrian safety. On Tuesday, Councilors weighed whether to approve the plans recommended by the Public Works Committee, and send them to the state’s Department of Transportation (MassDOT) for the 25 percent design review.

Government

Changes to Coolidge Square Get Recommendation of Council Subcommittee

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A Town Council subcommittee recommended some significant changes to Mt. Auburn Street, including a redesign of one of the main intersections in Coolidge Square. 

Tuesday night, the Public Works Committee discussed the proposed changes to Mt. Auburn Street, east of School Street. The most significant change is the realignment of the intersection of Bigelow Avenue with Mt. Auburn Street, which also turns Kimball Road into a one-way street away from Mt.

Bus Priority Pilot

Officials Hopeful Bus Priority Program Will Improve Commute on Mt. Auburn Street

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It takes something special to get state and local officials to gather next to a bus stop at 8 a.m. a chilly morning, but celebrating the start of a program to speed up buses along Mt. Auburn Street rose to that occasion Friday morning. The group in front of Star Market showed up for the launch of the Cambridge-Watertown Mt. Auburn Street Bus Priority Pilot, also referred to as bus rapid transit or BRT. Users of the roadway may have noticed the red lanes, and new traffic patterns, which are designed to move buses, and — they hope — other vehicles, toward Harvard Square at a brisker pace.