Somerville To Celebrate Completion Of Major Street Redesign

SOMERVILLE, MA — A major street reconstruction project that has been in the works for more than three years is nearing completion.

The city will celebrate the completion of the Tufts Street "Neighborway" with a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 11 a.m. at Leonard Grimes Park, located at the corner of Tufts Street and Glen Street. The redesign is intended to make the residential street safer and more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists while reducing vehicle volumes and speeds.

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The project began in the summer of 2023 when city leaders solicited feedback from community members about safety concerns in the area. The city finalized its design in late 2024 before preparing for construction the following year. The reconstruction included repaving the street and rebuilding sidewalks, along with raised crosswalks at Glen, Dell, and Cross streets, "pinch points" that narrow portions of the roadway to slow traffic, wider sidewalks, and two-way access for both vehicles and bicycles. The project is part of the city's larger Citywide Pavement and Sidewalk Management Program.

"Our neighborhood streets should be built for our community, not someone passing through and looking to skip traffic on McGrath Highway," Mayor Jake Wilson said in a statement. "We are a city that prides ourselves on innovation, and this is an innovative approach to make our streets safer for our residents."

Tufts Street is designated as a Neighborway under the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan. Neighborways are residential streets designed to provide lower-stress routes for pedestrians and cyclists as an alternative to busier roadways. Construction began in late summer 2025 following more than a year of community engagement, traffic analysis, testing of emergency vehicle operations, and design work. The redesigned street also features landscaped areas and a new mural, while approximately 45 new street trees are expected to be planted over the coming weeks.

"Tufts Street was a long-neglected road that operated as a cut-through for out-of-town traffic," Ward 1 City Councilor Matt McLaughlin said in a statement. "Due to resident advocacy and a responsive city government, Tufts Street is now a safe neighborhood road for pedestrians."

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