Fwd: Elm-Beacon Connector Project Update

[Anna Leslie]

After 20+ years, there will be, “an accessible curb ramp on the northside of Elm Street at Beech Street.” 🥳

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Katherine White <kwh...@somervillema.gov>
Date: Wed, Jan 28, 2026 at 9:29 AM
Subject: Elm-Beacon Connector Project Update
To: Transportation <transpo...@somervillema.gov>

Greetings, 

You are receiving this email because you either attended the virtual September 2024 community meeting or signed up at the March 2025 open house for updates on the Elm-Beacon Connector Project. We want to reach out to you with new project updates. 

Updated Timeline  

In August of 2025, we shared that we anticipated finalizing and publishing the Elm-Beacon Connector Design in January 2026. Over the past five months, we have been working closely with other departments in the City, as well as with the City of Cambridge and the MBTA to ensure that we develop the safest and most effective design for this quick-build project. At the same time, we’ve been exploring ways to increase the scope to meet more of the needs and feedback we heard from community members. We now expect to publish our final design in April 2026, and we anticipate project implementation to begin in the summer and wrap up in the fall of 2026.  

While this extra due diligence and design review has pushed back our project schedule by a few months, we believe it is important to take the time to explore ways to solve potential unintended ripple effects and see if there are more ways to meet our community goals.  

 More About Ongoing Additional Design Work 

• Continuing and refining simulations with the Somerville Fire Department to ensure that all intersections work with emergency operations. 
• Continuing coordination with the City of Cambridge for both municipalities’ work at the intersection of Elm Street and Beech Street to ensure that Somerville’s quick-build designs align with Cambridge’s plans to remove the concrete islands. 
• Continuing collaboration with the MBTA to ensure that all bus stop changes or relocations align with ideal service planning and exploring transit signal priority opportunities. 
  
  

We appreciate your patience as we do our due diligence to finalize quick-build designs for the Elm-Beacon Connector project.  

New Project Elements 

We are excited to share that we have worked to include new elements to the Elm-Beacon Connector project as part of our annual Pavement and Sidewalk Management Program. This includes:  

• A new raised crosswalk across Elm Street at Cherry Street near the Kennedy School. 
• An accessible curb ramp on the northside of Elm Street at Beech Street.  
  
  

We appreciate all the community members who shared their concerns about these specific locations during our community engagement process. Your advocacy has helped us improve this project and make it safer for kids, families and the general public to travel safely in this neighborhood. We anticipate this construction work to take place in 2026 or 2027. It may not occur at the same time that the quick-build designs are being implemented. We will have more details once we have secured a construction contractor. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to transpo...@somervillema.gov. 

For all project information, please visit www.somervillema.gov/elmbeacon.  

Thank you for your time and engagement, 

Kate 

Kate White (she/her/hers)

Transportation Planner - Outreach & Engagement, Mobility Division

Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development, City of Somerville

167 Holland Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 211, Somerville, MA 02144

kwh...@somervillema.gov 

P: (617) 366-7293

 
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