Despite Lawsuit Dismissal, Cambridge Streets for All will Keep Pressure on City

On March 7 2023, CSA received notice that its lawsuit against the city was dismissed by Judge Hogan in Middlesex Superior Court
 
This decision is disappointing. As the far-reaching implications of the CSO became known when the implementation started a year and a half ago, there was intense outreach by citizens to amend it but the City failed to make adjustments. CSA concluded that legal action was the only available remedy for slowing the implementation and correcting the CSO ordinance. 
 
The primary grounds for the lawsuit were the failure of the City to adhere to its own laws, specifically the Chapter 455 of the acts of 1961, which provides for binding review of all traffic regulations by a Traffic Board comprised of three citizens.
 
Prior to the judge’s decision the City had implicitly acknowledged it was not in compliance with the law by reactivating the Traffic Board and appointing three members to it. We believe neither action would have happened without the lawsuit. We also made residents aware of their right to petition to appeal regulations of the Traffic Director. Two petitions signed by almost 200 registered voters of Brattle and Garden Street have been filed. These appeals should be heard by the Traffic Board. 
 
Despite the lawsuit’s dismissal, we will continue to press the city regarding the implementation of the CSO and document the impact of separated bike lanes on residents, businesses, neighborhoods and safety.
 
We are also monitoring the City’s compliance with Chapter 455 of the Acts of 1961, which remains in effect and established the Traffic Board and requirements for the Traffic Director position. CSA continues to follow up on the appointment of persons to the reactivated Traffic Board and the hiring of a new Traffic Director replacing Joe Barr. Both actions are important to ensure the city is acting in accordance with state legislation. 
 
Looking forward to the 2023 City Council elections. CSA will be actively engaging with others to ensure that the next Council is more truly representative of all communities and communicates honestly with affected residents before passing significant changes. We will be letting you know soon of a new initiative we are working on with this goal.

We thank you all for your support.