City Ignores Citizens’ Petitions
We want to make you aware of two citizens’ petitions appealing decisions made by the Traffic Director related to the implementation of the Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO), removal of parking and installation of separated bike lanes. CSA made residents in the two areas aware of the option of appeal to the Traffic Board as outlined in the City’s Traffic Regulations and assisted both groups in gathering signatures and filing the petitions.
In late September, over a hundred residents of Brattle Street St and nearby side streets signed a petition asking the Traffic Board to revoke the Traffic Director’s decision to install side by side separated bike lanes along the entire length of Brattle Street. Brattle Street is not codified in the language of the CSO and is therefore not a mandatory location for installation. Despite data showing the relative safety of Brattle Street for cyclists and a long-standing, approved plan for a roundabout at the intersection of Sparks, Craigie and Brattle Streets to improve safety, the city is moving forward with the discretionary separated bike lane installation and removal of parking from Mason to Sparks Street. This Phase 1 project will be followed by installation separated bike lanes and removal of residential parking along Brattle Street to Mount Auburn St in 2023.
On Monday 10/17, a petition signed by over eighty Garden Street and nearby side street residents asked the Traffic Board to revoke the decision to make Garden Street one way from Huron to Concord eastbound (toward the Common). The proposed change in traffic flow is expected to significantly increase traffic on nearby residential streets and make resident parking more difficult with the removal of approximately fifty residential parking spaces.
As mentioned, both petitions are based on the rights of citizens to appeal to the Traffic Board any decisions of the Traffic Director as outlined in The Special Act of the Massachusetts Legislature: Chapter 455 of the Acts of 1961 and the city’s 2019 published traffic regulations (p. 54) found here. Although the Traffic Board has not been utilized recently, it is in existence and is on the city’s website.
Both petitions far exceed the 50 registered voter requirement to file. Upon the filing of the petition, work on both projects is required to stop until the Traffic Board has reached a decision. The City has not yet responded to the petitions and work on Brattle Street has continued and work on Garden St is set to move forward. A meeting with the city manager has been requested to discuss the petitions and provide background on the issues citizens raised on each project. His office has not responded to the meeting request.
CSA’s pending lawsuit challenging the Cycling Safety Ordinance is based on the City’s failure to follow these rules and allow citizens their rights of appeal as a check on the extraordinary power of the Traffic Director. While these petitions move forward, CSA is still actively pursuing legal remedy in the Superior Court seeking both injunctive relief, as well as a ruling on the denial of process afforded by the City. To be sure, the City as the named Defendant has taken every opportunity to frustrate and delay the judicial process. But we persist. Please support our ongoing legal action by making a tax-exempt donation here as we continue the legal fight.
You can also help by calling and/or email both the city manager (617-349-4300 or citymanager@cambridgema.gov) and city solicitor (617-349-4121 or nglowa@cambridgema.gov) urging them to halt implementation of the two projects and convene the Traffic Board to respond to the citizens’ petitions.