Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition

Katjana Ballantyne

I don’t own a car by choice, instead I walk and use bicycles for local, four-season transportation. Our family of four uses seven bicycles and two bicycle trailers. I use public transportation; i.e. busses, subways, trains and ferries. When I cannot use a bicycle or public transit I rent cars for incidental or business use. For over a decade we have been a car-free family.

Problems location in Ward 7 are: (1) 3 intersection: Cameron & Holland, Alewife Brook Pkwy & Powderhouse Blvd, Mystic Valley Pkwy & Boston Ave; (2) traffic congestion Teele Sq & Davis Sq; (3) speeding traffic: Alewife Brook Pkwy, Powderhouse Blvd, Clarendon, High, Sterling, Woods, Fairfax, Gordon; (5) crosswalks: North St & Powderhouse Blvd, in front of West Somerville Community School; (6) install cross walk at Dilboy Stadium.

Residents should vote for me, because I have a proven track-record of successful advocacy for cycling, public transit and mobility improvement projects. I’ve helped to get several exciting projects done, and I will continue to work for more exciting transit improvements e.g. (1) 2 decades advocating MBTA and MPO for the GLX & Community Path, (2) delivered new drainage project on bike path at Thorndike St, (3) working 3 yrs for intersection redesign Alewife Pkwy & Powderhouse, (4) support protected bike lanes on Powderhouse, (5) in 2019 DEMANDED transportation equity that 89bus continue.

Katjana Ballantyne

I will ensure implementation of these changes by working hard to ensure that these improvements are funded. That’s why I fully supported FY20 budget for Vision Zero in Somerville including on-call traffic engineering, signal timing plans, preparation of a long-range bicycle network plan; 1-Mobility & Investments $430,000; 2-Comprehensive parking study $150,000; 3-Increase Project Manager from part time to full time $61,670; 4-ADA ramp replacement $75,000; 5- Pavement markings: crosswalk maintenance, pedestrian, bike lanes $345,000; 6-Traffic signal re-timing $100,000; 7-Transportation Planner $77,089.00; 8-Equipment and supplies: speed tables, flexposts, etc. $50,000; 9-Traffic engineering: Mystic Ave., Fellsway, I-93, McGrath intersection $150,000; 10-Traffic calming treatments annual paving program (e.g., bumpouts, chicanes, curb extensions, new crosswalks, flexposts, etc) for Medford St., Holland St., and Highland Ave. $300,000; 11-$272,500 Prospect Hill Park: new traffic calming curb extensions; 12-$75,000 CIP Powderhouse Blvd. interim improvements: new curb extensions, bumpouts, and ramps for North St. intersection; 13-Engineering $1,400,000 CIP.

Public transit is essential for the growth of communities nationwide. Investment in our transportation infrastructure will drive growth, by attracting commercial development. It will bring employers to Somerville, as we are learning from the Green Line Extension. Not only do we need trains we also need access to public busses. I will continue to work with my Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, my State Rep. Christine Barber and my State Senator Patricia Jehlen to press for success from the local to the state and federal level. If we make public transit, reliable, more residents will use it, when they know they can depend on it. I support improvements to the quality of public transit in Somerville; adding dedicated bus lanes; slowing speeds on our streets by installing traffic calming measures; ensuring that the West part of Somerville is connected to the East part of Somerville. I DO NOT support eliminating the route 89 bus. Ward 7 district of Somerville houses nearly 1/3 of the city’s low income housing developments requiring that residents have continual nonstop public transit access is mandatory so residents can get to work, school and shopping.

I will support a plan to fast-track implementation of off-street paths and protected bike lanes by; working to restart The Vision Zero Task force committee, immediately, working with Somerville Bike Committee and pushing for new revenue. Increasing new revenue with help fast track projects. New revenue can come by zoning for “new commercial office space” to come to Somerville. The city needs new commercial revenue to fund new projects, otherwise we push the burden always onto the residential property owner. The commercial real estate tax rate is about double the residential real estate tax rate!