Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition

Tessa Bridge

Transportation, housing, and climate justice are intertwined and require intersectional solutions. I will consistently bring an intersectional lens to building solutions that meet our community’s needs holistically. For example, one limitation to affordable housing is access to parking. We must build higher near GLX T- stops to increase affordable units without parking requirements. By investing in transportation like bus rapid transit, bike infrastructure, and walking corridors, we decrease reliance on parking so we can build more affordable units, reduce energy usage, and create green jobs.

Todd Easton

All three overlap as clear equity issues. The marks of delineation among thriving families and communities center right here: Access to reliable and safe transportation; access to wealth-building home ownership or a stable rental scenario; and access to amenities and resources like clean air, open spaces, and clean water. Using these as markers, municipal governments can create strategies that overlap meeting these needs, keeping all three issues as a framework for success.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

An unequitable development is not sustainable. Cities are an eco-system for which we need we promote and ensure equitable and sustainable development. Housing needs to be provided for all regardless of income level or legal status. Live work is not just about white-collar jobs, it is about all jobs in our cities. We need to accommodate all modes of transportation and prioritize those that create the less impact to the environment and promote better health. (walking, biking and public transportation). We need to ensure accessibility, so that all can live in our cities and have equal access.

Tessa Bridge

Transportation is the second-highest driver of energy usage in Somerville. In order to become carbon-neutral by 2030, we must aggressively invest in transportation options other than driving, so that people have legitimate options for getting around besides a car. In order to shift our reliance as a city on cars, I will advocate to improve bus reliability and accessibility, expand biking infrastructure, provide free bike lockers around the city and provide free T passes to Somerville residents.
Alongside these strong investments in non-car infrastructure, we must also shift the way we think about parking. We need to treat parking as a scarce resource and allocate it equitably so that people who need to drive because they cannot access other means of transportation have priority in accessing parking. This includes educators and other municipal workers who are commuting from towns outside of Somerville. We need to limit the number of parking spaces available across our city, particularly around transit nodes and allocate them equitably so that community members with the highest needs are prioritized.

Todd Easton

All options being considered need to be analyzed before implementation. Is it cost effective, will there be redundancy, will it be used, does it need to be done immediately, how will it effect businesses and abutting residents? All stakeholders should be engaged in bringing about a result that improves safety while also providing transportation options that are feasible for all residents. People’s entrenched views need to challenged respectfully as street project improvements are considered.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

As a councilor I would promote the rethinking of our urban roads. For too long we have thought of 0ur streets as highways for cut through traffic, which is putting lives at risk and has misguided us to prioritize cars and speed. We need to prioritize human safety in our road design not speed. If we are prioritizing human safety, we should assume that in urban areas we slow-down and priority is given to walking and biking. This will mean making way for bike lanes and removing parking spaces, but these changes should come with improvements to public transportation including increasing bus headways and routes and improvements to our sidewalks to make them more accessible. All changes to our roads should also come with an educational campaign which reinforces the need for greater road safety for saving lives, increasing health and protecting our environment.

Tessa Bridge

Building thoughtful bike infrastructure is an utmost priority of mine. I will work with existing community organizations, including SAAS, and the Somerville Bicycle Safety Commission, to ensure that residents are aware of the plan and to hold the city accountable to implementing it in a timely manner. I will also push for the necessary city departments to have the resources they need to implement the plan in a short timeframe.

Todd Easton

Depending on the financial environment of the City and business environment what types of effects it will have will determine the speed in which it will need to be built. Constituent concerns needs to be addressed before things are shovel ready.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

One challenge of implementing urban improvements are budget constraints, therefore a bicycle network plan needs to establish priorities and coordinate with street infrastructure projects to consolidate costs. Priorities also need to be established based on need, as high travel roads should be completed first to help encourage bike usage which will then provide further support for later smaller projects. Another challenge is community opposition; therefore, a strong and timely community process will be required to allow buy-in and support of stakeholders to avoid further delays in implementation.

Tessa Bridge

We need to make systemic changes to make non-driving modes of transportation - such as walking, biking, and public transit - more desirable, safe, affordable, and accessible. As City Councilor I will advocate for traffic calming measures such as building permanent structures to slow traffic on major roads and to lower the speed limit to 20 mph city-wide. I will advocate building separated bike lanes on side streets in concert with road dividers to encourage cars to drive on major roads and bikes to travel on side roads. I will push for sidewalks, crosswalks, and curb cuts across our city to be upgraded to be ADA compliance, and for the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities as well as the DPW to be fully resourced so that our city has the capacity to register and respond to complaints from residents about areas that are inaccessible. I believe strongly in universal design to make our city accessible to all, and will hold developers and the city accountable.

Todd Easton

The City should continue to rely on national and state resources for the most current guidelines on best practices. The City should be aggressive in policing businesses owners that do not properly remove snow during winter which impairs mobility.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

Somerville needs a pedestrian network plan and assessment to help prioritize repairs and improvements to ensure universal accessibility. The city is still riddled with non-compliant sidewalks that include lack of curb cuts and in some instances, what appear to be “compliant curb cuts” are not ADA compliant. With the coming of the Green Line, a study should be made of predominant paths for travel to prioritize these repairs prior to opening. Access to the Red and Orange Line and bus stops as wells as access to urban centers should be included in this study. The improvements to pedestrian infrastructure should include design guidelines that ensure durability, for example Cambridge uses only cast-iron tactile strips which can withstand the wear and tear of plows. Somerville appears to be using plastic tactile strips that crumble and become more or a barrier or tripping hazard.. All pedestrian infrastructure improvements should include studies and assessment of signaling. Somerville has some aging traffic signaling devices that do not comply with current ADA regulations. Staff that is knowledgeable on accessibility is needed to ensure full compliance of all new improvements.

Tessa Bridge

The Complete Streets Ordinance lays out a goal of “providing for equality in use” between the different modes of transportation. While we have added bike and bus lanes it has not been enough to move away from a car-focused transportation system, which has both dire consequences for our environment and disproportionately impacts BIPOC communities who live along highways and major transportation corridors.

I will push for traffic calming measures such as a speed limit of 20 mph, speed humps on major cut-through roads, and diverters to move traffic off of side streets and onto main thoroughfares. We also need to make public transportation more accessible and desirable by providing bike lockers around the city, using city funds to provide free T passes to Somerville residents, and enhancing the bus lanes by implementing transit signal priority.

By investing in these types of infrastructure and policies we can make it easier for people to choose other forms of transportation other than cars and reach our goals.

Todd Easton

I believe that seniors in particular are being left out of those programs. While I support the mobility goals, consideration must be given to those who are not physically able to walk and bike or who work shifts that would not allow for safe walking or biking or use of public transportation off hours. We need to be sure we consider the impact of these programs on such populations.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

I would encourage the city to develop guidelines similar to Boston’s Complete Street Guidelines which provide street type principles, sidewalk principles, roadway design principles etc. The ordinance itself is not enough to encourage and guide the construction of complete streets. It does reference the National Association of City Transportation Officials Urban Street Design Guide, but it would help encourage better design if specific Somerville Road typologies are used as examples. Overall I would reconsider the language or omit the section of the ordinance that notes as an exception to compliance “the cost of bikeways and walkways as part of the project would be disproportionate in cost or to anticipated future use.” Bike usage is low now and sometimes a road that is “less” traveled could be a critical connector for some users that would encourage them to bike. The overall concept of complete streets is to create a robust pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure for the future and exceptions should be limited as much as possible.

Tessa Bridge

I will use my platform as city councilor to push state agencies to address the unacceptable conditions on these corridors, including working with state agencies and with the Somerville delegation. I will also ensure that residents in Somerville are aware of their avenues to advocate to build change; build power alongside existing community organizations, including SAAS, Sunrise, and Somerville Bicycle Safety; and continually show up alongside my constituents to pressure and advocate state agencies to make needed changes.

Todd Easton

The next Mayor needs to keep these issues at the top of the priority list. With help from the Council and residents, the Mayor need to continue to engage the state delegation to force action to improve safety. The Council can assist in keeping residents engaged on these issues to keep pressure on the state agencies to take action.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

Having worked with DCR recently on a traffic improvement project on one of their roads as mitigation for development I know they are committed to traffic improvements. The key here is to establish communication and collaboration and push for change. The community needs to be engaged in this process as well to make sure their needs are met. With regards to McGrath Highway/Mystic Avenue it is important that we work with State and Federal officials to recognize that the creation of McGrath is the result of the damage created by Urban Renewal. The repair or reconstruction of McGrath Highway is needed as mitigation to the social and environmental damage created on the communities affected by these highways who are mostly marginalized and underserved Improvements are needed for repairs for past damages. I will urge and push for our State and Federal agencies to make repairs for these past damages, but we need to note that these repairs could cause displacement of the same marginalized communities that have been harmed by these roadways. Any repairs need to include measures and funding to prevent this displacement.

Tessa Bridge

I will work with the Somerville delegation to push the T to expand service in Somerville, and then in tandem expand infrastructure. I will also advocate to ensure there are bus lanes across the city with frequent service and frequent stops and subsidize T-passes for Somerville residents.

Todd Easton

Somerville should engage the MBTA in a conversation about ways to increase and accelerate bus service. The City and Council needs to remain engaged with the MBTA to ensure City priorities are met. An analysis of City-wide demand should be used in adding or reducing service based on ride usage.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

Just like with bike and pedestrian infrastructure the most important piece in accelerating bus service and bus priority infrastructure is by creating a master plan in which you identify priority areas for development/improvement and potential simple interventions. This is needed to allocate funds and be able to implement projects effectively. It is also important to plan a community process in a timely manner as the improvements in Broadway for a dedicated bus lane were met with some significant opposition due to the lack of such a process. A dedicated bus lane should include a pilot program to increase bus headways to see how this would help increase the use of public transport and further reap the benefits of a dedicated bus lane. For this the City will need to work with the MBTA.

Tessa Bridge

I would make sure that residents in Somerville are aware and engaged in this process by leveraging multiple avenues such as door knocking; holding community meetings; engaging with existing commissions and councils including the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities, the Somerville Council on Aging, and with young people by developing a Youth Council; and phone and text banking. As an organizer with a background in community engagement, I have experience in holding robust community processes and will bring that experience to this process.

Todd Easton

The City must ensure that messaging it getting out to the ridership of the bus network about proposed changes to garner feedback on constituent needs. This should include ready information available on the buses advising on where comments can be sent. The City must be able to track submissions for transmittal to the MBTA to be sure constituent consideration is given throughout the process.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

Based on my work with Padres Latinos de Somerville, I have learned that the best way to engage direct access of the community is working with trusted leaders and use communication tools used by these leaders to inform those most impacted by bus service for example: WhatsApp groups. Using the schools and religious institutions as link to some of these communities should be considered as it is the are institutions that often have greater access to those community members most in need . Another option is going out to local supermarkets and markets. (Overall strategy go-out directly into the community!) Communications need go out in the predominant language of the community and be culturally appropriate. Incentives for providing feedback should be provided as often those who most need bus services have limited resources and time. This would encourage them to provide feedback

Tessa Bridge

We must use every tool at our disposal to rectify these injustices, both within our city planning and policy-making and by advocating strongly at the state level. One strategy is to invest in traffic calming measures to make it more difficult for cars to use residential streets as cut-throughs. This includes physical infrastructure such as speed humps, chicanes, and diverters, as well as lowering the speed limit to 20 mph city-wide. This will also make it safer for people who live in Somerville to walk and bike, leading to decreased pollution and better health outcomes. To offset negative health impacts I will push to increase green space in parts of our community abutting the highway. This takes creativity and commitment given all of the competing needs for Somerville’s limited square footage. As City Councilor I will advocate to prioritize tree planting and maintenance, require developers to include green space in building plans, and build greenways to provide multi-use spaces for recreation particularly in parts of our community most impacted by environmental injustices.

Todd Easton

The City and Council need to lean on it state delegation to continue to apply pressure on the state in its studies on health impacts of proximity to 93 and provide, as need, community health clinics to treat impacts.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

I-93 is the result of the damage created by discriminatory Urban Renewal development strategies which promoted urban exodus at the expense of marginalized and poorer communities. I-93 bisected these communities and destroyed their urban fabric. It is time the State and Federal government provide repairs for this damage that have cause decades of environmental, social and economic harm. I would work with State and Federal elected officials to provide funding for these repairs which should include: additional funding for the repair/improvement of Foss Park, the only large green space next to I-93; improving pedestrian and bicycle access to the Mystic River and surrounding parks plus funding for clean-up and improvements for these areas (i.e. Unsafe roadways and intersection Rt 28 and Mystic for example are creating barriers for access); building sound and noise barriers along I-93 and creating green buffers when possible, and studying origin/destination patterns along I-93 to identify zones areas that could benefit from increased commuter rail or bus access as a means to lower traffic on I-93.

Tessa Bridge

I would work with the T-riders union to push strongly that the board be composed of T workers and riders. Then I would partner with the new board, as well as the Somerville delegation to push to protect public ownership of the T, expand services in needed areas, and reduce the cost of ridership. The MBTA is a regional service and working with this board would allow us to support region-wide solutions to issues including traffic, pollution, and climate justice.

Todd Easton

It is not clear to me how the new proposed entity will differ from the existing board, but regardless, this is not a catch-all solution for fixing the broad systemic problems of the MBTA. That said, the City should already be engaging with this process! The board meetings are open to the public and Somerville should be in the room and at the table when decisions are being made that will impact our residents and local businesses.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

Somerville residents’ car ownership is lower than the state average (1 vs 2 cars per household) and more than fifty percent of our residents’ commute by sustainable modes (walking, bicycling, and public transit.) On the other hand people who work in Somerville rely heavily on motor vehicles (56% driving alone) and more than 50% of traffic in Somerville is cut through traffic. As Somerville attempts to further promote the use of sustainable modes, reduce traffic and increase street safety, it will need to advocate for the expansion of public transportation at a metropolitan scale to help increase use and hopefully diminish cut through traffic or commutes into Somerville by car. An MBTA governance board would be a good platform to advocate for a long-term vision for public transit in Metro Boston that will further invest in its infrastructure and increase usage throughout the Metro Boston area. This will also be an important platform to advocate for increased bus headways when creating dedicated bus lanes and to increase bus routes for underserved sections of our community.

Tessa Bridge

I will prioritize spending these funds to invest in much-needed infrastructure including traffic calming measures like diverters, chicanes, and speed bumps; water and sewer systems; repaving roads; and bringing sidewalks up to ADA compliance. I will also use these funds to launch a cahoots-style public safety program as well as build a much-needed youth and community center. This is also an opportunity to engage in a participatory budgeting process with Somerville residents to learn what residents’ priorities are and bring those into our budgeting process.

Todd Easton

Consideration will first have to be given to any rules set out by the federal government regarding utilization of such funds. The City should conduct a needs-based analysis to assess where best to expend such funds. In particular, those most impacted by COVID should be considered in prioritizing spending with a goal towards creating lasting impacts.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

New stimulus dollars should first and foremost be invested to benefit those sections of the community most adversely impacted by COVID and to remediate the factors that put them at risk. Some of these risk factors include better health care, expanded social services and better access to quality education including employment training for adult populations and increased afterschool which might not directly impact transportation and housing. Yet by providing an opportunity for better employment and quality of life this, might in the long run improve housing conditions.

Because poor housing conditions where one of those factors, investment should be made on affordable housing options for those most impacted. Consideration should be given to provide housing close to rapid transit transportation nodes such as the Green Line, Red Line and Orange Line to offset the projected benefit of the Green Line Expansion for more privileged sectors of the population. Housing options for immigrant populations should be closely explored including the development of a community similar to Villa Victoria in the South End.

A community center to that would help our poorer communities have a place of gathering, activity and education plus provide better access to community benefits should be considered close to transportation nodes to provide equal access to all who would benefit throughout Somerville.

Tessa Bridge

I propose that these funds are used to mitigate displacement and address the concerns outlined in a recent study that shows that white wealthy people will benefit most from the Green Line Extension. Some specific actions I will push for are to fund the right to counsel for tenants, build social housing around T-stations, fund programs for small businesses along the T-line, support worker-owned co-ops to open around T stations and make the T free.

Todd Easton

Somerville should use this money to pay down any bond debt it may have.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

The community contribution of the Green Line extension should be used to improve pedestrian access to all rapid transit nodes (prioritizing Green Line first) and ensure that all major paths of travel are compliant with Mass Access Code/ADA and ensure maximum pedestrian safety. This includes improving signaling, crosswalks, upgrading curb cuts, creating curb cuts when missing in key pedestrian intersections and implement traffic calming in all major intersections leading to rapid transit nodes. Bicycle access should be improved to all transit nodes and protected bike parking provided. If funds allow consideration should be given for affordable or mixed housing developments at these nodes. Funding for sidewalk and storefront improvements to commercial zones impacted by the street and bridge closures of the Green Line Extension, should be considered as a way to improve business and make-up for past losses.

Tessa Bridge

It is a top priority of mine to ensure that the benefits of the GLX are directed towards working people in Somerville. There are two T-stops opening in Ward 5 and residents and local businesses have borne the brunt of years of construction. In order to ensure that the Green Line does not lead to more displacement and does not only benefit high-income white residents, I have made strong commitments to build affordable and social housing around T-stops, subsidize T passes, advocate for grants and loans to small businesses along transit lines to mitigate rising rents and property values, and support unions and worker-owned coops so that workers in our city are earning good wages. Somerville has benefited financially from the incoming Green Line already. Developers are anxious to build here and companies are excited to open offices in our community. The revenues that come from this development must be directly invested in working people. We can do this by subsidizing rents, creating first-time homebuyer programs, buying land via the Community Land Trust, and building social housing. We have the resources to do this, and I will be a stalwart advocate to make this a reality.

Todd Easton

The City needs to make sure the right amount of density with the right amount of inclusionary affordable housing is built near transportation hubs to try and sustain the population that are in the greatest need for these units. I would not support any special dispensation to developers building large residential developments allowing them to reduce the required 20% affordable unit requirement .

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

To ensure that lower-income residents continue to benefit form transportation improvements and have access to affordable housing near transportation, city needs to encourage development of affordable housing close to these transportation nodes. The city should explore the development of affordable housing in or near these nodes in vacant lots and the potential for the relocation of City property to alternate locations for example DPW. Mixed used or mixed income developments should be considered. The City should look at creating a focus for the acquisition of home for its 100 Homes program close to these transportation nodes as well.

Tessa Bridge

We need to develop a comprehensive plan around parking city-wide that supports equitable access to parking. As part of such a plan, I will push for below-ground parking to be incorporated into new development. Throughout the planning and implementation process, I will engage the community in meaningful ways and work to mitigate the impact of changes through creative alternative solutions to parking, including micro-route transit systems funded by the city.

Todd Easton

Every situation and development needs to be evaluated with its own lens keeping in. mind City priorities. Where there is opposition I would bring together all stakeholders to listen to each others concerns and work towards a development that is more appealing to all sides.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

As we increase density of units within the City lots and require off-street parking for these units, we are losing green space within private property boundaries. In a dense community like Somerville every inch of green space counts. Pervious pavers are not a 1-1 replacement for green space, therefore careful consideration should be given to the trade-offs off green space for off -street -parking space particularly if it includes adding more trees to our urban canopy. Consideration should be given to not providing off-street parking for smaller one-bedroom and studio units. This might make the unit more affordable for a single-income individual wishing to have their own space. In addition, recent housing developments close to public transportation throughout Metro Boston, have shown that car ownership is lower justifying the removal of parking. Information regarding lower car-ownership close to transportation nodes, lower car-ownership in smaller units and trade-offs between preservation/creation of green space should be shared with community members opposing reduction of off-street parking.

Tessa Bridge

Somerville is a thriving city that is a highly desirable place to work and live. We must value ourselves and our community highly in negotiations with developers. This includes requiring developers to create Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) with neighbors and workers to ensure that large-scale new developments reflect and meet the needs of our community. It also includes prioritizing affordable housing in new development. As such I will push for the highest percentage of affordable units including increasing the percentage of affordable housing above 20%.

Todd Easton

I would support a new 12 unit building with 50% affordable units over a 60 unit building with 20% affordable. While this obviously creates fewer overall units, in my view the ratio allows for a more inclusive environment in bringing a more overall socio-economic diverse development.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

This is question is challenging for the following reason as it does not identify the type o of affordable unit we are building? 30% Below Median. 60% Below Median etc. Overall I would favor a sixty-unit development as it could produce more affordable units, twelve vs. six, and potentially these units could be for a lower-income bracket as an economy of scale should allow for a more affordable unit to be built for a lower income population. I do would still consider the idea of a smaller development which due to the scale and mix of units at a 50%/50% ratio would allow for a greater sense of community within the development should it be able to avoid construction of affordable units that would are above 60% median income. Overall all affordable developments need to take into consideration the affordable units needed in Somerville, since the creation of affordable units for those with extremely low incomes (30% below median) poses a barrier to accessing stable, affordable housing in Somerville.

Tessa Bridge

No answer

Todd Easton

Certain parts of the City that where there are open areas of development that are closet to rail stations are best suited for dense development, provided that the quality of life of abutting neighborhood is not impacted. In certain parts of the City it may not make sense to push more density.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

Density is Somerville's strength, but when encouraging density the City needs to make sure it has or is creating the infrastructure to support it and that density is not adversely causing housing cost to escalate by allowing more square footage of development to happen on a site. Densifying existing housing typologies, like the conversion of two-unit homes into three-unit homes, could be potentially pricing out our working-class and middle-class community. Traditionally families owned these homes and rented to family or neighbors for lower than market rate costs making them an affordable option for homeownership and providing affordable rents. By allowing two-family units to be converted to three units we might be allowing quick escalation costs for this housing type and families are no longer able to afford buy and own these homes. This could be making the two-family typology only affordable to investors who rebuild these units and sell at high end prices for a profit. I would support a density in excess of the zoning code that allows for an economy of scale to avoid overinflating property costs and works with the urban character of the neighborhood.

Tessa Bridge

Beyond the many solutions outlined above, I would also expand housing stabilization services through the Office of Sustainable Housing. Including creating a fund to cover moving costs for lower-income residents, extending the eviction moratorium, and fully funding tenants' right to counsel for residents so that anyone facing eviction has access to a lawyer. I will also advocate for rent control at the state level.

Todd Easton

The key here is not to position the City as a penalizing entity, but rather as an incentivizing entity. The City’s Office of Housing Stability has a number of initiatives to help homeowners and renters.

Beatriz Gómez-Mouakad

The actions that I support to prevent displacement are the Condominium Conversion Ordinance with revisions and policies to further protect tenants of units being converted to condominiums, re-launching of a lead paint program for properties rented to low and middle income residents and the creation and improvement of a rental stabilization program.