Port Infrastructure Project Survey

The City of Cambridge Department of Public Works wants to hear from you!

We are investing in The Port to reduce flooding and improve safety and accessibility in the neighborhood. Help us decide on surface designs and infrastructure options by sharing your feedback and priorities.

We want to hear from residents and community members about what improvements you would like to see in the neighborhood. Please share your thoughts and ideas with us by completing this survey!

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The Port, formerly known as Area Four, is a high-density neighborhood with around seven thousand residents. The Port has experienced significant stormwater flooding in the past and the City is focusing on this area in the coming years via The Port Infrastructure Improvement Project to improve these conditions.

Photo: Dancing during the Community Art Center’s Port Arts Festival in Cambridge, June 15, 2018.

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* 1. What is your relationship with The Port?/What does The Port mean to you? (select as many as apply)

I live in The Port

I work in The Port

I commute through The Port

I visit parks in The Port

I attend religious services in The Port

I go to school in The Port

I visit businesses in The Port

Other (please specify)

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Flooding from heavy rain is a real risk to The Port today, especially for buildings with basements and properties at lower elevations. This project will upgrade the underground stormwater and sewer pipes to reduce severe flooding and sewer backups in the neighborhood.

Photos below: Stormwater flooding on School Street in August 2021 and Bishop Allen Drive in July 2010.

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* 2. Have you witnessed or experienced flooding in The Port neighborhood?

Yes

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The City is focusing on The Port in the coming years to reduce severe flooding and make many other improvements to the neighborhood’s tree canopy, streets, sidewalks and other public spaces.

The first phase of work in The Port included installing a stormwater storage tank and pump station underneath the City’s Parking Lot No. 6 (PL6) off Bishop Allen Drive to capture water during big storms (shown below).

During Summer 2021, our area’s third wettest summer on record, the PL6 storage tank captured about 3.5 million gallons of water. That is equivalent to over 5 Olympic-sized swimming pools!

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* 3. As the climate changes, storms are becoming more frequent and intense and Cambridge will experience even more flooding. What are your greatest concerns related to flooding in The Port?

Damage to the basement of my home/property

Damage to the first floor of my home/property

Sewage backups

Inability to drive, bike, or walk

Safety concerns

Water pollution

Impacts to parks and other open spaces

Other (please specify)

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We are also making improvements to streets, sidewalks, parks, and public spaces in The Port as part of the project. This presents an exciting opportunity to do more than simply repair and replace deteriorated asphalt, brick, and concrete.

Working with the community, we can incorporate new street trees, green infrastructure, traffic calming, improved crosswalks, shared street elements, improved lighting, artwork, and street furniture like seating and play elements.

Photos below: On the left, a new accessible sidewalk with new street trees. On the right, a new accessible sidewalk with street trees, plantings, and a rain garden.

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* 4. Which surface improvements are most exciting to you?

Accessible sidewalks

Green infrastructure to help reduce flooding

Improved street lighting

Safer crosswalks

Public art

New seating and play elements

Street trees to strengthen the tree canopy

Traffic calming to improve safety and reduce vehicle speeding

Other (please specify)

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To increase pedestrian and driver safety in The Port, there are several traffic-calming tools that we can use like raised crosswalks and intersections, curb extensions, and chicanes.

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* 5. Which of these traffic-calming tools would you like to see in The Port?

Raised intersections and crosswalks

Curb extensions

Chicanes (curves or lane shifts in a roadway that discourage speeding)

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Existing sidewalks in the neighborhood will be improved to increase accessibility and protect existing street trees.

The photo on the left shows a narrow, inaccessible sidewalk. The photo on the right shows a new sidewalk that makes the pathway accessible while preserving an existing tree.

Existing sidewalks in the neighborhood will be improved to increase accessibility and protect existing street trees. <br><br>The photo on the left shows a narrow, inaccessible sidewalk. The photo on the right shows a new sidewalk that makes the pathway accessible while preserving an existing tree.

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* 6. Please rank your top priorities when it comes to street design.

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A "shared street" is a street where pedestrians are given priority and share the right of way with cyclists and low-speed motorists. Some streets in The Port already operate informally as shared streets, since sidewalks are very narrow and traffic volumes are low. Removing the formal distinctions between spaces dedicated to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorized vehicles, a shared street is shared by everyone, with each user becoming increasingly aware and respectful of the others.

They are also a great way to promote neighborly interaction and community building.

Like the image below of Longfellow Street in Cambridge, shared streets typically include:

Pedestrians are prioritized with an accessible route in a shared space

Sidewalks are replaced by new trees and planting areas

Level connections are maintained between homes and the street

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* 7. How well do shared streets match with your top street design priorities?

Shared streets do not match my top priorities

Shared streets match my top priorities

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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Many sidewalks in The Port are not accessible due to narrow sidewalks and large trees like Suffolk Street shown below.

(*=Accessible route: Requires at least 3-feet of clear sidewalk at existing trees/poles/hydrants; and 4-feet at new trees/poles/hydrants)

Many sidewalks in The Port are not accessible due to narrow sidewalks and large trees like Suffolk Street shown below.<br><br>(*=Accessible route: Requires at least 3-feet of clear sidewalk at existing trees/poles/hydrants; and 4-feet at new trees/poles/hydrants)

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To improve safety, accessibility, and tree cover, we could improve sidewalks to provide accessible paths around existing trees and add new trees. With a standard street design like shown below, some parking spaces are removed to accommodate the bump out around the tree.

(*=Accessible route: Requires at least 3-feet of clear sidewalk at existing trees/poles/hydrants; and 4-feet at new trees/poles/hydrants)

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* 8. What do you like or dislike about the standard street design shown above? Where do you think a standard street design would be a good fit in the neighborhood?

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A shared street is another surface design option that will be considered on low-traffic streets in the Port neighborhood. Shared streets create an accessible route that is shared by pedestrians and slow-moving vehicles. Removing the narrow, substandard sidewalks allows for more green space and new trees. Parking may need to be reduced to accommodate level walkways from homes to the street.

In the example below, a lighter pavement coating on the shared street provides a visual cue that pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists all share the right of way. It can also help cool the street on hot days.

A <strong>shared street</strong> is another surface design option that will be considered on low-traffic streets in the Port neighborhood. Shared streets create an accessible route that is shared by pedestrians and slow-moving vehicles. Removing the narrow, substandard sidewalks allows for more green space and new trees. Parking may need to be reduced to accommodate level walkways from homes to the street.<br><br>In the example below, a lighter pavement coating on the shared street provides a visual cue that pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists all share the right of way. It can also help cool the street on hot days.

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* 9. What do you like or dislike about the shared street design shown above? Where do you think a shared street might be a good fit in the neighborhood?

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During the design phase of the project, we are asking residents about the surface improvements they would like to see in The Port so that the City can make better decisions. Below is an overview of the project sequence:

The design phase of subsurface and street improvements will continue through early 2023.

Construction of subsurface improvements on Harvard Street will begin this July.

Subsurface improvements on other area streets will begin in Summer 2023 and construction of surface improvements will follow.

Port Infrastructure Project Survey

The City of Cambridge Department of Public Works wants to hear from you!

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* 1. What is your relationship with The Port?/What does The Port mean to you? (select as many as apply)

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* 2. Have you witnessed or experienced flooding in The Port neighborhood?

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* 3. As the climate changes, storms are becoming more frequent and intense and Cambridge will experience even more flooding. What are your greatest concerns related to flooding in The Port?

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* 4. Which surface improvements are most exciting to you?

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To increase pedestrian and driver safety in The Port, there are several traffic-calming tools that we can use like raised crosswalks and intersections, curb extensions, and chicanes.

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* 5. Which of these traffic-calming tools would you like to see in The Port?

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Existing sidewalks in the neighborhood will be improved to increase accessibility and protect existing street trees. The photo on the left shows a narrow, inaccessible sidewalk. The photo on the right shows a new sidewalk that makes the pathway accessible while preserving an existing tree.

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* 6. Please rank your top priorities when it comes to street design.

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* 7. How well do shared streets match with your top street design priorities?

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Many sidewalks in The Port are not accessible due to narrow sidewalks and large trees like Suffolk Street shown below.(*=Accessible route: Requires at least 3-feet of clear sidewalk at existing trees/poles/hydrants; and 4-feet at new trees/poles/hydrants)

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* 8. What do you like or dislike about the standard street design shown above? Where do you think a standard street design would be a good fit in the neighborhood?

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* 9. What do you like or dislike about the shared street design shown above? Where do you think a shared street might be a good fit in the neighborhood?

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* 10. Is there anything else you would like to share with the project team?

Existing sidewalks in the neighborhood will be improved to increase accessibility and protect existing street trees.

The photo on the left shows a narrow, inaccessible sidewalk. The photo on the right shows a new sidewalk that makes the pathway accessible while preserving an existing tree.

Many sidewalks in The Port are not accessible due to narrow sidewalks and large trees like Suffolk Street shown below.

(*=Accessible route: Requires at least 3-feet of clear sidewalk at existing trees/poles/hydrants; and 4-feet at new trees/poles/hydrants)