Parking and Transportation

The proposal includes only 3 onsite parking spaces and 2 short-term drop off spaces, will residents have cars and where will they park?

The development’s parking consultant, VAI, estimates that the building’s residents will have approximately 25 vehicles. VAI surveyed the surrounding streets within ¼ mile of the site and determined that there are a total of 928 parking spaces. At the peak demand time of 12pm, there were 281 available parking spaces. Click here to review the parking study.

What will the developer do to reduce residents’ dependence on cars?

Management will employ traffic demand measures (TDM) that include 1) designating an on-site employee as the site’s Transportation Coordinator to oversee marketing and promoting of transportation options at the site, 2) providing new residents transportation information packets with information on getting around Cambridge sustainably, 3) installing real-time transit display screen in the lobby to make it simpler for residents, visitors, and employees to access real-time transit and BLUEbikes availability information in the area. The screens will also post other useful information on single occupancy modes of travel, such as carpool/vanpool to supermarkets, etc., 4) subsidizing 100 percent of the cost of a MBTA T pass for employees (building property managers/maintenance staff) or $240 annual reimbursement for bike maintenance for employees who choose to commute by bike, 5) organizing orientation sessions with residents to teach biking rules, safe biking measures, basic maintenance and repairs and help identify bike routes to various locations, 6) Bicycle racks and a bicycle “Fix-it” station will be provided on-site, 7) annually, upon initial move-in and lease renewal, residents will be offered the choice of: 1. annual BLUEbikes membership (including one-time discounted helmet through bluebikes), 2. $90 credit for ride share service, 3. 1-month adult MBTA Monthly LinkPass, and/or 4. 3-month Student or Senior Monthly LinkPass. This will be provided PER RESIDENT (not per household) on an annual basis.

The above strategies will encourage non-auto travel by the residents.

Will bicycle parking be provided?

Covered and accessible bike parking will be provided in the building’s basement. 48 long-term and three (3) tandem bicycle parking spaces will be provided in a separate bicycle room, which is fully compliant with the City’s zoning code.

The intersection at Mass Ave and Walden Street is congested and difficult to navigate. What will the proposal do to improve the intersection?

The portion of Walden Street adjacent to the 2072 Mass Ave is unusually narrow for a three-lane street. Currently Walden Street is ~26’-8”, with a ~10’-0” travel lane outbound from Massachusetts Avenue and two ~8’-4” travel lanes inbound. This constriction slows traffic moving through the intersection, makes turns difficult, and does not align with best practices and guidelines.

The proposed design includes the widening of Walden Street from ~26’-8” to 30’-0”. This is achieved by locating the exterior walls of the ground floor ~4’-0” inside the property line and then granting an easement to the City for a sidewalk in that area, resulting in three (3) 10’-0” travel lanes and making a more spacious street condition. The proposed design also improves the sidewalk by widening it from its current ~6’-5” width to be ~7’-2” wide, both measurements are inclusive of the curb. The proposed upper floors of the new building overhang the sidewalk by ~3’-6” with an overhead clearance of ~13’-0”.

The opportunity to widen Walden Street and significantly relieve its congestion is only possible because the development team is providing a portion of the 2072 Mass Ave land (via an easement) to the public way.

The building will add additional vehicles to the currently constrained adjacent roadways, will this further exacerbate traffic?

The site is currently occupied by a fast-casual restaurant with curb cuts on Mass Ave and Walden Street. The restaurant generates more vehicle trips than the proposal, so the net impact to the roadways is reduced vehicle trips.

How will the short-term drop-off parking spaces be monitored so that residents do not stay for longer than the designated period?

The drop-off spaces will properly function only if they are constantly monitored. The development team is exploring the installation of devices that will alert management and a local towing company if a vehicle stays longer than permitted. The garage has been designed so that a tow truck can access the parking area and tow a vehicle.

Why are no street trees included in the proposal?

 The development team had hoped to add as many street trees as feasible; unfortunately, several electrical duct banks under the Mass Ave and Walden Street sidewalks prevent the planting of any street trees at these locations.