Community Path

New Pavement Marking Installation - 9/30 or Soon After

As early as this Wednesday, September 30, or soon after, City contractors will install an initial set of new pavement markings on the eastern side of the intersection of the Somerville Community Path and Central Street.  

These new markings will indicate the approach to the intersection, encouraging everyone using the path to be aware, slow down and look both ways for pedestrians and vehicles as they make their way through the crossing. Pavement marking work will take place overnight and any impacts to travel on the path are expected to be brief.  

This work is part of a wider effort to improve safety on the Somerville Community Path. Initial safety improvements are planned for this fall and include the installation of new pavement markings at crossings, center-line hardening using flex posts, and the installation of new signage.  

A summary design strategy report on the planned improvement and the process that helped inform them will be published in the coming days and available at voice.somervillema.gov/communitypathsafety. 

Crossing Improvements at School Street and Lowell Street - In Design (Updated 6/24/26)

Early last year (2025) the City’s Engineering Division hired a design consultant to develop potential alternatives for the intersections of the community path at both Lowell Street and School Street. This work is intended to produce safer, more comfortable crossings and minimize conflicts among people traveling in the area whether they are walking or wheeling, biking, and driving.

At this stage, work to develop potential alternatives is still underway.

An important part of this design process involves coordinating with partners at MassDOT, who own the two bridges at these intersections, to investigate the structural impacts of any proposed alternatives, ensuring any proposed design solutions work for all parties.

The design process also includes coordination with City departments such as DPW and the Fire Department so that proposed alternatives support emergency response and other municipal operations. 

Any updates on progress will be shared here and through other city channels including our construction newsletter.

If you have questions about this work, please email construction@somervillema.gov or call the Engineering Division at (617) 625-6600 x 5400. 
 

New Lighting Installed on Either Side of East Somerville MBTA Station 

To provide a safer, more comfortable experience for people using the Community Path after dark, the City installed approximately 2,600 feet (or about half a mile) of light on the Community Path Extension between Walnut Street and Poplar Street on either side of the MBTA's East Somerville Station. 

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Light is delivered by luminaries attached to the bottom of the railing that runs alongside the fence that separates the path from the railway.  

The lights are programmed to automatically turn on at sunset and off at sunrise. The lighting is also dark-sky friendly meaning that it works to minimize light population by directing light downward toward the path itself.  

Community Path Safety Improvements

Somerville’s Community Path Safety Improvement project aims to get a comprehensive understanding of safety concerns and to identify possible improvements along the Community Path The goal is to implement both near-term quick-build improvements and longer-term design options on the path, at key intersections and at the two Green Line station entrances on the path.

From September to October, we will be out on the Community Path to talk to people and hear your ideas on how to make it safer. In the coming weeks, we will also publish a survey and provide opportunities to add comments to a Public Input Map. Keep a lookout for updates at somervillema.gov/communitypathsafety.

When it comes to City improvements, everything is connected. Visit the links below to learn more about how we're working to make Somerville safer and more easy to traverse. 

• Mobility Division – Information about ongoing work to make transportation in Somerville safer, more equitable, and sustainable.
• Construction – A look at work going on across the City to improve our public infrastructure