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The City of Medford now has a See, Click, Fix program that allows you to report hazards and unsafe conditions. Use it to point out places where you would like to see improvements to aid walking.
WalkBoston has been advocating for safer and more convenient walking in the Boston Metropolitan area for years, and they have some terrific resources on their website. WalkBoston staff have also been working with us here at WalkMedford.
8 80 Cities improves the quality of life for people in cities by bringing citizens together to enhance mobility and public space so that together we can create more vibrant, healthy, and equitable communities. Check out their website to see some ideas that might inspire action here in Medford.
Who's Road am I on? If you want to follow up on a road hazard or other condition, it helps to know who is responsible for the road. The Medford Bicycle Advisory Commission has this handy resource on their web page to help answer that question: http://www.medfordbikes.org/reporting-road-hazards.html
The DCR Master Plan
The DCR Parkways Master Plan was released in June 2021. This study performed an in-depth analysis that aims to provide a framework to guide capital improvement and maintenance projects that improve safety and expand accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicle operators on DCR’s urban parkways. - Donahue Institute Report from the MA DCR Special Commission https://www.mass.gov/doc/dcr-parkways-master-plan-2020/download
Donahue Institute report on Mass DCR:
Questions about DCR’s organizational performance and “right-sizing” its responsibilities to its resources have led to the formation of a Special Commission, which was established by Section 100 of Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2019." This report outlines the challenges facing the DCR and makes recommendations for future funding and priorities. The "Urban Parkways" section starts on p. 75
Many of the streets and roads we use every day in our city are not just owned and maintained by Medford, but are also property of the state. That means if there's ever any problem, it's important to know the source and then who is responsible to fix it!
This helpful map identifies which roads are city or state owned in Medford.
Good to know if reporting road hazards!
City or state? Usage, weather and time put a lot of wear and tear on our roads. When potholes appear, traffic signals fail or other pieces of our local transportation infrastructure deteriorate to the point of being hazardous, it is important to let someone know.
Unfortunately, determining who to contact is not always easy. There are many roads in Medford, but not all of them are owned or maintained by the city.
Interstate-93, for example, falls under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), and most of Routes 16 and 28 are under the control of a different state agency, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
To help clarify this situation we have created an interactive road jurisdiction map (and PDF version) that indicates which roads are the responsibility of the city of Medford, MassDOT or DCR, and who to contact at each agency.
Individual problems can often be corrected, but it is also important to look at them as part of the bigger picture.
If crosswalks and sharrows are disappearing after a severe winter, should more durable materials be used?
Is a traffic light that was installed in the 1950's adequate for handling the vehicle and pedestrian traffic that it needs to control today?
Does a street need a complete rebuild rather than repeated patching?
As an advisory commission we are not able to immediately address specific concerns, but it is important for us to know what bicyclists are encountering in our community. If you notify an agency of a problem, let us knowas well. We will use your feedback to inform recommendations we make and we can also make other bike riders aware of dangers to look out for.
Your elected officials--the mayor, your city councilors, state and U.S. senators and representatives—all want to hear from you too. Being informed, active and involved on safety issues that affect our community is an important way for us to play a role in making Medford a great place to live.