Complete Streets Update

I am happy to say that the Complete Streets program is well underway in Melrose, and the Complete Streets Working Group met this week to review our progress.

The goal of Complete Streets is to make Melrose as accessible as possible to as many means of transportation as possible, including walking, cycling, driving, and taking public transit.

Melrose received the funds in 2016, and with public input, we put together a list of possible projects. The Working Group narrowed down that list and ranked the items order of priority. This spring, we received $377,000 in state funds and began moving forward. You can find more information at our Complete Streets web page.

Here’s what we have done so far. Many of these items have been completed in collaboration with other ongoing Public Works infrastructure projects and tasks. Several have been presented to and are endorsed by our Melrose Traffic Commission.

1. Improvements at Crystal, Melrose, and Main streets, to improve safety around the middle school and high school;
2. New sidewalks at Spear and Hancock streets, on Sixth Street, Altamont Avenue and on a segment of Glendale;
3. Speed feedback signs on Grove Street, Sylvan, at the intersection of Warwick and Perkins streets, and in each direction on West Emerson Street;
4. Narrowing the intersection of Warwick Road with Sears, Dyer, and Stevens streets;
5. Adding crosswalks to Warwick Road at Maple and Youle streets;
6. Restriping and signal replacement at Warwick and Perkins streets;
7. Sidewalk improvements on North and South High streets, Frances and Bartlett streets, and Albion Street;
8. Curbing improvements on Vinton Street;
9. Restriping Upham Street to narrow the lanes; and
10. Tree planting throughout the city.

Here’s what we are working on now or planning for the early part of next year:

1. Creating a north/south bicycle route through Melrose;
2. Improvements to Howard Street at Nelson and Ruggles (including a Rapid Flashing Pedestrian Activated Flashing Beacon); Howard Street at Clifford and Elm; Howard Street and Green Street (in progress, to be completed in the spring); and
3. Improvements to curbing and sidewalks on Cherry Street (in progress, to be completed in the spring).

Thanks to additional Chapter 90 funding allotted by the State, we will be able to move forward with construction of the roundabout shown on the diagram above at the intersection of Howard Street and Green Street. This long desired improvement will provide traffic calming measures and give pedestrians the ability to cross and navigate this very busy intersection. Our Public Works Department engineering project team will be completing survey and final design of this project over the winter months. It will also include the reconstruction and rededication of Boylen Square, an effort we intend to coordinate with both our Veteran’s Services Advisory Board and the Rotary Club, who care for this Adopt-A-Site area.

We hope you enjoy these enhancements to our Community.