AMES STREET REDEVELOPMENT
Photograph of Ames Street today, reconstructed with a two-way protected bike lane and improved streetscape amenities.
In 2019, Ames Street was reconfigured to reinforce bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. Once a four-lane street, it has been reduced to two-lanes with a two-way protected bicycle track on the east side of the street. On-street parking separates the bicycle lane from vehicle travel, and the path connects across Broadway to the 6th Street Walkway. Cyclists now cross using bicycle signals.
Two new bus stops have been added to Ames Street for the CT2 and EZ Ride routes. These stops relocated from Main Street make the CT2 and EZ Ride buses more efficient, and reduce the route running times by several minutes. One new bus stop is located on the west side of Ames Street, and the second is a "floating bus stop" on the east side of the street, meaning the stop is separated from the sidewalk via the two-way bicycle lane.
The street also has new street tree plantings to bolster the urban canopy, as well as planting beds along the road edge, new street lighting fixtures, street furniture and bicycle storage racks. Two new open spaces have been developed, the first on the southern end of Ames Street in front of Legal Sea Foods, where the streetscape redesign provides an expansion of outdoor seating and planters. On the northern end of Ames Street, on the corner of Ames and Broadway, a second open space in front of Meadhall has been created. This space has shade-tolerant landscaping with low growing woodland plantings, statement benches, lighting fixtures and new paving.
As part of the 88 Ames Street residential development, the City disposed of 20 feet of right-of-way to Boston Properties to create a viable development site in front of the Kendall Center Green Garage. Boston Properties is currently reconstructing one block of Ames Street to relocate utilities, create a new sidewalk, and provide a two-way protected bike lane separated from traffic by parked cars. This includes a new intersection design for Ames/Broadway/6th Street Walkway. The reconstruction of this street and intersection will continue through 2017. The City’s Bicycle Network Plan identifies Ames Street as a separated bike facility from Broadway south to Memorial Drive.
Further, as mitigation for its East Campus redevelopment, MIT will redesign and reconstruct Ames Street between Main Street and Memorial Drive. The redesign includes an at-grade cycle track on the east side of the street which extends the cycle track on Ames Street between Broadway and Main Street. The cross-section is expected to remain within existing curb lines and include a 2-way cycle track, with a 2 foot buffer, 10 foot travel lanes in each direction, and a parking lane on the west side. See the City of Cambridge’s project page for more information.
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Project Partners:
BXP and City of Cambridge
Civil Engineer and Landscape Architect:
VHB
Completed:
2019
Neighborhood Location:
Kendall Square -
Joel Smith, ext 14, jsmith@cambridgeredevelopment.org
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