City Council Asks Mass. DCR to Lower Speed Limit, Reduce Memorial Drive Lanes

The Cambridge City Council asked state officials on Monday to lower the speed limit and implement a “road diet” of fewer lanes on Memorial Drive, just two weeks after bicyclist John H. Corcoran ’84 died in a fatal crash on the parkway.

The discussion, which was continued from last week, comes as local politicians and city officials have renewed calls for increased safety measures on Memorial Drive following the crash. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation began construction on safety improvements for a particularly dangerous stretch of the drive on Monday.

But the Council’s proposal, which narrowly passed 5-4, would go further, calling for a lower speed limit and fewer lanes along the entire length of the drive — already a contested site between drivers and bicyclists.

Though the policy order initially proposed to reduce the number of lanes from four to two, the Council passed a series of amendments to explicitly mention bike safety and pare down language in regards to the road diet.

Even then, opponents of the final policy order — which called for “reductions in motor vehicle travel lanes” — remained unhappy with its language. Councilor Paul F. Toner moved to strike the phrase, but his amendment failed by a 4-5 vote.

In a statement, Mayor E. Denise Simmons said she voted against the policy order over concerns that it would lead to worse traffic on side streets.

“One of my primary concerns is the potential impact on adjacent streets,” Simmons wrote. “If traffic lanes on Memorial Drive are reduced, I am concerned this will worsen traffic on Western Avenue and Putnam Avenue. Any changes must consider the broader impact on traffic and street conditions in our community.”

But councilors who voted in favor of the policy order — including Jivan G. Sobrinho-Wheeler — forcefully argued that imminent change was necessary, especially in the wake of Corcoran’s death.

“It’s not crazy to imagine another person getting killed on Memorial Drive, and DCR then rushing to do a lane reduction, rushing to make those improvements,” Sobrinho-Wheeler said during the meeting. “I can just imagine the family coming and saying why did it take my loved one being killed to make this change?”

“And I would like to not have that conversation,” he added.

—Staff writer Benjamin Isaac can be reached at benjamin.isaac@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @benjaminisaac_1.

—Staff writer Avani B. Rai can be reached at avani.rai@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @avaniiiirai.