Cambridge Committee Grills Officials on Congestion, Emergency Response, and Street Redesigns

CAMBRIDGE -- April 10, 2024, Cambridge committee questions city officials on congestion, fire ratings, and Memorial Drive road diet. The committee chaired by Councillor E. Denise Pickett heard from Commissioner of Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Brooke McKenna, whose team presented data showing North Mass Ave bus lanes produced 31 percent faster inbound bus trips and that the Memorial Drive segment between JFK Street and the Eliot Bridge carries only two lanes' worth of traffic volume despite being a four-lane road. Fire Chief Chris Cahill told councillors Cambridge holds the state's only Class 1 ISO fire rating but maintains it "by a percentage point" each certification cycle, prompting Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui to warn that any drop in the rating could raise insurance premiums and ultimately push costs onto renters. Police Commissioner Christine Elow said infrastructure changes have "not impacted our response times," citing new substations in North Cambridge and Central Square. Six public commenters split between concerns about spillover traffic onto Putnam Avenue and arguments that prior lane reductions on Memorial Drive caused no significant backups.