Enhancements Will Improve Pedestrian & Cyclist Experience

The revitalization of Vassar Street continues as the west side is also transformed into a vibrant urban boulevard. The project will significantly improve the experience for pedestrians and bicyclists, with wider sidewalks, improved crosswalks, and a bicycle track separated from the roadway by planted trees.

The Vassar Streetscape West project, designed by Carol R. Johnson Associates, landscape architects, is made possible by a generous gift from the family of MIT alumnus and emeritus trustee Richard P. Simmons.

The project is the product of an intensive collaboration between the City of Cambridge and MIT. Its completion in 2008 will realize the vision for the entirety of Vassar Street that started with Vassar Street East, completed in 2004.

Vassar Streetscape East, which connects Main Street to Massachusetts Avenue, now features a cycle track, new light fixtures and new young trees. Vassar Street West, running from Massachusetts Avenue to Audrey Street, will offer a cycle track, new light fixtures, new Lace Bark Elm trees, chosen for their "canopy" effect once grown, and a crosswalk, complete with a speed table, in front of Simmons Hall. The West Garage and Annex will be maintained for parking.

Construction of the new streetscape will take about two years. Final landscaping will be completed in the Spring of 2009.

Project Team

Project Manager/MIT	Richard Quade
construction management	Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc.
landscape architect	Carol R. Johnson & Associates, Inc.
civil engineers	Judith Nitsch Engeering, Inc.
utility engineers	SEA Consultants, Inc.
transportation engineers	Rizzo Associates, Inc.
lighting design	Peter Coxe Associates
general contractor	McCourt Contracting Company, Inc.

Construction Updates are provided regularly via the web, email announcements and public notices.