Shift Towns · Massachusetts

Walking, biking & transit in Somerville

See the routes Somerville neighbors actually walk, ride and take transit on, what's happening locally, and how the town is trending — built from real trips logged in the Shift app.

Keep a pulse on Somerville. New street projects, meetings worth your voice, and how Somerville is moving — 1–2 emails a month.

Get involved in Somerville

Safer streets are made by neighbors who speak up. Start small:

Happening nowWed, Oct 14 · 6:00 PM · virtual

Traffic and Parking Committee (Somerville)

Somerville's Traffic and Parking Committee meets virtually and may take up street or parking changes that could affect walking and biking access in your neighborhood.

Attend the meeting→

In Somerville

City committees you can join

  • Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee — A mayor-appointed volunteer committee that meets the first Thursday of each month, 6:30–8 p.m. (Central Library + Zoom) — meetings are open and new members are welcome.
  • Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Committee (PTAC) — A volunteer committee focused on walking and transit, meeting the third Thursday of each month, 6:30–8 p.m. (hybrid) — anyone can attend. (transportation@somervillema.gov)

Advocacy groups

  • Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets — A coalition of neighbors — walkers, riders, seniors, and disability advocates — pushing together for streets that are safe for everyone, with a listserv anyone can join. (somervillesafestreets@gmail.com)
  • Somerville Bike Safety — A resident-led group campaigning for protected bike lanes in every neighborhood — all ages, all abilities — with petitions, action alerts, and a newsletter. (info@somervillebikesafety.org)

Commuter perks & fare help

  • Assembly Connect — Free commuter perks at Assembly Square — Bluebikes discounts, MBTA pass programs, Emergency Ride Home, bike clinics, and Zipcar subsidies, funded by member employers and buildings. (info@assemblyconnect.com)
  • Boynton Union Connect — Runs the Boynton Yards shuttle and offers annual Bluebikes memberships, carpool subsidies, and Zipcar discounts for people who live or work around Union Square, Boynton Yards, and Inner Belt/Brickbottom. (info@boyntonunionconnect.com)

Fix your own bike

  • Somerville Bike Kitchen — Volunteer-run DIY repair co-op at 15 Properzi Way — walk-in shop nights Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with tools, stands, and friendly help fixing your own bike. Free and open to everyone.

Meetings & comment pathways

  • Somerville Traffic Commission — The city body that votes on official traffic rules — stop signs, parking, street changes — with public meetings typically the second Thursday at 5:30 p.m. (trafficcommission@somervillema.gov)

Your transportation department

  • City of Somerville Mobility Division — The city team that plans and builds safer streets — bike lanes, traffic calming, bus improvements — and the people to email with feedback on any street redesign project. (transportation@somervillema.gov · 617-666-3311)
Regional & statewide groups, 7 more

Advocacy groups

  • LivableStreets Allianceregional — The Metro Boston advocacy group for people-centered streets and transit, whose research and comment letters cover projects across the region.
  • TransitMattersstatewide — The transit advocacy group pushing for faster, more reliable buses and trains across Greater Boston, with data-driven campaigns anyone can join.
  • Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA)statewide — A statewide coalition of community groups advocating for safe, affordable, and reliable transportation choices in every corner of the state.
  • WalkMassachusettsstatewide — The statewide walking advocacy organization that leads walk audits and pedestrian-safety campaigns, with open network meetings on Zoom the third Wednesday of each month.
  • MassBikestatewide — The statewide bicycling coalition — a way to plug into bike advocacy, group rides, and Bike Month events across Greater Boston and beyond.

Commuter perks & fare help

  • MBTA reduced faresstatewide — Reduced-fare programs for seniors, riders with disabilities, people aged 18–25 on low incomes, and middle and high school students. Most cut the fare roughly in half.

Get updates

  • MBTA accessibility alertsstatewide — Live notices when an elevator or escalator is out of service, plus how to arrange a shuttle when one is. Worth subscribing to if a lift is part of how you get to the platform.

Events near Somerville

A few picks over the next 30 days — the full calendar has everything.

All community events →

Roams to try

Guided routes — preview the full route here, then check in at each stop in the Shift app to earn the badge.

Somerville Community Path

Somerville Community Path

Starts 0.7 mi from central Somerville · bike · 4 mi route · ~27 min · Somerville · Cambridge

A City of Squares

A City of Squares

Starts 0.9 mi from central Somerville · walk + transit · 4 mi route · ~36 min · Somerville · Cambridge

The Bakery Run

The Bakery Run

Starts 1.6 mi from central Somerville · transit · 5.7 mi route · ~90 min · Greater Boston

All roams →
#2 of 10
Massachusetts towns by shift rate in October
439
active trips so far in October
680.9
active miles
606
lbs CO₂ avoided*
58
neighbors active so far in October

Shift Rate is the share of trips taken actively (walk, micromobility, transit). Counts cover October 1 through today, based on trips logged by Shift community members that start or end in Somerville— a growing sample, meant as an interesting local signal, not an official or census-level count. *CO₂ avoided is estimated from active miles traveled (EPA 404 g/mi baseline).

Where Somerville moves

New to Somerville? You're joining a town that moves — neighbors logged 21,371 trips on foot, by bike, and on transit in the last 90 days, and Somerville Community Path, Massachusetts Avenue and Somerville Avenue are where you'll find them. A corridor appears only once three or more different people have traveled it — and it follows Somerville residents wherever they go, including into neighboring towns, within about six miles of the town center.

Fewer neighborsMore neighbors

Momentum

Active trips in Somerville by week ending, last 5 completed weeks.

Sep 6Sep 13Sep 20Sep 27Oct 4

Friendly competition

Massachusetts towns by shift rate so far in October, the share of trips taken actively. Every town here has its own page: local stats, popular routes, events, and ways to get involved.

  1. 1Boston91%
  2. 2Somerville91%
  3. 3Cambridge91%
  4. 4Medford90%
  5. 5Malden82%
  6. 6Brookline76%
  7. 7Watertown73%
  8. 8Arlington58%
  9. 9Newton55%
  10. 10Newburyport20%

How Somerville moves

Active trips and miles so far in October, by mode.

Share of trips

49%
37%
9%

Share of miles

20%
43%
31%
Walking
215 trips · 137.2 mi
Biking & scooting
163 trips · 292 mi
Bus
20 trips · 43.5 mi
Train
41 trips · 208.3 mi

What is this?

Shift is a free app from Green Streets Initiative, a nonprofit that has celebrated walking, biking, and transit since 2006. Shift automatically counts your walks, rides, and transit trips — every trip adds to Somerville's totals on this page, earns you rewards at local businesses, and enters you into seasonal prize drawings.

Shift Rewards in Somerville

Local businesses that reward people for moving actively.

Gracie's Ice Cream

Gracie's Ice Cream

10% off your ice cream cone on weekdays until 7pm.

22 Union Square, Somerville, MA 02143

Juliet

Juliet

BOGO drip coffee, tea, or pastry OR free pastry with purchase of drip coffee

263 Washington St, Somerville, MA 02143

Marlon's Barbers

Marlon's Barbers

10% off

160 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145

Remnant Brewing

Remnant Brewing

10% Off Cafe Beverages for Shift users

2 Bow Mkt Wy, Somerville, MA 02143

Help Somerville climb the board.

Every walk, ride, and transit trip counts automatically. Download Shift free and put your trips on Somerville's board.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Community stats reflect trips by Shift community members that start or end in Somerville and refresh hourly. Municipalities and community groups can request aggregate data at info@gogreenstreets.org. A project of Green Streets Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.