City Council Unanimously Approves Brattle Street Pedestrianization Plan

The Cambridge City Council unanimously approved a policy order Monday night to pedestrianize Brattle Street by restoring two-way traffic to John F. Kennedy Street.

The measure establishes a pilot program intended to reconfigure traffic flow in Harvard Square without hiring consultants or commissioning a formal pedestrianization study, an approach supporters described as cost-effective.

The council’s pilot on JFK Street comes amid a broader push to rethink traffic and public space in Harvard Square, where other streets such as Lower Bow Street were recently approved for pedestrian use to support street life.

The decision, however, prompted discussion about how two-way traffic on JFK Street could affect pedestrian activity.

City Councilor Ayah Al-Zubi ’23 voted in favor of the measure but highlighted potential tradeoffs between pedestrianization and student safety on the street.

“I’m excited about the potential to pedestrianize Harvard Square, but as someone who was recently a student, I think JFK going two ways is likely dangerous, especially when you consider how heavy pedestrian traffic is in that area,” Al-Zubi said.

Denise A. Jillson, the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, said she looks forward to working with the city of Cambridge and the Department of Transportation to make the Square “safe, clean, relevant, welcoming to all, and robust.”

Councilor E. Denise Simmons credited the collaboration between Councilor Patricia M. “Patty” Nolan ’80 and Jillson as the “real spark behind this effort” to make Harvard Square more pedestrian-friendly.

Simmons said the pilot program is designed to be cost-effective and beneficial for business owners and residents on Brattle Street and throughout Harvard Square.

“I support this approach because it prioritizes real world pilots, respects fiscal constraints, and gives us an opportunity to learn quickly, collaboratively and transparently,” Simmons said.

Jillson said the HSBA has worked closely with Nolan — whom she described as “a champion of pedestrianization” — to move the proposal forward.

“The city had appropriated $300,000 for a pedestrian study,” she said. “We feel that bringing in an outside group to tell us what we already know is not the best use of tax dollars at a time when the city is really trying very hard to reduce expenses.”

—Staff writer Mackenzie L. Boucher can be reached at [email protected].

—Staff writer Adam Han can be reached at [email protected].