NEWS
THE GLX EFFECT: PAIN BEFORE GAIN FOR SOMERVILLE’S SMALL BUSINESSES WITH BRIDGES CLOSING AND MESSY TRAFFIC DETOURS, LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE FEELING THE GROWING PAINS OF THE GREEN LINE EXTENSION WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JOHN ZORABEDIAN
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ou see the day-glow orange road signs everywhere, from the Powder House rotary to Union Square: bridge closed; detour. Other signs, a little less obvious, say, “Businesses open.” Staying open has become challenging for some businesses impacted by this spring’s closure of three bridges— part of construction on the longawaited Green Line Extension project, which is set to finally be completed sometime in 2021. The effects were almost 20 Technology & Transportation | scoutsomerville.com
immediate after the Broadway bridge closed in April, severing a major artery between Ball Square and Magoun Square. Sassafras Somerville closed for good, noting the bridge closure as a factor. Some business owners have told the city that the bridge closures have caused a 20-30 percent decline in business, according to Lauren Drago, an urban revitalization specialist for the mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development.
Rhett Richard, the owner of True Grounds on Broadway in Ball Square, says business was down about 10 percent in the first week after the bridge closed, which initially gave him hope that the construction wouldn’t be too painful. “But now we’re down more than 20 percent, and that’s a lot,” Richard says. A Magoun Square resident himself, Richard takes his bike to work many days and can ride around the bridge without
too much trouble. But some commuters who would normally stop at the cafe on their way to work are avoiding the square. Richard says he plans to cut back hours after Thanksgiving, eliminating the closing shift, which means potentially cutting some staff. “When we go into the winter season, we try to squirrel away money,” Richard says. “I’m considering taking out loans just to have that cushion.” The Broadway bridge will be closed through next March,