On Broadway in Somerville, morning traffic isn’t just congestion — it’s the heartbeat of local businesses. For shops like Mass Hole Donuts and Neighborhood Market, quick stop-in customers who park for a few minutes keep the lights on and the bills paid.

Now, that lifeline is at risk. The city has approved plans to add designated bike lanes to Broadway — a change many cyclists welcome for safety — but at the cost of eliminating vital street parking. For small businesses already struggling with construction and high rents, this decision threatens to push them over the edge.

Mass Hole Donuts has already announced it may be forced to close or relocate when its lease expires next month. Other family-owned businesses warn the new plan will “completely kill” what little revenue they still rely on. Somerville cannot afford to lose the neighborhood shops that give this city its character and serve the community daily.

We support bike safety. But this doesn’t have to be a zero-sum choice. Other cities have adopted compromise plans: preserving a limited number of short-term parking spots, adding loading zones for quick pickups, or adjusting lane placement to protect cyclists without wiping out every parking space.

We call on Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, the Somerville City Council, and the Somerville Department of Mobility to pause the current Broadway bike lane plan until a compromise is reached that protects both cyclists and small businesses.

If nothing changes, Broadway risks becoming a corridor of empty storefronts — not the thriving, diverse neighborhood Somerville residents deserve. Bike lanes should add to community life, not erase it.

Sign if you agree: Somerville must protect small businesses on Broadway while building safer streets for everyone.