Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 10/3/2023
NORTHAMPTON — Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra recently released a document answering frequently asked questions about the Picture Main Street project after residents and business owners in Northampton have expressed concerns about the project over the past few months.
“This document aims to address concerns, clear up any misconceptions and provide accurate information to the public regarding this critical project,” Sciarra said in her announcement.
Background
The city has embarked on a major redesign of Main Street and downtown Northampton over the past few years, securing funding through the Transportation Improvement program — state and federal government funding that amounts to $19 million for a project that will cost $21 million in total.
The goal is to provide a safer functioning downtown area with improved accessibility for all users.
To prepare for these new improvements, the city has conducted several public meetings over the past few years to discuss design alternatives for Main Street and help narrow the design possibilities down to one so 25% plans can be submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to move the project forward.
“The primary reason for redesigning Main Street is to address deficiencies in safety that have resulted in Northampton’s Main Street being one of the more dangerous Main Streets in the commonwealth when comparing crash data and injuries,” Planning & Sustainability Director Carolyn Misch told Reminder Publishing back in the spring.
After public discussion and other city conversations, Northampton decided on one alternative to submit to MassDOT for the 25% design phase, which was eventually presented during a public meeting on April 26.
According to the city’s website, the project begins west of the intersection of Elm and West Streets and extends approximately 0.4 miles east to the intersection of Market and Hawley Streets.
The proposed design that is being presented provides one travel lane in each direction with a center running flush median that will afford space for turning vehicles at key locations.
Additionally, separated bike lanes are proposed on both sides of the roadway for the entire project, including as part of the proposed widened sidewalk facilities.
Other amenities like enhanced lighting, tree plantings, bus stop accommodations, reconfigured parking and dedicated spaces for loading and deliveries are part of the proposed design.
Concerns/addressing those concerns
But over the past couple months, Northampton residents have expressed concerns about the construction length, traffic congestion and what type of impact the construction would have on downtown businesses, among other things.
A petition called “Save Northampton Mass. Main Street — keep Main Street accessible for all” started on Aug. 14 and has since garnered over 1,800 signatures.
“Traffic congestion will be unbearable, generating significant emissions from idling vehicles,” read the petition. “The public will avoid Downtown Northampton, which is still struggling to recover from the COVID pandemic.”
The petition listed about 12 concerns with the new construction, including emergency vehicle access, snow removal, an elimination of parking and much more.
“I wish the city would implement simple safety features which were recommended to them on multiple occasions from multiple sources,” wrote Judith Herrell, a petition signee and president of Herrell’s Ice Cream. “Lines delineating lanes for drivers, bright light signage at crosswalks, bumped-out crosswalks and perhaps a speed bump beneath the crosswalk to slow down traffic. It is a state highway after all.”
In a 16-page document, Sciarra and the city address the majority of these issues expressed by residents, including the proposed elimination of 57 parking spaces, congestion/climate concerns, emergency vehicle access, concerns around a separate bike lane and more.
“Multiple studies agree that downtown has enough parking,” reads the document. Within a block or two of where you’re going, there is a spot — and remember that there is a parking garage with a bridge leading right into Thornes Market in the heart of downtown that always has spaces available, and the first hour is free. Numbers show that about 12% of the people who park there pay nothing, 20% pay just 75 cents for two hours, and another third pay $1.50 for three hours.”
As for the concerns around how the project will affect businesses, Sciarra’s document states that the city is taking a cyclical approach to how the construction is finished and they also plan to work with businesses to find the best approach possible.
The project, spread over three seasons, will have phases of intense activity followed by quieter periods,” the document reads. “This cyclical nature offers both challenges and windows of opportunity. To navigate this, we’re in close collaboration with the business community and Toole Design to strategize ways to mitigate the impact and maximize business benefits.
“Our city’s economic development team is also actively brainstorming events, exhibits and special programming to draw people downtown and support businesses during the construction phases,” the document continues.
The city also addressed concerns around a trial run, saying that they do not have the ability to conduct a demonstration project that would put all the pieces accurately together. They said the project involves interrelated measures that would be impossible to implement in a trial run. The city claims such a run would be a waste of time and money.
“There is no part of the Picture Main Street design that will be implemented for the first time with this project,” read the document. “These are tried and true strategies that have been tested by engineering experts all over the country. Northampton is not the first municipality to implement this type of
roadway redesign.”
Readers can read the full document of the “Frequently Asked Questions” here: https://northamptonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23230/Picture-Main-Street-FAQ-PDF. Construction is set to begin in 2025.