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Date: 4/6/2021
EASTHAMPTON – The city of Easthampton is looking to install pedestrian safety improvements on Clark Street with extra funds from their Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
The CDBG grant is a federally-funded program that passes money through the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Funds from this program can only be used to assist low to moderate income families in the community.
In 2019, Easthampton applied for and received around $550,000 to fund the construction of the Phase III Admiral Street improvement program, according to Jamie Webb, assistant planner for Easthampton. The project, which mainly focused on replacing sewage lines and drainage, is substantially completed. The city found that they carried an excess budget of a little over $37,000 after the Admiral project.
According to Jeffrey Bagg, the city planner for Easthampton, in order to reprogram these funds for pedestrian safety improvements, the city must first receive approval from the DHCD. The funds also have to be used within the initial study area near Admiral Street, and the project must be completed before June 30. The CDBG funds can also not be used for design work at this point.
“Going back to 2018 and 2019, there was a series of community input expressing concerns about the speed of vehicle travel on Clark Street,” said Bagg. “When the funds became available as excess, this is sort of the first project that came to mind.”
Specifically, the city is looking to install rectangular rapid flashing beacons at two intersections on Clark Street. Rapid flashing beacons are push-button activated signs that flash when a pedestrian walks across the crosswalk, and the intention is to alert a driver when someone is crossing the road.
“We have now a series of these that we have installed around Easthampton,” said Bagg. “Our first set was done on Cottage Street.”
Bagg added that the city has had other opportunities to include the beacons through other funding sources on Williston Avenue, Pleasant Street, and Ferry Street on Route 10. The city’s Department of Public Works is also planning to add fog lines on either side of the road on Clark to help increase visibility for drivers. The police department is also willing to put a cruiser out on that street to install more radar signs.
“This combination of efforts are really trying to address the concerns that have been raised,” said Bagg. “We still need to get proposals from contractors, and then try to have the work done before June 30.”
According to Webb, each beacon will cost about $10,000 to $14,000 to purchase and install, and if bids for the installation come in low, then the city will reimburse the DPW for the fog lines they drew between Franklin Street and Charles Street. If, at the end of this project, the city’s budgets are higher what the actual cost will end up being, then they will plan to use the excess funds to support the housing rehab program and aging-in-place program that were funded by the 2020 Block Grant program.
During a public hearing regarding these funds, one resident brought up the idea of installing speed humps on Clark Street to curb the speeding problems that regularly occur. According to Greg Nuttelman, the director of Easthampton’s DPW, the biggest issues with speed humps in a residential area is people can hear drivers accelerate and decelerate pretty loudly, as well as the noise when a driver hits a speed hump.
“I’m really interested to see what the fog lines and the rectangular rapid flashing beacons are able to do,” said Nuttelman. “That coupled with the increased police presence on Clark Street – what that’s able to do for making it safer for the area before putting in speed humps.”
Webb finished by saying the DPW and planning department will continue to monitor the speeding issues on Clark Street in the coming weeks.