Businesses brace for impact from I-91 repairsDate: 7/17/2015 SPRINGFIELD – Will a predicted 10 to 15 minute delay while traveling on the I-91 viaduct keep people away from businesses in the area?
Area elected leaders and business people are concerned about what the economic impacts will be on the region with the three-year reconstruction project.
Mass Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has said detours will include rerouting commuters to Columbus Avenue in Springfield and Route 5 in West Springfield. Work on Route 5 has taken place in preparation for this increase, according to West Springfield Mayor Ed Sullivan, including the Memorial Avenue rotary bridge replacement and the repainting of directions on the North End rotary.
This, he said, will help the flow of traffic as West Springfield sees more and more cars.
Sullivan quoted the former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, who, when asked if he wanted to go to a restaurant, said “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” Though Sullivan said he is “hoping it doesn’t come to this,” the city is planning for it.
“When you think about the traffic and the Rt. 5 corridor, the Memorial Avenue corridor and the Rt. 20 corridor, you think the same thing,” he said. “Nobody’s going to want to go there because it’s too busy. I’m a little concerned about that, but by the same token, it’s inevitable.”
Assistant Engineer Jim Czach said the town was looking into creating a traffic information website to help open the lines of communication for commuters. Sullivan said this would be crucial in the coming months.
“We try to be proactive but you’re never really sure how it’s going to play out,” Sullivan said. “Some of it is taking it day by day or week by week and seeing if there are some adjustments we have to make.”
Eugene Cassidy, CEO of the Eastern States Exposition, agreed that open communication will be vital as construction begins, not only during the 17 days of the Big E, but also for the ground’s year-round events.
“People tend to focus on the Big E itself, but there are a lot of events outside the fair. Many of them cause traffic. We’re trying to make sure all of our stakeholders on the property know traffic will be a factor,” Cassidy said. “We have our fingers crossed that promoters and exhibitors using the fair grounds don’t get put off by the construction and decide not to come to West Springfield … We are working very closely with MassDOT to make sure we have as much information as possible so we can coordinate.”
While this year’s Big E will not be affected by the closing of exits on I-91, Cassidy said he and his team have already began working with the West Springfield Police Department and MassDOT to create solutions that will help ease the burden of traffic. Cassidy said the idea of shuttles has been brought up.
When it comes down to marketing after the construction begins, Cassidy said it would be taken into account that visitors from out of the Greater Springfield area may not know about the project.
Right now, however, it is a waiting game.
“Like everyone, we’re all anxiously awaiting just to see how bad it’s going to be. I say that knowing full well that progress comes with a cost,” Cassidy said.
Six Flags New England in Agawam also draws large numbers, particularly in the summer. Communications Manager Jennifer McGrath said in a statement to Reminder Publications that the amusement park’s administration believes traffic will not be much of an issue.
“With several different routes to get to the park via Route 5, Route 75 and Route 57, our park trusts the state will do what they can to minimize traffic. We are also grateful that the state was proactive and met with us prior to the changes to ensure our property would be prepared for the traffic flow,” the statement read.
Across the river, similar concerns are plaguing Springfield businesses.
Tina D’Agostino, president of CityStage and Symphony Hall in Springfield, said as the reconstruction takes place her strategy is to “actively communicate” with her potential audience about traffic conditions and how to best get to downtown.
It’s been her experience that people are speaking about the impact on a daily basis.
She is hoping that because the shows her organization presents at its two venues are at night after peak business hours the traffic issues will not be as severe.
D’Agostino will especially market to the 40,000 people who come to downtown every day to work.
“If people don’t talk about this, we will have problems,” she said.
John Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, explained to Reminder Publications the hall’s management had anticipated there would be some negative impact on the number of visitors and adjusted the number by 12 to 15 percent in its business plan.
He said the majority of people who visit the hall plan to do so, as opposed to those who come to it by impulse when traveling through the area. Because of that he believes most visitors will tolerate the delays and detours posed by the reconstruction of the viaduct.
What is important, he noted, is communication by MassDOT about detours and driving conditions.
He explained that 80 percent of the hall’s revenue comes from activities and events other than the admission fees people pay to tour the sports shrine. He said this is necessary as the number of visitors is “so unpredictable.”
“I think we’ll be okay,” Doleva said
James Leydon, the communications director for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said the potential impact on businesses is “something we’ve talked about.”
Sarno is also counting on MassDOT to make people aware of alterative routes to the viaduct.
Sarno expects that there will be “a lot” of traffic diverted to city streets, Leydon said, which could be either a good thing for businesses by giving them additional exposure or something less positive if the traffic is too heavy.
“Hopefully people won’t be scared off,” Leydon said.
Eileen Drumm, president of the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, said her members have been too busy considering city street construction due to rectifying the combined sewer overflows and how to react to the new earned sick leave act to consider the effects of the I-91 construction.
“I don’t have a real sense of it as yet,” she said.
She added, “Just now people are talking about it.”
She believed that once the construction begins and when the exits are closed people will begin to notice it.
“Call me back in a month. We’ll have a different discussion,” she said.
Chicopee is fortunate, Drumm said, in that there are different ways to enter the city.
She is concerned about how the reconstruction will affect area tourism.
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