PETITION AGAINST MASSDOT RECONSTRUCTION OF MAIN STREET - Northampton, MA

Downtown Northampton faces the most drastic and lengthy upheaval in the city’s history -  if the “Picture Main Street” project proposed by planners for the city and the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is actually carried out. If this happens, traffic jams like the one pictured above (and much worse) will be commonplace.

The approved plan would require a minimum of three years of heavy construction: Year One to renew aging water and sewer infrastructure, and Years Two and Three to narrow Main Street traffic lanes, reduce parking, and install a two-lane bicycle “speedway” between South Street and Market Street.

A growing number of business owners and residents with deep roots in the community are concerned that the city is permitting this to happen despite the obvious threat to local businesses during and after the construction process.

Traffic congestion will be unbearable, generating significant emissions from idling vehicles. The public will avoid Downtown Northampton, which is still struggling to recover from the Covid pandemic.

A short-lived trial of the proposed street and parking changes was held in August, 2020. It was quickly dismantled after more than 1100 people signed a change.org petition demanding that the city “Immediately restore the former parking and traffic pattern to downtown Northampton.”

City planners conducted various community forums and surveys in past years, but no consolidated record of those discussions exists. The only formal public hearing on the project to date was held online by MassDOT on April 26, 2023.

The following are just some of the key issues and unanswered questions raised in that session: 

1) Traffic congestion during and after the project;
2) Impacts on businesses on Main Street and side streets;
3) Emergency vehicle access;
3) Handicapped parking, and accessible parking for the elderly and disabled;
4) Snow removal;
5) Pedestrian crosswalk safety from motor vehicles and bike lane users;
6) Delivery truck unloading;
7) Removal of cherished, mature shade trees;
8) Elimination of the pedestrian-only signal at Main and King Streets;
9) Potential detouring of traffic on side streets;
10) Rationale for exclusive bike lanes on Main Street, when Downtown Northampton is already bike-accessible via bike trails;
11) Refusal to conduct further trial runs, including a trial run in winter conditions to give a true assessment of the project;
12) Refusal to implement basic, affordable, and easily-actionable safety recommendations officially recommended to the city in 2017 - including lines in the road and flashing signage at crosswalks.

Accordingly, the undersigned hereby petition(s) the city and state to stop any further work on “Picture Main Street” other than long overdue safety measures, such as clarifying vehicle lanes, and installing crosswalk bumpouts and signage.