1) Safety Northampton’s Main Street is one of the most dangerous corridors in the Commonwealth. A 2013 Pioneer Valley Regional Crash Report ranked it fourth among the top 25 high-crash roadway segments, documenting 150 crashes over 39 months — an average of 46 crashes per year. Pedestrian and cyclist collisions accounted for 11% of all crashes and included one fatality, with nearly 90% of those crashes resulting in injury. In response, MassDOT conducted a comprehensive analysis and determined that Northampton’s downtown had one of the highest incidences of pedestrian, vehicle, and bicycle accidents statewide. This analysis served as the impetus for the Picture Main Street project. The plan developed by Toole Engineering is now at 100% design and has been submitted for approval, directly addressing the conflicts identified by MassDOT.  These safety improvements are critical and cannot be delayed; all other reasons for moving forward are grounded in this urgency. 2) Accessibility Main Street currently faces several challenges, including narrow and uneven sidewalks and curb ramps, and signals that do not meet national accessibility standards. These conditions limit mobility and independence for both residents and visitors. The new design directly responds to these issues by shortening crosswalks, creating dedicated lanes for different modes of transportation, ensuring at least five feet of clear sidewalk space, and increasing the number of accessible parking spaces. 3) Infrastructure and Climate Resiliency Northampton, like many other New England communities, relies on century-old infrastructure that fails regularly, resulting in costly, piecemeal repairs after catastrophic events, and is unprepared for the extreme weather caused by climate change. Rebuilding Main Street allows the city to comprehensively update and future-proof sewer, stormwater, communications, and energy systems, reducing long-term cost pressures while providing confidence to property owners. The project also reduces environmental impact by adding 36 new trees — more than doubling the existing canopy — to help cool downtown, with trees planted using sustainable methods that ensure long-term resilience. Finally, by reallocating dangerous and inconsistent vehicle lane space, the redesigned street will reduce reliance on motorized vehicles and lower transportation-related carbon emissions. 4) Economic Vibrancy Northampton’s downtown is, arguably, its greatest resource. Improvements to the public space provide citizens and visitors with a safe and inviting environment to congregate.  Main Street is the place where our  government and services are. It is where we gather to demonstrate, conduct business, and go out in the evening. And where people gather, businesses thrive. These elements synergistically combine to make downtown Northampton a desirable destination for visitors and a valuable community center for its citizens. Vibrant sidewalks and streetscapes are an essential prerequisite to economic development. Picture Main  Street enhances and promotes these conditions while improving safety and reducing conflicts. We are ready to implement Picture Main Street today. The City has organized around construction mitigation plans to assist businesses leading up to and during construction. The City has also hired digital marketing experts to develop branding and marketing campaigns designed to bring shoppers, diners, music fans, and others to our sidewalks. We have a new volunteer team and slogan: “Let’s Go Downtown!” Please help us realize this plan with a groundbreaking as soon as possible.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is the only remaining agreement limiting the expansion of the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals. On February 5, 2026, the treaty is set to expire. That would mean NO limits at all on the expansion of the U.S. or Russian nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than 50 years. Trump clearly has no problem with recklessly dragging the U.S. into conflict abroad — launching a lawless coup in Venezuela, threatening to seize Greenland, and pushing us closer to another endless war in the Middle East, this time with Iran — in the new year alone. If we allow New START to expire with no backup plan, Trump will have yet another avenue to fulfill his authoritarian goals — one that puts the entire world at risk. History has shown us what a new nuclear arms race means: Communities poisoned, ecosystems destroyed, billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars funneled toward war profiteers, all for weapons that put us all at risk. It’s a fate we can avoid if we put collective pressure on lawmakers to act NOW and avoid a new nuclear arms race before it begins.

A vast collection of peer-reviewed science shows that if the proposed Twin Metals mine was built along the rivers and streams flowing into the wilderness, pollution and environmental degradation would be certain. It would also harm the economy: A peer-reviewed independent study from Harvard University shows that protecting the Boundary Waters from proposed sulfide-ore mining would result in dramatically more jobs and more income over a 20-year period. Polls continually show very strong support for permanent protection for this priceless wilderness area.

Historically, the EPA has made decisions about protecting our air based on the very real health benefits of reducing air pollution—like fewer asthma attacks and hospital visits. That practice has been essential to protecting children, frontline communities, and families across the country. Now, the EPA wants to focus solely on the costs to industry instead of the real human impacts. This is a dangerous shift that could weaken clean air protections and make it harder to establish and enforce rules that protect our communities. Trump’s EPA is putting industry profits ahead of public health, undermining the EPA’s very mission. The EPA must immediately reverse course and continue to fully account for health benefits when setting air pollution standards. Protecting people’s lives should always be the government’s priority in decisions that impact the air we breathe and the water we drink. Tell EPA leadership to follow science and put public health first!

While development addresses a shortage of housing in our town, it is important this is done with careful consideration respecting the existing neighborhood. 

 By signing this petition, you are championing a vision for a greener and more connected Connecticut, committed to investing in innovative, practical transportation solutions. Let's take a step towards a more interconnected, sustainable future. Learn more and get in touch at traintime.substack.com and www.traincampaign.org. 

Why This Is Important: Animal testing and abuse cause pain, fear, and suffering to living beings who cannot protect themselves. Animals feel emotions, form bonds, and experience distress just like humans do, and harming them for non-essential products such as cosmetics and household items is unnecessary and unfair. Today, science provides many cruelty-free alternatives that are safer, more accurate, and more ethical than outdated animal experiments. Protecting animals reflects our values as a society and teaches compassion, responsibility, and respect for all life.

Increased federal funding would help national parks preserve their special beauty, improve safety for visitors, and protect ecosystems for future generations to also enjoy.

The death of Marchello Woodard in Erie, PA, left his family and the community with unanswered questions and a sense of injustice. Independent oversight is necessary to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in how this case is handled.We are concerned about impartiality in this case. The Erie County District Attorney appeared on a public podcast with the parole officer involved in my father’s death. This connection raises questions about a conflict of interest and makes it critical that an independent investigation be conducted to ensure transparency and accountability. Why others should join: • Community trust: When investigations are delayed or unclear, public trust in law enforcement and local officials is eroded. • Accountability: Independent investigation ensures that any misconduct, errors, or mishandling are addressed. • Justice for families: Marchello’s family deserves answers and closure, and your support helps amplify their voice. • Prevent future tragedies: Oversight and transparency can help prevent similar cases in the future. By signing this petition, you are standing with the family and the community to demand that the authorities act responsibly and transparently.

The Morea Road warehouse project must be reevaluated because it will permanently reshape the community, placing a massive industrial facility only 300 yards from existing homes, increasing noise, air pollution, and heavy truck traffic while destroying local green space and wildlife habitat. Residents were never properly notified or given the chance to participate in earlier decisions, despite the project’s direct impact on their safety, health, property values, and quality of life. Ensuring thorough environmental studies, transparent public communication, and responsible planning is essential not to stop progress, but to protect families and preserve the long-term well-being and livability of Mahanoy Township for current and future generations.

Current street designs are dangerous, especially for those outside of a vehicle.  They encourage driver speeds in excess of posted speed limits causing crashes that frequently injure or kill our most vulnerable road users, despite being a public space that should be welcoming and accessible by all.  We want changes in our road designs so that residents of Bergen County feel comfortable and safe using any form of transportation they choose, whether they are walking, biking, driving, or taking public transit.

Edgecombe County Manager Eric Evans said in a Nov. 12 interview with the Rocky Mount Telegram that Energy Storage Solutions expects “about 500 jobs” to be created by the project; in Data Center Knowledge, Shaffer said the development will “support more than 1,000 employees.” Evans also stated the sale will be 122 acres, while Shaffer said in Data Center Knowledge that the project will cover 300 acres.  The community group filed a public record request with the Edgecombe County attorney’s office Thursday for copies of the latest version of the project proposal to verify these unconfirmed latest numbers. Lack of information about jobs – how many will actually be created, whether these jobs will be permanent facility-based jobs or temporary construction jobs, and whether Edgecombe County residents will be prioritized in recruiting – is one of many major unknowns that have led activists to oppose of the county’s sale of the land to the developer. Kingsboro/Bulluck community resident and organizer Janice Bulluck said of the upcoming Dec. 1 vote, “I would hope the County Commissioners consider their moral obligation to their constituents with noise pollution, water usage and pollution, and other unknowns.” “In the long term, this is not going to be in the best interest for the residents,” Bulluck said.