50 signatures reached
To: City and State officials
Let’s Go Downtown! Letter of support for Picture Main Street
We, the undersigned residents, business owners, and public officials of Northampton, want to share with you our endorsement and steadfast enthusiasm for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) project #609286, known locally as Picture Main Street (https://northamptonma.gov/2547/Picture-Main-Street). We ask that you do everything within your means to see this exhaustively vetted vision become a reality as soon as possible. We ask this for the following reasons:
Why is this important?
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.
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.
How it will be delivered
In person in a festive ceremony