NORTHAMPTON — In a nod to local walkers and bicyclists, the city is starting to explore ways it could change roads, crosswalks, sidewalks, bike lanes and more to better accommodate those who prefer to travel without burning fuel.
The Office of Planning and Sustainability is hosting a public forum about its new pedestrian and bicycle comprehensive plan at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Senior Center, beginning a process it expects to complete by October.
The city is working with Alta Planning + Design to create a blueprint and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to conduct outreach, particularly among low-income and minority residents.
Wayne Feiden, the city’s director of planning and sustainability, said this $108,000 effort follows the city’s Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2008, and Complete Streets ordinance, adopted last December.
The pedestrian and bicycle plan could incorporate a variety of changes, Feiden said. One suggestion is dropping a lane from Main Street to make more room for wider sidewalks, bike lanes or more parking. Another could be looking for places around the city to add sidewalks or crosswalks.
Once it’s complete, the plan should provide the Department of Public Works with a sense of the city’s priorities for when it refurbishes city streets. Though Northampton has already done quite a bit of work to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, it has done so without a concrete set of guiding principles, Feiden said.
“We’d like some of those conversations to be less ad hoc,” he said.
In more rural parts of Florence and Leeds, sidewalks aren’t always the best answer, Feiden said, explaining that sometimes it makes more sense to slow traffic so people are safer walking in the street.
To Feiden, the question is: “How do you get a road to send a message?”
Safety a factor
Improving visibility at intersections is one way to prevent accidents, Michael Allard, the city’s highway safety officer said, explaining that “everything is about line of sight.”
Downtown Northampton is a particularly tricky area because of the high number of people walking around.
“How can we make these pedestrians stand out more for people driving?” Allard said.
Northampton Police data shows 77 pedestrian accidents in the past five years, with many clustered in downtown Northampton. Between Jan. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2015, there have been five pedestrian accidents where Masonic Street meets Main Street, and three at the intersection of Main and Old South streets.
There were also 11 pedestrian accidents at various places along Elm Street.
In late 2012, a man died after being struck by a pickup truck on New South Street, near the west entrance of Pulaski Park.
The city’s effort to increase pedestrian and cyclist safety follows a shift in attitude toward accidents, Feiden said. “For years we’d just say accidents happen,” he said, explaining that experts have begun to think more critically about all the factors involved in crashes — not just that drivers may be going too fast, but that roads may be poorly designed.
City Council Vice President Ryan O’Donnell said he sees the pedestrian and bicycle plan as an important step in the city’s development. Though most people in western Massachusetts need cars to get around, many locals value walkability, O’Donnell said, noting that people who move here often cite Northampton’s downtown area as a draw.
“When people talk about the community in Northampton I think they’re talking about the interconnectedness of it,” he said. “They want the ability to stroll down the street and talk to their neighbors.”
Stephanie McFeeters can be reached at smcfeeters@gazettenet.com.