NORTHAMPTON — There will be a different look to Main Street on Saturday when the Complete Streets Demonstration Day transforms the pavement outside City Hall with temporary features including a bike lane and two small parks.
The event is part of a larger initiative to make Northampton more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly with the help of a public health grant, Mayor David J. Narkewicz said Friday. The city is working with Cambridge-based consultant Alta Planning + Design to generate recommendations and ideas.
The demonstration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. is a “one-day mock-up” the mayor emphasized, and will give residents a chance to try potential ideas to improve Main Street for pedestrians and bicyclists while still accommodating the needs of vehicles.
“We can look at these things in photos and designs, but to actually see how they might look in real life through a temporary demonstration is a powerful thing,” Narkewicz said.
The four-hour demonstration will not impact traffic on Main Street, Planning and Sustainability Director Wayne Feiden said Friday.
“We expect cars to flow through just as freely as usual,” Feiden said. “Complete Streets accommodates all modes of travel. We don’t want to shut the streets down, that would go against what we are trying to do.”
According to Feiden, two small parks will be created, one in front of Cracker Barrel Alley and the other in front of City Hall. A one-direction bike lane buffered by vehicles will be set up between Center Street and Cracker Barrel Alley.
Movable tables and chairs will be available in the area so residents can experiment with where they would like to see more seating in the city.A series of maps will be set up around the site to show potential solutions to problems identified affecting bicyclists and pedestrians.
Though the event begins at 11 a.m., Feiden said a team of volunteers will be on-site to set up the demonstration at 8 a.m. Interested residents are welcome to take a look at the design before the event officially beings, he said.
Attendees will be able to give input by writing feedback on Post-It notes and doing video interviews. A page on the city’s website also welcomes feedback and includes an interactive Wiki Map where residents can post their ideas.
Phil Goff, a representative from Alta Planning + Design, said the “real-time, full-scale” demonstration will give people a taste of what Main Street could be like in the future.
“It will build interest, knowledge and excitement about possibilities in the future, about what Main Street may evolve into,” Goff said.
According to the mayor, the city will take the input from the Complete Streets event and add it to information already gathered through several public forums and events.
Narkewicz said the city hopes to have a complete list of recommendations from Alta Planning + Design in September. From there, the city will start to set priorities and see which options are feasible.