It seems like one of the hottest topics in Northampton continues to be the Picture Main Street initiative, a major construction project that, to me, feels like is being pushed on the city by many members of our community and at the highest level of our city government. As much as I encourage the use of bicycles and walking as an environmentally and mental health-friendly modes of transportation, I am not a fan of this redesign plan. I know I am not alone in this but the “for” and “against” camps are dug in for a fight even though it is supposedly a done deal. Construction is currently slated to start next year.
I feel like this is being pushed on the community in the same way nuclear power was being pushed in the 1950s and 1960s: it’s clean, safe, reliable, nuclear power, you’re all gonna love it! While I expect no one will get radiation sickness if the Main Street project doesn’t work out as planned, I DO expect it to do a real number on businesses in this community as construction is supposed to tie up downtown for several years to come. I expect many businesses will go under during the period of construction due to reduced tourism to the city. This will leave more empty storefronts, more folks out of work, and less tax money coming in. I am certainly not the first to voice this concern.
If potential visitors to Northampton find it too hard to find parking or to get around the city during the construction phase, they might opt for other places to visit, like Lee, Lenox, Stockbridge, or Great Barrington in the Berkshires. Further, Easthampton and Greenfield have stepped up their games, providing competition to Northampton, which is now NOT the only area town with quirky little shops and great eateries anymore. These two towns have made great strides in making themselves more “Northamptony,” while still keeping their own individual characters since the decision to take on this redesign project was approved in 2019.
While the goal is to remove cars from downtown and encourage walking and biking, there are a sizable number of people in this community not capable of doing this, whether due to disability, advanced age or temporary impairment. I was in the latter category for well over a year as I struggled with severe knee pain as I was awaiting knee replacement surgery. Now, I can walk and regularly bike 15-plus miles, but there was a significant amount of time when I couldn’t. During that period, my trips downtown were few and far between because I knew a lot of walking would be involved. Making Northampton a biking and walking paradise does not mean it will be that for everyone. Maybe no one thought about that, or maybe no one cares about the impact of the redesign on this population.
Not long ago, I heard either a news story or a travel show spot on Venice, Italy. It has banned cars from the inner portions of the city. Cars are parked away from the downtown area and shuttles bring visitors into the city — something that may be necessary with so many fewer parking spaces. The shuttles are a neat idea, borne out of necessity to manage the massive influx in tourism to the city, but Northampton is no Venice and in a city where there are frequent fights over school bus service, I doubt anyone in the city government will want to foot the bill for shuttle service. Plus, I’m not sure visitors would be thrilled about taking shuttle buses — or paying for them.
I’d really like to know what the city proposes about secure places to lock up or otherwise have owners store the influx of bikes that will be potentially coming into the city Those ubiquitous, black, powder-coated, upside-down “U” bike “racks” are the bane of my existence as a bike-lover. They are firmly mounted to the ground as all get-out, and won’t come out of the ground any time soon, but they don’t deter vandalism. Also, I worry about damaging the finish on my beloved metal steeds every time I use one of the darned things.
Most people probably don’t obsess about such things, but when folks spend over a grand on a bike, which today is very easy to do for a good quality bike, they probably don’t want it damaged by the thing they’re supposed to lock it to. Stating it again, I know I don’t.
Well, I guess I can’t stop this “Downtown Redesign Freight Train,” but I can certainly make my opinions known — and perhaps provide some food for thought!
Mariel E. Addis is a native of Florence. She left the area for 16 years but returned in 2013.