I was extremely skeptical when Picture Main Street was first announced. It was pitched as a project to get fewer cars downtown and lots more bikes. Nice goal, pure fantasy: Northampton is spread out over 6–7 miles; most live 2–4 miles from downtown. Twenty percent of the people here are over 65 and highly unlikely to bike those distances to get downtown. We often have snow in winter and rain from time to time all year long. Only young, fit bikers are going to forsake their cars and bike into town.
Besides, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Why should we make drastic changes to the street we know and love?
Well, it is “broke.” The Massachusetts Department of Transportation says Main Street ranks high in crash rates compared to similar towns. It says that our confusing travel lanes lead to erratic driving, and long crosswalks are a risk to pedestrians. There are no dedicated bike lanes: cyclists share space with vehicles — a clear risk of collision. As for accessibility, sidewalks and transit waiting areas are not adequately designed for all users. Remember, this all comes from MassDOT, which has no axe to grind. It is not from our current mayor.
Another problem on Main Street may not concern MassDOT, but it sure concerns us! The sewers there are many decades old. I can tell you from costly personal experience that they need to be replaced, and fast: Some years ago, the old sewer line at the back of our house started bubbling up to the surface, neighbors noticed it and the Department of Health rightly ordered us to replace it. It took time and money, but we had to do it. Nobody wants to see garbage water flooding Main Street. Sewer replacement takes a long time and means digging up the street or sidewalk, putting up barriers, and is generally a total drag —especially on local businesses, which give life and vibrancy to our city. So why not do something to fix Main Street while we’re at it? And of course do all we can to help local businesses that may suffer from the work.
Luckily, the city got MassDOT to help out. As part of the broader “Picture Main Street” project, Northampton received over $22 million in state and federal funding (I’m surprised Trump hasn’t withdrawn that, but he hasn’t) to support the redesign and infrastructure improvements. This is NOT money that could be spent on supporting our schools, despite what I’ve heard some people suggest. The DOT does not transfer money to projects that have nothing to do with transportation. So it comes down to this: do we really want to throw away that money?
The city also managed to get a $25,000 grant from MassDOT to help Northampton lessen the impact of construction with a “Pardon Our Progress” campaign. Some of the candidates for City Council suggested creative ways to campaign for our local businesses during the renovations.
However, there are real objections to the overall project itself — 57 parking spots will disappear, for example. But that’s about the same number of spaces that were reduced by the outdoor dining project, which everyone loves! And of course the Gare Parking garage is always available, with a free first hour. Some like angled parking, rather than parallel: I do. Again, here’s MassDOT — and personal experience: “Drivers backing out of angled spaces have limited visibility of oncoming traffic, especially on busy streets.” It is dangerous. Most American cities have parallel parking downtown, for good reason. Besides, we will still have parallel parking spots for those who really want them, like some people with disabilities. (Not all, by any means.)
I’ve heard complaints about ignoring people with disabilities. But Main Street as it is now actually makes things hard for them. Our sidewalks are uneven and narrow. The curbs don’t meet national standards and neither do the signals. With PMS, shortened crosswalks and broader sidewalks will help people with disabilities. I read that two additional accessible parking spaces are planned, too.
As far as I can see, the city has consulted the people of Northampton (remember the public design poll? the community meetings?) and, above all, experts, on every aspect of this project. In fact, that’s where some of the anger comes from: “They’re listening to their ‘experts,’ not me!” (Except those who say that always say “to us.”) I wonder if they realize how similar their skepticism of experts is to Donald Trump’s: “Don’t listen to scientists about climate change and public health, or economists about economic policy, or historians about history. We don’t need experts! Listen to me!”
Nothing good can come of this attitude.
David Ball lives in Northampton.