NORTHAMPTON— The city held a second gathering Wednesday evening at First Churches to explain preliminary plans about making Northampton more friendly for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Walk/Bike Northampton public forum was the second installment in a process led by Cambridge-based consultant Alta Planning + Design that will allow the city’s Office of Planning and Sustainability to update its nearly decade-old Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan.
Mayor David J. Narkewicz explained the city is working with the company to create a “master plan” centered on making Northampton more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
Alta Planning + Design staff gave a presentation to a crowd of approximately 50 led by representative Phil Goff. The presentation focused on citywide initiatives, and posters detailing community input and draft plans were on display for residents to see.
According to Goff, plans for a new underpass on the rail trail adjacent to King Street will be funded by early 2017 to better accommodate bicyclists.
Goff summarized results from the first forum in March and gave details of draft plans the company generated using that input. Goff said the city should use what he called “the five e’s” – evaluation, encouragement, education, engineering and enforcement to make Northampton more pedestrian and bike friendly.
A survey was distributed for attendees to rank the 10 evaluation criteria proposed by the consulting firm. Goff said the survey will help the company and the city prioritize the approximately 140 to 150 recommendations that currently exist.
Results from a May 10 design workshop revealed residents favor separate bike lanes between parking areas and curbs, more left-turn pockets, a mix of angled and parallel parking, a landscaped median, and wider sidewalks, Goff explained.
At the workshop, residents were given a map of Main Street and cut-outs of street features. The participants took a hands-on approach to “dream up” an ideal street model and “create something that fit” on the existing street.
Goff said the company will take the input from each community event and use it to shape future plans and suggestions.
Other suggestions included changes in policy to curb speedy drivers and ensure snow removal on bike paths and walkways. Goff suggested the city make existing bike paths more user-friendly with improved signs, bike racks, trash cans and call boxes. He said the city should make sure crosswalks are well-lit.
To promote community awareness and generate more participation, the company plans to hold a “tactical urbanization” day on Main Street mid-June. The date has not been confirmed, Goff said. The company aims to engage and educate the public about the plans by setting up traffic cone models, cafe tables and display posters featuring preliminary plans on Main Street. Parking may be restricted but street traffic will not be impacted, Goff said.
The forum then broke into three small groups where community members were encouraged to offer input and engage with Alta Planning + Design staff. The participants were asked for their opinion on the recommended programs, projects and evaluation criteria in the presentation.
The forum comes, coincidentally, in the middle of Baystate Bike Week, a weeklong celebration where “Massachusetts residents and bike commuters come together to celebrate human-powered, two-wheeled transportation,” according to the program’s website.
Pioneer Valley Planning Committee Senior Planner Dillon Sussman also attended the forum to alert community members about a “parallel process” the committee is working on with Alta Planning + Design to increase engagement at community forums.
Sussman said the committee is working to provide information about community forums by going door-to-door and delivering fliers to those who may not know the forums are happening. The committee is working to make the forums more accessible by providing child care and translation services.
The translation services have not been needed yet, perhaps indicating the committee has a “long way to go” before it sees full community engagement, Sussman said.