SOUTH DEERFIELD — The traffic in the center of South Deerfield may take a new turn in 2027 with the help of a federal grant.
In late December, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) received $487,200 through the Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program to test out new traffic patterns in downtown South Deerfield and Greenfield.
In the first phase of the work, South Deerfield will partner with an engineer and solicit feedback from community members and businesses. The second phase of the grant will include installing or painting temporary structures, which would close off Park Street and shift the traffic flow, according to Alexandria Galloway, Deerfield’s planning and economic development planner.
An early draft of the plan that was submitted in the grant application included painting pedestrian walkways with buffers along North Main Street, blocking Park Street with planters and extending the town common. It would also include installing flashing beacons on either side of the North Main Street crosswalk to the town common; painting curb extensions at the Main Street intersection to shorten the crosswalk length and increase visibility for motorists and pedestrians; and painting a median on Sugarloaf Street to make travel lanes more clear, curb speeding and cut the distances of the crosswalks.
The temporary installations will last at least six months, Galloway said.
“The whole impetus for this grant is really continuing to enhance the accessibility and safety of the downtown,” Galloway said.
When vehicles turn out of Graves Street onto Sugarloaf Street, drivers must watch for traffic coming from Elm, Sugarloaf and Park streets. With single-family homes along Graves Street, Galloway cited the “dangerous” turn as an example of a safety hazard for drivers and pedestrians that closing Park Street may mitigate.
Galloway described the temporary project as an “experiment.” Traffic counters at the Main Street intersection, Sugarloaf Street and North Main Street will track traffic data, while residents and local business owners will have the chance to voice their opinions and experiences with the new traffic patterns through several outreach initiatives. Through these, they can weigh in on the impact of the temporary changes on parking accessibility, the safety of Deerfield Elementary School and Frontier Regional School students walking home after school and any other impacts that may arise.
According to Beth Giannini, the Transportation Program manager at FRCOG, the project is part of the organization’s Road Safety Action Plan that recommends safety improvements for rural roads and town centers. At the finish of the project, FRCOG will add its findings regarding pedestrian safety to this plan.
In Greenfield, design changes that were included in the grant application involved painted medians and curb extensions to shorten crosswalk distances on Hope Street; “high-visibility crosswalks” on either side of Olive Street; and painted curb extensions, a painted median and additional parking on Bank Row.
Galloway also floated the possibility of food trucks, a market, picnic tables and “community-building” programming filling the blocked portion of Park Street in South Deerfield. If community members voice support for closing off Park Street, she mentioned the possibility of green space replacing the asphalt after the project ends.
She expects drivers and pedestrians’ experiences to help answer the questions, “Do people like it? Do people hate it? Do we need to shift it?” and “Is it worthwhile to add more space to the common? How much does that impact our businesses?” before town officials consider making any of the temporary shifts permanent.
“It will be really impactful I think — good or bad, we’ll at least know,” Galloway said.
With installation of the temporary structures expected to start in the spring or summer of 2027, Galloway stressed that the project will not overlap with construction on Elm Street, which is set for this spring.
The project represents another step in the direction of strengthening the center of South Deerfield, Galloway added, from the Elm Street repairs to the Tilton Library expansion and 1888 Building renovations.
“From Elm Street,” she said, “we just want to keep on improving, moving outward and north.”