NORTHAMPTON – Planning and Sustainability Director Wayne Feiden announced that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) officially accepted the city’s Complete Streets Prioritization Plan, meaning the city can potentially secure funding for transportation enhancements and other Complete Streets projects to continue the city’s pursuit of a more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly landscape.

Introduction

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, a local civil engineering consulting and design firm, was tasked by Northampton to develop a Complete Streets Project Prioritization Plan (CSPPP) to assist the city in the prioritization, planning, and budgeting for future active transportation and complete streets projects that would be reviewed by MassDOT to potentially secure funding for enhancements across the city.

A Complete Street is one that provides safe and accessible options for all travel modes, walking, bicycling, transit, motor vehicles and other mobility devices – for people of all ages and abilities.
MassDOT implemented a complete streets program in 2016 so that municipalities could fund projects that create safe mobility for all users, eliminate gaps in existing networks, and provide new or enhanced connections to key nodes within a community. According to the Complete Streets memorandum,

Northampton took advantage of the program and submitted a CSPPP in late 2016 and received implementation funding of $400,000 in 2017 and $78,605 three years later. The city’s desire to update the 2016 CSPPP affords the opportunity to capture up to $321,395 in funding within the minimum four-year timeline of the updated 2022 prioritization plan.

Complete Streets improvements may be large scale, such as corridor-wide improvements that include separated bicycle lanes, shared use paths, improved sidewalks and new bus stops; or a small-scale improvement, such as a bus shelter to encourage transit use, or an enhanced crosswalk. Other Complete Streets project examples include improved street lighting, minor changes to traffic signal timings, new bicycle or pedestrian facilities, a median refuge island, or improved connection to transit.

In Northampton’s own CSPPP, 37 different Complete Streets projects are recommended, many of which range from bicycle lane additions to crosswalk and sidewalk installation, as well as other projects that mitigate safety concerns.

The present

“We have a detailed Bike & Pedestrian Master Plan that’s part of our citywide Master Plan,” Feiden told Reminder Publishing. “That’s the big picture.”

According to Feiden, the CSPPP is a much more detailed list of possible projects the city could embark on with MassDOT funding, but it is not the end all be all.

“[The CSPPP] list isn’t necessarily everything the city is going to be doing,” Feiden added. “It’s specifically about things we will be applying for MassDOT funding more.”

In the past, Northampton has received funding from MassDOT for two different projects involving Complete Streets, all in an effort to make the city more bike and pedestrian friendly. One project involved improvements to Pleasant Street, while another involved an off-ramp project from the Mass. Central Bike Path to Edwards Square thanks to $70,000 provided by MassDOT.

“The Complete Streets project specifically funded those,” said Feiden. “But then, we’re doing other projects, as well.”

For example, the city is currently working on a Complete Streets project from North Street to the bike path using state and federal funds. The city is dropping a lane on King Street so there can be more sidewalk and bicycle accommodations to make it safer for pedestrians to cross.

According to Feiden, the city is also beginning a Complete Streets project in Florence where an “unsafe” intersection on Main Street needs to be addressed. “The Complete Streets is both the specific MassDOT funding program and a commitment from the city,” said Feiden.

With MassDOT officially accepting Northampton’s CSPPP, Northampton can now apply for grants under that plan. The top two priority projects, according to the CSPPP, includes the addition of bike lanes on New South Street and Bridge Street. Other possible projects include safety improvements at rail trail crossings, as well as a $1 million project for design and construction of sidewalks close to Bridge Street School.

“We want to make every sidewalk and every street walkable, but our top priorities are areas within walking distance of schools and areas within walking distance of commercial districts,” Feiden added. “We’re trying to do everything, but we are definitely trying to prioritize those projects most critical to environmental justice.”

To view the city’s CSPPP document and learn more about the Complete Streets process and how it affects Northampton, visit https://northamptonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19849/Northampton-CSPP-Summary-Memo-Final_20220419.