WEST SPRINGFIELD – During a public hearing hosted on April 30, the Memorial Avenue Design Project was presented to citizens of West Springfield. The project is currently 25 percent designed and the hearing was hosted as a forum to discuss concerns with the current design phase.

The project entails a reconstruction of Memorial Avenue for a stretch of one and a half miles total. The project would run the length of Memorial Avenue through the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge project to the west of the Route 5 rotary. The total project cost is estimated at $22.5 million with 80 percent funded by the Federal Highway Administration and 20 percent funded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The project is expected to be completed by the summer/fall of 2022. Construction would take between three and four construction seasons.

Geoffrey Howie of Greenman-Pedersen, the design consultant for the Town of West Springfield, presented the details of the project.

“The hope is that we can move forward and get to a final design phase,” Howie said.

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission conducted a study in 2004 called the Merrick and Memorial Neighborhood study. The study entered phase two in July 2014.

“They basically came out with a study identifying ways in which the connection of the various neighborhoods to this corner could be implemented. Since that time, in 2011, the storm hit the area. That’s why we had to reconvene and put out a phase two to the study. The main point that came out of it was to look at how transportation and redevelopment can work together to improve the quality of life for residents and the economic vitality of businesses in these two neighborhoods,” Howie said.

According to Howie, the project objective is “To enhance vehicular and pedestrian safety, provide bicycle accommodations, provide compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, improve vehicular traffic operations and incorporate a boulevard character by including ‘complete streets’ design principles.” Howie explained that complete streets means “safe accommodations for all users.”

Howie explained that there are a number of existing issues with the current design of Memorial Avenue. The issues listed were:

•Intersection safety (Bridge Street and Union Street)

•Deficient pedestrian, bicycle and ADA accommodations

•High speeds along corridor

•Uncontrolled access along corridor

•Deficient transit facilities

•Deteriorating pavement condition

•Deficient drainage and sewer system

•Lack of a safe connection to the surrounding neighborhoods

“We understand that the neighborhoods want a safe corridor. They want access to a safe corridor. We feel pretty confident that this would provide that,” Howie said.

Showing photos of select areas of Memorial Avenue, Howie described specific issues at each location.

Howie described issues near Lattitude Restaurant, located at 1338 Memorial Ave. “Unfortunately, [this was] the site of a fatality not too long ago. You can see the wider lanes. They are wider lanes than we normally propose on these corridors. [There is a] lack of bicycle facilities,” Howie said.

Howie also shared that the crosswalk would no longer go across four lanes and that the area would be “tightened up.”

The second image presented was the Bridge Street intersection, located near Central Chevrolet at 675 Memorial Ave. “Looking back at the curve, obviously there was a heavy accident history here. The town had to put up the highway guards. There’s not continuous sidewalks, wide lanes, tough alignment around this curve,” Howie said.

Howie continued, “This was one of the locations that was an impetuous for this project. It’s a high-accident location.”

The third area shown was the Union Street intersection. “[It’s] another location with a high-crash rate. You can see the operation of the signal. It doesn’t really operate efficiently. The equipment is old. The striping at the intersection is faded. Wheelchair ramps are there, but they’re not compliant with standards. This would be a location that’s going to get a whole signal reconstruction. Same location, but it’s going to operate much better,” Howie said.

The last location example presented by Howie was the Big Lots plaza, located directly next to Century Plaza.

“That’s a bus stop location on that area so you can imagine, I’m sure some of you have waited for a bus there. There’s no safe place to turn or to stop for the bus. There’s supposed to be a turnout to get out of traffic and safe access for pedestrians and bus riders. There’s a not continuous sidewalk, no ramps and no shoulders for bicycles,” Howie said.

Howie reported data from a Road Safety Audit, showing that the Memorial Avenue/Bridge Street crash rate was 1.20, 0.62 higher than the statewide crash rate. The Memorial Avenue/Price Rite Driveway crash rate was 0.30, 0.28 lower than the statewide crash rate of 0.58. The Memorial Avenue/Union Street crash rate was 1.28, 0.51 higher than the statewide crash rate of 0.77. The data was measured per million entering vehicles based on crash information collected in Feb. 2016.

The proposed improvements as presented at the public hearing are:

•Implement 3 lane section (from 4 lanes) between Gate 1 and Circuit Avenue

•Reconstruct remaining 4/5 Lane Section with new medians (flush and raised)

•Provide signalized crosswalks at Latitude and Big E Entrance (RRFB) and at Circuit Avenue

•Provide 5 foot shoulders/buffered bike lanes along both sides of Memorial Avenue

•Provide an 8’ wide 2 way separated bike lane between Gate 1 and Circuit Avenue

•Reconfigure Bridge Street intersection and realign Memorial Avenue (curve)

•Reconstruct signalized intersections at Baldwin Street, Union Street and Bresnahan Street

•Reconfigure the intersections at Bresnahan Street and Main Street/Century Way

•Provide updated transit facilities

•Reconstruct CSX railroad crossing with gates

•Reconstruct Memorial Avenue pavement and install new drainage and sewer systems

“You can see that this $22-$24 million project is going to provide a lot of improvements along the corridor,” Howie said.

The complete design and permitting of the project is expected to take place between summer and fall of 2021. The construction would begin in the spring/summer of 2022.

Howie explained that paving and roadway reconstruction, drainage and utility work, lane closures and alternative traffic would occur during off-peak hours. Roadside work would take place during regular construction hours and impacts would be limited. Driveway and pedestrian access would be maintained.

After the presentation, George R. Kelly, vice president of the West Springfield City Council, commented, “I’ve been hoping to get some improvements on Memorial Avenue for a long time. There’s at least four fatalities that I know about. The storm water system seems to gain about 300,000 gallons of extra water every time there’s a significant storm. We’re glad you’re here. However, when the DOT did the rotary at the Route 5 Bridge, we lost about nine businesses. Businesses depend upon their customers being able to drive in conveniently, park conveniently and do business and leave conveniently. I know it’s not your fault, but between the Route 5 rotary, the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge and this project, we’re looking at businesses being impacted by negative customer relations for probably about 10 years. Not really your fault. I hope that businesses who are going to suffer will get adequate compensation from the state for lost business. I’m very concerned about this.”

Dominic Pompi, owner of Memo’s Restaurant located at 1272 Memorial Ave., commented, “I stand to lose parking on Memorial Avenue because of the project. I’m not opposed to the bike trail and your renovation project. All well and good. If you want to take the avenue and do what you think is right, who am I to say? I’m concerned about my customers and on-street parking. Right now, maybe 8-10 cars I get are parked on the street. On average, five an hour. At $10 a car, do the math. I’m open eight hours a day. You take them off, you hurt my business.”

West Springfield citizen Anthony Valentino also expressed concerns. “[Pompi] does need parking. His business has exploded. His capacity is overwhelming Memorial Avenue and the side streets have become dangerous parking lots where we cannot even get our families and our businesses out on Memorial Avenue without putting our lives in jeopardy. There’s numerous accidents there on a constant basis. Something has to be done,” Valentino said.

West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt said, “It’s a huge project. They are only at 25 percent and this is why we’re having these public hearings to talk through all the issues to make sure that we don’t move forward and spend a lot of money doing a project not everyone likes and it hurts people. We don’t want that.”

To view the full public hearing, visit livestream.com/accounts/5714082/westsidelive.