Nelson Nygaard memo 12 22 2010CITY OF NORTHAMPTON
Mayor Mary Clare HigginsCity Hall210 Main Street Room 12Northampton, MA 01060-3199(413) 587-1249 Fax: (413) 587-1275mayor@northamptonma.gov
TO:City Councilors
FROM:Mayor Clare Higgins
RE:Main Street/King Street Transportation Planning and Design Charrette
DATE:December 22, 2010
I am pleased to announce thekick-off event of a process to collect public and board input on the future design of the public portion of Main and King Streets. The outcome will be an
overall concept plan for how improve the design of city-owned road right-of-ways with an eye toward sustainability over the long run. This approach was recommended by the City’s Transportation
and Parking Commission.
This project is being completely fundedby a grant that Northampton was eligible to receive because weallowed for urban density as part of the smart growth planning (40R zoning) for the
redevelopment of Village Hill (the former Northampton State Hospital). Urban density creates an improved and stable tax base, a sense of place and community, less traffic than other
development models, and supports sustainability. This grant allows us to plan a downtown transportation system that meets the transportation and parking needs that come with urban density
and will be more efficient, user-friendly, and sustainable.
We will be using other portions of that same grant in the near future to improve bicycle lanes on South Street and possibly on West Street.
There have already been a number of initiatives to improve specific portions of Main and King Streets. For example:Smith College recently improved line painting at the State/New South/Main
intersection;We have studied and considered other larger changes to the State/New South/Main/West intersections including signalization changes;We are working on the design of reconfigured
Summer/King/NorthStreet intersections;We are currently working on changes to King Street zoning;We will soon be working on the design of Hatfield and North King StreetsWe are working
on design of Damon/King/Bridge Road;Our parking system is continually streamlining and finding efficiencies.In order to create the best design and save the taxpayers’ money, however,
we need an overall vision for these transportation corridors. We cannot think about projects in isolation. We need a broader view to consider how each decision will affect the flow
of traffic leading into and out of our city’s center.
To this end, I have authorized hiring Nelson\Nygaard, one of the premier transportation planning firms in the country, for $24,814. Nelson\Nygaard will engage the public, our board
and committee members, and our city staff during an intense three day charrette. They will then provide us with an overall concept plan and recommendations. Again, this contract is
fully funded by the state grant we have received.
I have asked Wayne Feiden, FAICP, Director of Planning and Development, Teri Anderson, Director of Community and Economic Development, and Ned Huntley, PE, Director of Public Works,
to work with Nelson\Nygaard to coordinate this project.
I hope that you will participate yourselves and that you will help me to spread the word through your neighborhood associations and ward mailing lists so that many of your constituents
will participate as well. The more input and information Nelson\Nygaard can collect, the better their final recommendations to us will be.
Please feel free to contact me if you have additional questions about this upcoming project. I believe it holds a great deal of promise to help us improve safe and efficient public and
private transportation along the Main Street and King Street corridors for people who visit, live and work here.