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2021 FY22 MassDOT shared streets-Award-applicationTen Park Plaza, Suite 4160, Boston, MA 02116 Tel: 857-368-4636, TTY: 857-368-0655 www.mass.gov/massdot Charles D. Baker, Governor Karyn E. Polito, Lieutenant. Governor Jamey Tesler, Acting MassDOT Secretary & CEO HEADING July 1, 2021 Wayne Feiden Planning and Sustainability 210 Main Street Northampton, MA 01060 Dear Wayne Feiden: Thank you for submitting a project application to the MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces Program. Your project application has been reviewed, and we are pleased to notify you that your Hybrid: Main Streets and Safe Streets and Paths project has been approved for funding. We received many applications and had a competitive applicant pool from which to select, and your application stood out. Northampton’s Hybrid: Main Streets and Safe Streets and Paths project will be funded at $50,000.00 under Chapter 90 Contract Number/ MMARS #50917. Ongoing maintenance, operational, and enforcement costs associated with a project are not eligible uses of this funding. The Shared Streets and Spaces Program is intended to support projects that promote public health, safe mobility, and renewed commerce by providing new or repurposed space for socially-distanced walking, bicycling, dining, retail, civic activities, and bus travel. Because of the urgency of this effort, the Northampton project will need to be fully implemented by December 31, 2021. Please note that any pavement markings or signage included in your project that are not compliant with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices should be used with caution, and only on a temporary basis. Please feel free to contact the Shared Streets Team to discuss this issue in more detail, if needed. Upon project completion, award recipients are required to submit a post-construction report, which will be provided to the municipality by MassDOT. We also ask that you document the project's progress by taking before, during and after photos of your Shared Streets and Spaces installation. We are excited to work with you and the full Northampton team as this project advances. Sincerely, Jamey Tesler Acting Secretary and CEO Northampton Shared Streets project Items Materials Installation TOTAL Planters $13,000 $3,000 $16,000 Lighting $20,000 $10,000 $30,000 Signage $500 $1,000 $1,500 Bicycle Racks $2,000 $500 $2,500 TOTAL $35,500 $14,500 $50,000 UV9£¤5KING S T SOUTHSTAMBERLNBREWSTERCTMAIN STBRIDCRAFTS AVEPLEASANT STCENTERCTMASONICSTRANDOLPH PLRAILROAD AVE G O TH IC STSHORT STHAMPTONAVEBUTTON STPEARL STMERRICK LNST CENTERSTJOHN MYGLAND RDARMORY STGLEASON PLZSTRONGAVESOUTH STUnder bridge lightingPlanters to block Summer on Strong, ourclosing of a portion of Strong Avenue foroutdoor dining and musicInitial install of planters for outdoor dining. Planters will both extend protected areas and replace some of the ugly concrete blocks.Planters to block Summer on Strong, ourclosing of a portion of Strong Avenue foroutdoor dining and music     Northampton Shared Streets and Spaces Application—Supplemental Information Thank you for the opportunity to address your questions on our Shared Streets application Plans: Attached is our 2021 installation plan focused on the planters and planter lighting and the bridge lighting. Relationship to 2020 Shared Streets and Spaces Project: Our 2020 shared streets and spaces was fabulously successful in some aspects.  Planters: The planters we purchased with MassDOT funding are beloved, were used all of last year until snow fall to block off shared spaces in streets, parking lots, and parks. They were redeployed this year are in great demand for eating and drinking establishments and public spaces. Unfortunately, there are not enough of them and we have had to supplement them with ugly concrete blocks. Purchasing more planters for this year, to replace concrete blocks, random pieces of wood, and other less attractive barriers, is a core element of our current application.  Wayfinding: The permanent smart directional signs to our parking garage (that show the number of parking spaces available), purchased with MassDOT funds, are extremely popular and set off a discussion about better wayfinding downtown. Installing lighting under our dark and dingy bridges, to add wayfinding and re-knit two disconnected sections of our downtown, is a direct outcome of last year’s efforts and is a core element of our current application.  Success: Our biggest success was all the wayfinding and street and public spaces that were activated by public and private dining, drinking, and recreation activities and that added bodies to the street. Everything we propose to do this year is an outgrowth of what worked and people loved.  The controversial elements of our 2020 project were creating shared spaces where businesses were not ready to activate those spaces land where the city could not activate those spaces because of Covid restrictions. We are not replicating any of those elements. Engagement: In preparing our 2021 shared streets and spaces application, we drew on extensive public forums we held on Picture Main Street (the redesign of Main Street for 2025 construction) and the Commonwealth’s Rapid Recovery program, as well as focus groups with the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Northampton [business] Association, and others. This project grew directly out of that engagement and we selected only those items that had a huge amount of community support.     Our community loves our shared spaces. We want a combination of planters (that can look beautiful) and concrete blocks (for safety and where there is space). We need, however, a great mix of planters to create more attractive areas and a narrower footprint.