Complete Streets projects include street lights, bike lanes

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Complete Streets projects include street lights, bike lanes
A truck turns in front of the Old Town Hall in downtown Northborough. (Photo/Dakota Antelman)

NORTHBOROUGH – From adding bike racks to constructing new sidewalks, the Board of Selectmen got a first glance at proposed Complete Streets projects during their Oct. 17 meeting.

Megan McDevitt, who is a project manager with Woodard and Curran, said a “complete street” is when a road has been designed and operates to encompass all alternative modes of transportation for all ages and abilities.

“These are streets that are designed to think of safety, health, economics — all different things that makes your community more livable,” said McDevitt.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) oversees the Complete Streets Funding Program. The Board of Selectmen took the first step earlier this year and adopted a policy.

Northborough received a grant to develop a prioritization plan, which is a list of projects in order of priority and a schedule for implementing the projects.

Back in August, the town launched a survey to gauge feedback from residents on both prioritizing projects and identifying future projects. According to Planning Director Laurie Connors, the overwhelming response from residents identified pedestrian and bike network connections as the most important type of eligible project. It constituted 49.4% of results.

Residents said the top impediment to walking was the lack of sidewalks, and sidewalks that linked neighborhoods to downtown Northborough, commercial areas, parks and playgrounds were among the pedestrian amenities highest ranked as most needed.

“People want sidewalks that actually go somewhere,” Connors said.

Further, respondents said that dedicated off-road multipurpose trails and on-road bike lanes were the most needed bicycle amenities.

Proposed Complete Streets projects

Town staff presented a list of 25 proposed projects throughout Northborough:

  • New sidewalk on Allen Street from East Main Street to the sidewalk on the bridge
  • Two projects involve a multi-use trail on the Aqueduct Bridge and on the Aqueduct Trail
  • New bike lanes on Bartlett Street from the high school to the town line
  • Intersection improvements at the intersection of Bartlett and Maple streets 
  • New sidewalks or bike path along Bearfoot Road from the industrial park to Solomon Pond Road
  • Street lighting and street trees from on Blake Street
  • Pedestrian improvements at the intersection of Chesterfield Road and Northgate Road
  • Replacing sidewalk on Church Street from Howard to Pleasant 
  • New sidewalk on Davis Street from Lanthorn Road to existing sidewalk on Hamilton Road
  • New sidewalks, street lighting and street trees on Gale Street
  • Replacing sidewalk on Howard Street in front of Zeh Elementary School
  • New sidewalks on Hudson Street from Trinity Church to existing sidewalks on Centre Drive
  • Replacing sidewalk on Lincoln Street
  • New bike lanes on Lyman from Bartlett Street to Watson Park
  • New sidewalk on Maple Street from Ridge Road to Bartlett Street
  • Add street lighting and street trees and replace sidewalks on Pierce Street
  • New sidewalks on Pinehaven Drive
  • Replace sidewalk on Pleasant Street
  • New sidewalk on River Street from Main Street to the bridge
  • Add shared-use arrows on South Street from Main Street to Ellsworth McAfee Park
  • Replacing sidewalks on South Street
  • Adding bike racks at the library, fire station, Town Hall, Watson Park, Assabet Park and Memorial Field

After the meeting, Woodard and Curran and town staff will rank the projects, which will be presented to the selectmen for approval. 

Once approved by MassDOT, Northborough will be eligible to submit funding request to construct the projects not to exceed $500,000 within four years.

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