NDPW Team: Abby Morton, Kit McLewee, Annabel Shein, Madison Bates
2020-2021: In collaboration with the Northampton Department of Public Works (NDPW), this student team prepared a Complete Streets design for South Street in Northampton, MA. Complete Streets infrastructure is intended to provide safer, more accessible, and more equitable roadways for all users regardless of age or ability; Northampton adopted Complete Streets practices in 2015.
The team first completed extensive research on Complete Streets approaches and design principles. The team then conducted field work on the 1-mile span of South Street, collecting data on existing conditions and generating GIS maps of key street features and geometry. The team explored and evaluated a range of different design elements (e.g., bike lanes, roadway lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting, signage, parking, paving materials, greenbelts), ultimately recommending a conceptual design package that prioritized safety and accessibility at a reasonable cost. The team prepared AutoCAD drawings and an associated cost estimate for their recommended design, which they delivered to their NDPW liaisons to inform future planning.