A lively New England city is split over a proposed downtown redesign that would add protected bike lanes—but could take five years to complete. Local business owners worry the prolonged construction may keep customers away.
The debate is unfolding in Northampton, Massachusetts, a city of roughly 31,000 people known as the “Paradise City.” Northampton is located about 100 miles west of Boston.
The $43.3 million proposal would transform Northampton’s Main Street with separated bicycle lanes, fewer parking spaces and a narrower roadway. In some sections, the street would shrink from approximately 90 feet wide.
Construction on the first phase of the project is expected to begin in 2028. The full downtown redevelopment, known as Picture Main Street, could take five years to complete, according to the Boston Globe.
Robert McGovern, the 81-year-old owner of Packard’s bar, said the plan could seriously damage downtown businesses. “People are not going to bicycle in town to go shopping,” he said, describing the proposal as a “kiss of death for downtown.”
“Grandma is not going to be sitting in a … basket while you pedal her to Packard’s for a beer,” McGovern told the outlet. “It’s not going to happen.”
Still, the proposed Main Street redesign has attracted strong support from residents who believe the project should go even further in prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists.
“I would love to do away with all parking on Main Street,” Jennifer Nery, a local acupuncturist, told the outlet.
Northampton, Massachusetts, residents are divided over a $43.3 million plan to transform Main Street with separated bike lanes, fewer parking spaces and a narrower roadway
The first phase of Picture Main Street is expected to begin in 2028, while the complete downtown project could take five years to build
Nery said she would prefer to see “an even stronger version of a public square” incorporated into the Northampton downtown plan.
McGovern, however, argued that years of construction could make downtown Northampton even less appealing to visitors and shoppers.
“The big crowds of people we had in the 80s and 90s, they’ve gone away,” McGovern said. “And they’re not coming back.”
Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra is among Picture Main Street’s most prominent supporters. She has called the proposal a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to redesign downtown Northampton.”
Sciarra said the city should create “all available opportunities to minimize our reliance on motorized vehicles for trips that can be completed by other means.”
“Some people need to roll, walk, or bike,” she said.
Anna Bowen, who owns Strada Shoes on Main Street, said the proposed construction has left her “very nervous.”
“I’ve survived online shopping,” Bowen told the outlet. “I’ve survived Trump twice now. I’ve survived COVID.”
Even so, Bowen acknowledged that she was “not 100 percent sure” her store could survive the disruption caused by the Main Street redesign.
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Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has described the planned Main Street project as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to redesign downtown”
The city is expected to pay $11.8 million of the plan’s projected $43.3 million cost
Wayne Feiden, who previously led Northampton’s planning department for 25 years, said Main Street was built in the 19th century.
People had to visit downtown to shop then, but ‘they have other options’ now.
‘It has to be a different kind of place,’ Feiden told the Boston Globe.
Northampton resident Liza Styles said she was excited about the bike lanes, though she noted that other locals might have a difficult time adjusting to the redesign.
‘It is a huge change, and change is hard,’ Styles said.
Elizabeth Sharpe, the co-director of the Historic Northampton museum, said Main Street was ‘an idea’ that some locals might feel nostalgic for.
‘It represents order, your values, responsibility, civic virtues,’ Sharpe told the outlet. ‘It’s a place where people come together.’
Anna Bowen, the owner of Strada Shoes on Main Street, said her business ‘survived COVID’ but was ‘not 100 percent sure’ she could make it past the redesign
Nothampton, which sits about 100 miles west of Boston, is known as the ‘Paradise City’ and has about 31,000 residents
Northampton’s website for the proposal said the dedicated bike lanes would be ‘great for everyone.’
‘They result in fewer injuries, improved traffic flow, safer sidewalks, they’re better for the environment, and they make people healthier,’ the plan said.
Of the redesign’s projected $43.3 million cost, only $11.8 million is expected to be paid by the city.
The rest of the $31.5 million will come from state and federal funds for construction.
Though Northampton is known as ‘Paradise City,’ it has struggled with affordable housing and traffic accidents.
There were 497 accidents investigated in 2025, according to the Northampton Police Department.
Of those, 421 involved personal injury or property damage exceeding more than $1,000.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Northampton Mayor’s office for further comment.