A note from Rachel Maiore, City Councilor, Ward 7

Hello Fellow Leedsians! You may have noticed the temporary ‘no parking’ signs from last year are back on Grove Avenue, Front Street, Florence Street and Main Street in Leeds. More permanent signage is on its way. Last month City Council voted to make these restrictions permanent, based on safety assessments by Director LaScaleia of the DPW. Director La Scaleia had suggested the restrictions be seasonal as well, since her safety concerns centered mainly on the increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the summer months. Many Councilors had concerns about setting a precedent for Northampton to allow seasonal and permit parking, as they are seen as potentially inequitably restrictive on the public‘s use of what are public ways. I hold these concerns -and also want to acknowledge that, on a practical level, the parking restrictions, especially existing all year round, disproportionately impact those who rely on on-street parking; visitors and residents alike, in particular many renters.

In response to feedback from some residents on Main Street, Councilor Jarrett and I have asked Director La Scaleia to reassess the sidewalk side of Main Street to see if there may be places where the street is wide enough to safely add a few parking spaces. For the same reason Director LaScaleia and I agreed that, though it was a tough decision, it was better to maintain parking on the riverside of Main Street because there are approximately 10 more parking spaces on that side. We felt maximizing available parking was paramount for residents, as well as visitors.

Acknowledging the burdens the new parking restrictions bring, I encourage folks to reach out with any feedback to me at rmaiore@ northamptonma.gov, ‘cc’ing DPW Director and Transportation and Parking Chair Donna LaScaleia, dlascaleia@northamptonma.gov.

On a non-car note; ValleyBike, the regional electric-assist bike share program is coming to Leeds Village! Soon ValleyBike will be placing a bike station on Main Street near Mulberry Street intersection for quick access to the bike path. You can learn more about the program and their free equity passes at https://valleybike.org.

Wishing you well,

Rachel