OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER

CITY HALL

375 MERRIMACK STREET

LOWELL, MA  01852

TELE: (978) 970-4000  FAX: (978) 970-4007

Bernard F. Lynch

City Manager

TO:                  Mayor Edward “Bud” Caulfield

                                    And

                        Members of the Lowell City Council

FROM:            Bernard F. Lynch, City Manager

DATE:             June 6, 2008

SUBJECT:       MOTION OF 05/27/08 BY COUNCILOR KAZANJIAN

Req. report on JAM Plan, roadways including the Lord Overpass

There have been a number of improvements to multi-modal transportation and circulation impacting the JAM area implemented to date and a substantial number of additional improvements proposed as part of the ongoing planning for the district.   The City of Lowell through the Division of Planning and Development and Trinity Financial, the designated developers for the Hamilton Canal District remain committed to an ongoing process of working with neighborhood businesses, residents, and other impacted stakeholders to ensure that all plans and key decisions are the product of an ongoing highly participatory public process. 

Recently Completed Improvements:

Middlesex Two-way Conversion: In an effort to support continued economic development initiatives and the construction of the City owned Early Garage, Middlesex Street was converted to two-way traffic in October 2007.  This conversion has been a success, and the City and business owners along Middlesex Street are pleased with the results. 

Improved Connections between Jackson Street and Middlesex Street: With the construction of the new Early Garage, two additional cross streets have been added to the JAM neighborhood providing direct access between Jackson Street and Middlesex Street.  This has improved traffic circulation options in the area.

Jackson Street Traffic Mitigation:  The opening of the new Early Garage also allowed the DPD, LPD, and Parking Department to work closely with neighborhood residents and institutions to improve the traffic conditions along Jackson Street, particularly in conjunction with the Lowell Community Charter School.  It was observed that many pedestrian and automobile conflicts were occurring in the area of Jackson Street around the Charter School located at 240 Jackson Street.  Following completion of the Early Garage, the City, working with the representatives from the Charter School and Jackson Street residents, developed a comprehensive traffic mitigation plan.  Among other improvements, this plan regulated on-street parking along Jackson Street, provided parking for Charter School staff in the Early Garage, and allocated a temporary parking area in the Early Garage for parents wishing to escort their children into the school.  These measures have dramatically improved traffic conditions along Jackson Street.

Closure of Hamilton Canal District Site: In response to findings by structural engineers that continued vehicle travel was contributing to their deterioration, the City closed the Hamilton Canal District site to local automobile traffic.  Because of this clear public safety concern, the City closed local automobile access to the development site.  Pedestrian access remains available.  The LPD has also reported that this closure has enhanced their ability to prevent the use of the area for criminal activity.

Proposed Improvements:

Trinity filed their Environmental Notification Form with MEPA in early May.  As part of this process, their traffic engineers were required to calculate the anticipated traffic impacts of the proposed Hamilton Canal District project, including additional growth in the neighborhood, and the proposed Lowell Trial Court.  The MEPA process also requires them to propose viable mitigation solutions to address any anticipated impacts.  Because the additional vehicle trips that

will be generated by the project are significant, several major improvements to intersections and roadways have been proposed. 

Revere Street Extension: The extension of Revere Street to Appleton Street is outlined in the JAM Urban Renewal Plan.  This extension is seen as a vital connection to provide improved automobile and pedestrian access to and from the JAM Neighborhood and the Hamilton Canal District site.  Trinity Financial also recognizes the importance of the Revere Street extension, and has included

this proposal as part of the Hamilton Canal District's traffic mitigation plan.  This extension will require City Council approval for some land acquisitions. 

Pedestrian Improvements:  The City is the recipient of a $500,000 state grant for the construction of improved pedestrian connections from the Gallagher Terminal to the JAM Plan area and Downtown Lowell.  The ongoing public planning process will further define the exact use of these funds.  Furthermore, the City is working to establish a group of interested citizens to address the need for improved pedestrian accommodations throughout Downtown Lowell, the JAM Plan neighborhood, and surrounding neighborhoods. 

South Street: South Street is commonly viewed as an underutilized access roadway to and from the JAM Neighborhood.  Trinity has proposed improvements to South Street at Highland and Gorham Streets and at its intersections with Appleton and Middlesex Streets that will facilitate its use as a key conduit to access the neighborhood and the Hamilton Canal District. 

Jackson Street Extension: The Hamilton Canal District Vision Sessions led to the exploration of an extension of Jackson Street to meet with Fletcher Street at a new intersection with Dutton Street.  This extension, proposed as part of the traffic mitigation plan for the Hamilton Canal District project, adds a much-needed pedestrian and vehicular connection to the JAM Neighborhood from Dutton Street and the Acre Neighborhood and an important new access point for the Hamilton Canal District and Trial Court sites, reducing their potential impacts on the Lord Overpass.  

Lord Overpass Improvements:  There are a number of problems with the traffic operations and physical conditions of the Lord Overpass today.  With some minor improvements, including signal timing, lane striping, signage, and a sliver widening at Middlesex Street, the roadway system can and will adequately accommodate both existing conditions and the impacts of  Phase I of the Hamilton Canal District project with no adverse impacts to existing parking or travel patterns.  However, the full build-out of the Hamilton Canal District projects a 19% increase in traffic at the overpass, necessitating a major re-design to avoid failure.  While the final proposal for the re-design is still to be determined, the proposal that was included in Trinity’s MEPA filing includes consolidating the two existing one-way bridges over the Lord Overpass into a single two-way bridge aligned with Appleton and Chelmsford Streets, thereby reducing the signal system from four signals to two, which can be more effectively coordinated to accommodate the anticipated additional traffic.  The proposal also includes improvements to a number of nearby roadways and intersections to accommodate all diverted traffic movements that are possible today.

Next Steps:

Public comments at the working groups and in informal conversations have included concerns about the Lord Overpass proposal and its impacts on existing businesses in the area.  Trinity’s engineers have identified solutions to some of these concerns, but others remain unresolved.  The DPD will be engaging a qualified traffic engineer to conduct a peer review of the proposed solutions.  We hope that a fresh review will yield a creative solution that will accommodate the demands and needs of both existing stakeholders and the proposed project, while avoiding any significant adverse impacts. 

Additionally, both the DPD and Trinity remain committed to continuing to work with all interested parties to seek effective solutions.  The next event in this ongoing conversation and process is a Traffic Working Group meeting that has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 18th from 6pm to 9pm at the Lowell Senior Center.  It is anticipated that these working group sessions will continue as we move ahead with the peer review process, ultimately culminating in the best possible solutions for all parties. 

Please contact me with any questions regarding this information.  Thank you.