Chandler Street Redesign - Main Street to Park Avenue

Chandler Street Redesign - Main Street to Park Avenue

At a Glance

  • A Complete Streets roadway improvement of Chandler Street between Main Street and Park Avenue.
  • Design changes to improve safety and accommodations for all users.
  • Improved streetscape including lighting and landscaping elements.
  • Improved ADA access and accommodations.
  • Enhanced bus stops and improved bus stop locations.
  • Improved traffic signal coordination.
  • Estimated project cost: $ 9.2 million paid for through a combination of local funds and federal grants.
  • Construction to be complete in two phases.
  • Anticipated start of construction: 2025

Project Overview

The City of Worcester, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), is launching a project to redesign Chandler Street between Main Street and Park Avenue. Chandler Street is a vital artery connecting neighborhoods with schools, businesses and healthcare services.

Chandler Street is also one of the highest crash cluster locations in Massachusetts. The current conditions on this section of Chandler Street present safety challenges for everyone using the street whether they are driving, cycling, walking or traveling in a wheelchair. This project aims to comprehensively address these concerns to make the corridor a safer place to live, visit and do business by improving access and travel accommodations for everyone who uses Chandler Street. The proposed changes will help reduce speeding, upgrade streetscapes, improve connections for cyclists and pedestrians, improve accessibility and ADA accommodations and coordinate traffic signals to improve traffic flow.

The new design for Chandler Street will be developed, with public input, over the course of 2021. The project will be constructed in two phases. Phase I will extend from Main Street to Queen Street. Phase II will extend from Queen Street to Park Avenue. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2025.

Project Timeline

  • Roadside Safety Audit - March 2021 (Completed)
  • Public Meeting #1 Issues, Opportunities and Existing Conditions - Sept 2021 (Completed)
  • Public Meeting #2 Improvement Concepts - Fall 2022 (Date TBD)
  • Design Public Hearing - Early 2023 (Date TBD)
  • Final Engineering Design - Fall 2024
  • Phase I Construction - 2025
  • Phase II Construction - 2026

Public Participation

Members of the public are invited to submit comments and questions electronically via the following feedback form. Alternatively, you may email comments/questions to chandlerstreet@worcesterma.gov.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you would like to be contacted regarding your comment, be sure to leave your email address with your comment/question:


FAQs

  • Improving safety for all modes of travel and all users of Chandler Street is a primary goal of the project. This can be done by reducing conflicts between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, managing travel speeds, and improving accommodations for all users. Some of the techniques that will be considered during the design of the project include:

    • A "Road Diet" is a common approach that reconfigures an oversized road to one with fewer lanes in order to improve safety and accommodations for all users. Streets that have been converted by road diet can operate at the same or similar capacity to the wider street, but with reduced speeding, fewer conflicts between turning vehicles, improved accommodations for bicycles and pedestrians and reduced distances pedestrians need to cross the street.
    • Center medians can facilitate safer pedestrian crossings and improve control of vehicle movements from driveways and cross streets.
    • Upgraded wheelchair ramps and other ADA accommodations allow people with mobility issues to safely navigate the street.
    • Flashing beacons such as a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (HAWK) or a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) are proven safety measures that may be appropriate at mid-block or other crossings not located at intersections controlled by traffic signals.
    • Buffered bicycle lanes or a separated shared use path can provide a safe way for people to navigate Chandler Street on a bicycle.
    • Improving the coordination between traffic signals and updating those signals along the corridor can improve traffic flow and safety.
  • While the project is under construction, some on-street parking spaces along the corridor will be temporarily out of service. Access to off-street parking lots will be maintained, and any necessary disruptions will be coordinated with the property owners and communicated in advance.

    As part of the redesign of the street, on-street parking will be evaluated in a comprehensive corridor-wide basis to determine where parking is needed and how it can be best managed. Some areas where on-street parking exists today may be eliminated due to space constraints or underutilization.

  • Yes. Access for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians will be maintained throughout the corridor for the duration of this project. Construction will be staged to ensure safe movement of all users of the corridor during construction. We anticipate that any roadway closures and detours will be limited to short durations (overnight & weekends).

  • Separating the project into two phases will allow funding to be secured to start work sooner. Given the scope and scale of the project, constructing it into two phases will also help limit the area of construction impacts that occur at any given time.

  • Yes, the project will include new sidewalks with street furniture and urban-scale landscaping including street trees. The road diet process and incorporation of complete streets measures will likely add additional public spaces and place-making opportunities.

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