The Northampton City Council received a presentation Dec. 18 on a nearly final design to improve safety for students, pedestrians and bicyclists on Route 9 in front of Northampton High School. Director Donna Escalia of the Department of Public Works said the plan centers on two coordinated signalized intersections — at Elm Street and Woodlawn Avenue — that will include exclusive pedestrian phasing so all vehicle traffic stops when a pedestrian phase is activated.

Escalia said the design also calls for continuous protected bike lanes in both directions with a concrete buffer, Jersey barriers and delineators, narrowed travel lanes (reduced from 12–14 feet to about 11 feet) and reconstruction of medians and ADA-compliant curb ramps. The project would shift an inbound bus stop slightly toward downtown so the bus can pull off Route 9 and would shorten crosswalk distances to reduce exposure time for pedestrians.

Escalia told the council the crash analysis behind the project showed roughly one to two crashes per year in the study area over the last five-and-a-half years, including one fatal bicyclist crash at North Elm and Woodlawn and other pedestrian-involved crashes. She said the design evolved after extensive public input and repeated iterations, adding that the project aims to protect the most vulnerable road users during concentrated pickup and drop-off times.

On funding, Escalia said available money includes roughly $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that must be expended by Sept. 30, 2026, and about $1.5 million identified in last year’s capital plan. She said the project will be posted to the DPW website and an RFP will be issued so the city can bid in January and begin construction as soon as possible to meet the ARPA deadline.

Councilors asked whether signalization — rather than a roundabout or a road diet — was the best approach and raised concerns about the loss of a small number of parking spaces and potential conflicts between queued drop-offs and the bike lanes. Escalia responded that a roundabout would require eminent-domain takings because of nearby park and private parcels, that protected bike lanes reduce conflicts with motorists and that physical barriers are affordable but incur maintenance costs and occasional replacement. She said the design balances competing priorities and increases pedestrian protection during peak school travel times.

Next steps outlined by DPW include an ordinance change for parking restrictions on the inbound side of Route 9, additional Transportation and Parking Commission review, final design refinements in the coming days and a January bid to preserve the ARPA timeline.

Escalia said the city is confident the design ‘‘hits the core needs of protecting the most vulnerable road users’’ and urged residents to review the renderings and the FAQ the DPW will post online.