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Traffic on Central Street
Earlier today I had an appointment in downtown Lowell and I wisely walked to it. Had I taken my car, I believe it would have taken longer to reach my destination. The photo above was taken from the vicinity of Jackson Street looking down Central towards Prescott. The bumper to bumper line of cars seems to be a routine phenomenon these days. The photograph below shows how both inbound lanes of Central Street are blocked at the bridge over the Pawtucket Canal which is currently undergoing renovations. I have no idea how long that will take.
Traffic is really getting bad throughout the city! The influx of student traffic has a big effect on city traffic as well. I’m concerned about the bridge traffic too.
The cobblestone work is being done by the City, but the bridge work is being done by Enel. Based on their work at the Pawtucket street bridge, this could be a long term project. Does such work require a permit, and does the permit include a completion date? If so, what penalties result if that approved date does not come with a completed project>
YES!
They are getting rid of the cobblestones. I hope they get ot the big intersection at central and middlesex too.
Within a few months traffic will settle, and the hopefully, we will never have to deal with those reprehensible things again.
I know quite a few people who have refused to drive through downtown because of them.
I’m no traffic engineer but won’t getting rid of the cobblestones make it easier for speeding? I thought the goal was a more pedestrian freiendly downtown? Won’t traffic INCREASE becasue those people who REFUSED to drive over them will now that they’re gone?
I’m with Brian – Central needs some sort of traffic calming measures. I understand the issues with the cobblestones, but I hope they put in raised crosswalks…although I haven’t heard that was part of the plan and they certainly weren’t placed at the Market St intersection when that work was done.
I wrote to Eric Eby, the transportation engineer over at city hall. He says we will not be getting raised crosswalks, but in addition to the granite and cement look we will be putting in, they will be striped with white paint. I hope it’s enough. From experience, I’m not convinced it will be.