Big news from Springfield, Massachusetts' third largest city, and the fourth largest in New England: it's looking at striping its first continuous bike lanes. The project is located on Plumtree Road, in the city's East Forest Park neighborhood.

Currently, Plumtree Road is a route for bicyclists (and drivers, and walkers) traveling from Springfield College to 16 Acres Square, a commercial district with restaurants and shopping.

The City of Springfield and MassBike are holding a public meeting to discuss this project on Tuesday, September 24th at 7 PM (more on that below). If you live in Springfield, please come out to express your support for this exciting improvement.

This bike lane is a great opportunity not only for bicyclists, but also for the residents along Plumtree Road. Right now, there are no sidewalks on much of the roadway and wider-than-necessary travel lanes. This forces pedestrians into the street, and the lane widths encourage speeding—making for a dangerous mix. Bike lanes will not only help bicyclists by providing dedicated lane space, but also have the documented effect of slowing down traffic. This is an all-around win—safer conditions for all users of the road—just by changing the striping pattern of the street.

The public meeting is a chance for Plumtree Road residents, along with any other community members, to ask any questions about the project. Here are the details:

Where: Concepcion Community Center, 1188 Parker Street, Springfield
Date: Tuesday, 9/24
Time: 7:00 PM

If you have any questions ahead of time, feel free to contact [email protected].

This work has been made possible through MassBike's involvement in Live Well Springfield, a coalition of community organizations, including Partners for a Healthier Community, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and the City of Springfield. This project is a direct result of that work.