North Street FAQ

There have been many questions raised since the installation of the new design on North Street. These changes were prompted by concerns related to speeding and unsafe roadway conditions on North Street for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Please click here to read the FAQ document. This FAQ is intended to help provide fact-based responses to common questions related to this project.

 

North Street Trash and Recycling Cart Placement

With the North Street for All Safety Enhancement Project in place, please place trash and recycling bins in the hatched buffer area on your pick-up day, rather than placing the bins in the bicycle lane. The images below show this buffer area with diagonal lines between the parking lane and the bicycle lane. If there is only a bicycle lane with a buffer in front of your residence, please still place the bins in this area rather than in the bicycle lane. In accordance with the Waste Management guidelines, place carts with wheels facing the house, so the lid opening faces the street. Carts should be at least 3 feet from trees, cars, or other items to allow access by Waste Management trucks. For additional project information or to learn more about this project's process, please scroll down to review the rest of this website.

  

100% Design Plans are Now Available

Please click here to open the 100% Design Plans for North Street.

FAQ: How wide are the travel lanes in the new configuration compared to what they were previously?

The vehicular travel lanes on North Street, prior to the North Street for All Safety Enhancement Project, were 15 feet wide in each direction with a 25 mph speed limit. In comparison, the travel lanes on Route 128 are 12 feet wide with a speed limit of 55 mph. By reducing the width of the travel lane on North Street, the additional width was reallocated to the bicycle lane and buffer as well as formalized parking spaces. Click here to see the cross-section comparison of Route 128, North Street pre-striping, and North Street with the roadway striping in place.

Project Implementation Update - October 26, 2022

As you may be aware, implementation of the North Street project is now underway and is around 90% complete. The majority of new striping work on the street is completed. Work is underway to install high-visibility markings for the bike lanes, flex posts to help delineate the street, and other final elements.

To help the neighborhood acclimate to the new design, educational signage has been posted along the street. In addition to these signs, the Traffic & Parking Department will be utilizing the City’s CodeRED system as well as emails subscribed to this project website to inform residents about project updates. Enforcement of new parking regulations has not occurred during implementation to allow for this transition to occur, however we will provide an update when Parking Enforcement will begin issuing tickets for those parked in areas with parking restrictions. Thank you for your cooperation. For additional project information or to learn more about this project’s process, please scroll down to review the rest of this website.

  

  

 

Final Comment Period is now closed.

Thank you to everyone who has shared ideas and concerns about North Street so far! Between January 26 and February 11, the public was invited to share comments on three concepts for North Street. The comments period has closed, however you can see the comments people wrote in by clicking on the 'Final Comment Period" button above. For a project history and information on upcoming meetings, please scroll down. 

The City is now reviewing all comments received online as well as from the  virtual meeting that was hosted in late January 2022. Please stay tuned for more updates!

Final Comment Period for North Street Plans Open Through February 11, 2022!

Thank you to everyone who has shared ideas and concerns about North Street so far! At a meeting on January 26, 2022, a project update and plans for North Street were shared at a joint meeting of the Salem Traffic and Parking Commission/Bicycle Advisory Committee. You can review the meeting presentation here, review comments from the meeting here, and watch a recording of the meeting here.

The plans discussed at that meeting are available on this website for comment. Please click the "Final Comment Period" button above to review the plan details and provide any comments. Comments on the plans will be open until February 11, 2022. 

Join the City for a Project Update on Wednesday, January 26, 2022!

After several rounds of meetings and public comment periods throughout 2020 and 2021, design and implementation details for North Street are nearing completion. We hope you can join us for a joint meeting of the Salem Traffic and Parking Commission and Bicycle Advisory Committee on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at 6:00 PM EST. 

Though the project was initially planned to be installed in 2021, planned utility work by National Grid delayed implementation. However, the City is excited to share that the project is expected to be implemented in 2022. For a recap of the project and to review previous meeting materials and videos, scroll down through this project website.

We hope you can join us at this meeting for a project refresher and a walk through of the project design. All meeting materials will be shared to this website following the meeting.

Meeting Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Meeting Time: 6:00 PM EST

 

July 2021 Project Update!

Thank you to everyone who has shared their time, ideas, and recommendations for North Street so far. After several rounds of meetings in late 2020 and early 2021, plans for safety and accessibility improvements on North Street are moving ahead. Utility work planned by National Grid for November of 2021 has set back plans to implement the project this year. The City is currently anticipating installation at the start of the construction season in the spring of 2022. For a recap of the project and to review previous meeting materials and videos, scroll down through this website.

Because of several recent crashes on North Street at the intersection of Symonds and Liberty Hill Ave, the City is also exploring short-term solutions to address safety at this intersection. Preliminary ideas for the intersection will be discussed at the upcoming Traffic and Parking Commission meeting on July 15 at 6:00 PM. This meeting will be virtual. Information for how to join the meeting are provided below.

Comment period for Draft North Street Plans Open Through March 14, 2021!

Thank you to everyone who has shared ideas and concerns about North Street so far! At a meeting on February, 25, 2021, draft plans for North Street were shared at a joint meeting of the Salem Traffic and Parking Commission/Bicycle Advisory Committee. You can review the meeting presentation here and watch a recording of the meeting here.

The plans discussed at that meeting are available on this website for comment. Please click the "Share Your Thoughts on Draft Plans" button above to review the plan details and provide any comments. Comments on the plans will be open until March 14, after which all comments will be reviewed and considered during plan revisions. You can also view a full planset by clicking here. 

Join the City to review plans for North Street at an upcoming meeting on February 25, 2021 @ 6PM!

Thank you to all the neighbors, business owners, and other community members who have shared ideas and comments so far on the North Street Safety and Accessibility project. At three meetings during the fall of 2020, we shared early concepts with the community for North Street that will reduce vehicle speeds, shorten crosswalks, provide bike lanes, and respond to other community feedback. Since then, we have used the comments we received to prepare draft plans for North Street. Please join us on February 25 at 6PM at a joint meeting of the Salem Traffic & Parking Commission/Salem Bicycle Advisory Committee to learn about the proposed plans and share your comments.

This meeting will be virtual - please mark your calendars! Details for how to join the meeting are provided below. The plans will also be shared to this website following the meeting.  

Comment period for Concepts is now closed.

Thank you to everyone who has shared ideas and concerns about North Street so far! Between October 30 and November 6, the public was invited to share comments on three concepts for North Street. The comments period has closed, however you can see the comments people wrote in by clicking on the 'Share Your Thoughts on Concepts" button above. For a project history and information on upcoming meetings, please scroll down. 

The City is now reviewing all comments received online as well as from the three virtual community meetings that were hosted in October and November. Please stay tuned for more updates!

Fall 2020 Project Update!

Between July and August, over 125 community members shared their thoughts, concerns, and ideas for North Street. A virtual public workshop on July 21, 2020 kicked off the outreach process where the City provided an overview of the existing conditions on North Street followed by breakout sessions where neighbors discussed how North Street works for the wide range of people who use the street. If you missed the meeting, a full recording of the presentation is available here. An online survey and online feedback map provided additional opportunities for people to weigh in on their own time. Since then, the City has read all the comments, crunched the numbers, and documented the results in a brief summary of the feedback received so far. Take a look!

What’s Next?

In October and November, the City is headed to neighborhood association meetings, the Bicycle Advisory Committee, and the Traffic and Parking Commission to discuss options for North Street that were built from the community comments. Please join us at one of the meetings below:

  • Joint Meeting of Mack Park and Northfields Neighborhood Associations (Completed - check out the recording below)

Wednesday, October 28, 2020, 6:00 PM

Thank you to all the neighbors who joined us on October 28 for the Joint Mack Park/Northfields Neighborhood Association Meeting! If you weren't able to make the meeting, the full meeting recording is available here. In addition, a PDF of the presentation is available here.

  • Salem Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting (Completed - read meeting minutes below)

Wednesday, November 4, 2020: 6:30 PM

Minutes for the meeting are available for review here.

  • Salem Traffic and Parking Commission (Completed - read meeting minutes below)

Thursday, November 19, 2020: 6:30 PM

Minutes for the meeting are available for review here.

Couldn't make the July 21 meeting? Rewatch the recording and take the Survey!

On Tuesday, July 21, 2020 we held a Virtual Community Meeting & Workshop to engage neighbors in a discussion about safety and access improvements for North Street. Couldn't make it? You can watch a recording of the meeting presentation by clicking here. You can also complete the workshop activity on your own by clicking this survey link. The survey will remain open for 2 weeks until August 7, 2020.

Question title

Do you have specific ideas for improving safety and access on North Street?

Click 'add point' to add a comment at specific locations on North Street. To save the comment, click 'post with comment' when you have finished writing your comment.