GREENFIELD — A week after the city announced the completion of a new bike plan, Planning Director Ella Wise said steps are being taken to implement its recommendations to expand and improve cycling routes throughout Greenfield.

“We have already submitted an inquiry for a grant with the state to build out a bike network from Greenfield to Montague,” Wise said. “The next thing is communications, so we’ll be presenting to the Planning Board and City Council to get feedback on prioritization.”

The plan, developed by Conway School of Landscape Design students Grace Morton, Brian Burke and Bennett Zimmerman, reviewed existing infrastructure for cyclists, and the wants and needs of community members by holding community engagement sessions. The plan recommends the city redesign, improve and build out 10 sections of a bike network.

“Biking is an efficient, healthy and affordable way to get around,” Mayor Ginny Desorgher said in a statement. “This plan will help us make Greenfield a place that better supports residents who want to go by bike.”

According to the plan, having a city that is walkable, bikeable and connected to public transportation is “critical,” as “15% of Greenfield households do not have access to a vehicle.” Improving bicycle infrastructure would allow for better mobility throughout the city for these households, as well as improved recreational activities for other residents.

A map of existing and proposed bike routes in Greenfield. Credit: SCREENSHOT / GREENFIELD BIKE PLAN

“As Greenfield looks to the future, the city has identified the need to establish a network of safe, comfortable and intuitive bike routes. These routes are designed with the user experience in mind, connecting residential neighborhoods with key destinations such as schools, parks and shopping areas,” the plan states. “Bike infrastructure can be applied in various forms, including on-road painted bike lanes, shared-use paths that accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians, and road-separated cycle tracks. The choice of infrastructure type depends on physical conditions, such as traffic volume, vehicle speed and available space.”

The plan recommends the city redesign, improve and build out 10 sections of a bike network, which includes bike paths connecting Greenfield to Montague:

The Conway School of Landscape Design recommends installing physical barriers between bike and vehicle travel lanes. Credit: SCREENSHOT / GREENFIELD BIKE PLAN
  • Main Street and Route 2 (Mohawk Trail): Redesign of the rotary would allow cyclists to more easily access the businesses on the other side of the rotary and connect to Greenfield Community College.
  • Federal Street: The street is a primary travel corridor for cyclists, and the painted bike lane is not sufficient for cyclist safety given the traffic. Structural changes, including installing a physical buffer, could improve safety and visibility of cyclists.
  • Silver Street: Similarly to Federal Street, Silver Street sees a high volume of traffic and could benefit from repainting existing bike lanes and installing a physical buffer.
  • North/south options: With heavy traffic on Federal and High streets, the plan recommends the city establish bike lanes on Wells Street and Davis Street as alternative paths for cyclists heading north or south.
  • East/west: Creating routes to allow travel east to west across downtown, and easier access for cyclists to travel to Baystate Franklin Medical Center, is proposed. These routes could include separate bike lanes or shared-use paths along Allen, Pierce and Beacon streets, or Grove, Arch, Garfield and Maple streets. The plan also recommends that if the city pursues a bike route through Arch Street, the Arch Street underpass be closed to vehicular traffic. It would require a 0.2-mile detour for vehicles, but would create a safer passage for cyclists and pedestrians.
  • Eastside connectors: Offshoots of the east/west routes could allow for expanded recreation and access to downtown for those living in the eastern part of the city. The plan recommends routes, including an off-road bike path connecting Beacon Field to Crescent Street.
  • Westside connectors: Similar to the eastside connectors, the plan suggests expanding bike routes on the west side of Interstate 91 to allow for better access to downtown and connection to the shopping plazas and GCC.
  • Turners Falls Road: The Conway School team wrote that 40% of survey respondents said that Turners Falls Road is an area of primary concern and bike paths connecting Greenfield to Turners Falls are needed.
  • Leyden Road: Bike routes along Leyden Road are necessary to allow residents of Leyden Woods more easy access to downtown.
  • Riverside Greenway: The plan also recommends expanding the Riverside Greenway, a 1.4-mile paved multi-use path that runs parallel to Interstate 91 and the Green River. Expanding the path would provide more recreation opportunities and access to the Green River Swimming & Recreation Area.

Wise said many of the recommendations can be addressed as the city proceeds with its Complete Streets project, and work would build upon needs identified by previous studies and plans. She hopes to prioritize recommendations that improve mobility and quality of life for residents, and plans to seek guidance from the Planning Board and City Council on which projects should be completed first as she begins seeking grant funding to turn the recommendations into reality.

“There’s been a lot of planning in the past; it’s not a new endeavor,” Wise said. “We plan to build on what’s already been done.”

The full 60-page plan is available at tinyurl.com/GreenfieldBikePlan.

Madison Schofield is the Greenfield beat reporter. She graduated from George Mason University, where she studied communications and journalism. She can be reached at 413-930-4429 or mschofield@recorder.com.