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Letter to the Editor: Downtown project results disappointing

by | Jun 16, 2024 | Letter to Editor

West Main Street has become incredibly difficult to navigate by car. The sidewalks are absurdly wide and serve no immediate purpose. The roadway is unnecessarily constricted, and parking for adjacent businesses is challenging.

The purpose of the Main Street Corridor Project is, ostensibly, “to improve roadway safety for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as to reduce congestion throughout Hopkinton’s downtown corridor.”

The renderings on ClearGov.com depict several scattered bicyclists and pedestrians, together with a modest amount of vehicular traffic. This romantic vision of suburban bliss contrasts with reality, and it’s difficult to believe that downtown congestion will be reduced upon eventual completion of the Corridor Project.

Hopefully, the bizarre transformation of Main Street does not have a hidden agenda related to accommodating the Boston Marathon. Sure, “It All Starts Here,” but the Marathon runs only one day a year. Town residents and others who are attempting to make their way across Main Street between the Town Common and Wood Street should not have to be inconvenienced every other day of the year.

— Jeffrey Luth, Hopkinton

Editor’s note: The opinions and comments expressed in letters to the editor are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Independent. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and must include the writer’s name and contact information for verification. Letters should be relevant and not primarily for the purpose of promoting an organization or event or thanking sponsors or volunteers. Letters may be edited by the Independent staff for space, errors or clarification, and the Independent offers no guarantee that every letter will be published. For a schedule of deadlines for letters and other submissions for the print edition, click here.

1 Comment

  1. Beth Malloy

    Jeffrey you couldn’t be more correct. This project is getting as ridiculous as the big dig. Going on forever, ridiculously costly and for what? It’s ugly.

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