I got dirty looks from everyone years ago for suggesting Fairhaven discontinue the one block of Center Street between the Town Hall and the library and making that more of a town green. This is already done on five Thursday nights in the summer for the concerts. It was also done this year of the Olde-Tyme Holiday Village. (And a larger area is shut down for the Homecoming Day Fair, Pride Day, and the Manjiro Festival.) The "street" area could possibly remain hard surfaced, allowing food trucks to park or dancing, if the road were blocked by removable bollards.
On that block as it is, there are just 4 to 5 legal parking spaces on the north side of Center. Blocking it at William and Walnut would not decrease the number of spaces. It might even add one or two, depending on the length of the vehicles, because space on the east side of William and the west side of Walnut would offset the loss.
Making ANY changes in Fairhaven (one-way Main and Middle streets , anyone?) are going to face so much small-minded opposition that eventually I gave up trying.
Making Main Street one way south from Rte. 6 and Middle Street one way north from Ferry Street has been batted around by Town Planners and the Police Department for years. The arguments for it are easier travel with fewer side mirrors knocked off (particularly on Main from Center to South St. which is literally not wide enough for two-way travel with parked cars) and ability two widen sidewalks to allow benches and possible sidewalk dining. It would be safer for some of the larger trucks that need to access the industrial waterfront area and for buses and/or passenger vans. Overall improved traffic flow and better pedestrian (and bicycle) space.
I got dirty looks from everyone years ago for suggesting Fairhaven discontinue the one block of Center Street between the Town Hall and the library and making that more of a town green. This is already done on five Thursday nights in the summer for the concerts. It was also done this year of the Olde-Tyme Holiday Village. (And a larger area is shut down for the Homecoming Day Fair, Pride Day, and the Manjiro Festival.) The "street" area could possibly remain hard surfaced, allowing food trucks to park or dancing, if the road were blocked by removable bollards.
On that block as it is, there are just 4 to 5 legal parking spaces on the north side of Center. Blocking it at William and Walnut would not decrease the number of spaces. It might even add one or two, depending on the length of the vehicles, because space on the east side of William and the west side of Walnut would offset the loss.
Making ANY changes in Fairhaven (one-way Main and Middle streets , anyone?) are going to face so much small-minded opposition that eventually I gave up trying.
Re that block of Center-- that makes a lot of sense to me. That spot is probably the best candidate to be the town green.
What's the argument for making Main and Middle one way?
Making Main Street one way south from Rte. 6 and Middle Street one way north from Ferry Street has been batted around by Town Planners and the Police Department for years. The arguments for it are easier travel with fewer side mirrors knocked off (particularly on Main from Center to South St. which is literally not wide enough for two-way travel with parked cars) and ability two widen sidewalks to allow benches and possible sidewalk dining. It would be safer for some of the larger trucks that need to access the industrial waterfront area and for buses and/or passenger vans. Overall improved traffic flow and better pedestrian (and bicycle) space.
The argument against? Change! Oh, no!