South Main Street, running right through Hanover, is usually buzzing with pedestrian, car and bicycle traffic. Town officials say that parts of the street are aging and in need of an upgrade.
On Jan. 13, the town unveiled a proposal for a major overhaul of a three-block section of the street. With no major upgrades since 1974, the street’s infrastructure is “failing,” Town Manager Rob Houseman said.
“We’ve had eight water breaks on South Main Street since April of last year, our underground power is failing, the streetlights themselves are problematic … our sidewalks are failing … we have stormwater issues, broken pavement, broken bricks and a whole host of issues,” Houseman said during the presentation on Jan. 13.
The town’s proposal would overhaul three blocks on South Main Street from the Wheelock Street intersection to Dorrance Place, according to senior project manager Lucy Thayer. It will add bike lanes on either side of the lane, remove 39 parking spaces and replace head-in parking with parallel parking on South Main Street. Currently, there are no bike lanes on the street.
During the presentation, town manager Robert Houseman said the town will direct traffic into “underutilized” parking garages elsewhere in town. The parking garage on Lebanon Street has 289 spaces in total, but 135 are permanently leased to holders who pay monthly fees. The town surveyed the garage in the past two weeks, and found that of the remaining 154 spots, around half are typically empty.
A proposed “raised mid-block crosswalk” at the intersection near Allen Street will slow cars down with a slight bump and decrease the distance from crosswalk to the side of street. The intersection between Main and Lebanon Street would also be raised to increase visibility and calm traffic.
The presentation is the latest step in a long process of deliberation, which began when Hanover hired Bowman Consulting Group to improve South Main Street in 2020, according to Thayer. The group surveyed the town, reviewed prior studies, then developed three preliminary plans which were voted on by around 220 residents in a survey. The Jan. 13 presentation was part of the public input phase and ended with a request for townspeople to fill out another survey. This phase will be followed by editing, cost estimates and an analysis of financing options, Thayer said.
Community members shared mixed reactions to the proposed changes. In an interview after the meeting, Hanover Bike Walk committee chairman Bill Young said he was pleased with the plans but hoped to hear more student involvement.
“I’m very positive about what was done tonight,” Young said. “There’s room for more College participation, so the students and the faculty and the staff know what’s happening and have input.”
However, some business owners were critical of the plan. Local business owner James Campion said he does not think the plan is “viable” unless the removed parking spaces are “compensated.”
“I’ve been in business in Hanover for 50 years,” Campion said. “We have always had a parking problem … This will only make it worse. We need to think about creating spaces before we take them away.”
Lou’s Bakery owner Jarett Berke supported an update to the street but conceded that not everyone would be satisfied with the changes.
“No matter what, there’s going to have to be some compromise, and some people are going to be upset with however we proceed,” Berke said. “We have to work together … as a downtown, and as a town, to figure out what the best solution is for everybody.”
