It is no secret that downtown Lawrence––Massachusetts Street in particular––is the place to be when it comes to local shops, restaurants and events. During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants got permission from the city to expand their capacity and spread out tables by building platforms out onto Mass. Street. The process required covering up some parking spots in front of participating restaurants, however, doing so created pleasant outdoor eating atmospheres. The new additions were so well liked that many restaurants downtown have kept the seating arrangements in place. The expansion onto Mass. Street and its continuing support and praise from community members has caused Lawrencians to raise the question: what if Mass. Street was a pedestrian-only zone?
“I think it’s a good idea as long as they make extra parking spots to help,” says eighth grader Mateo Klish, whose family owns and operates Climb Lawrence located on Vermont Street. Mass. Street serves as one of the major parking options for downtown attendees, so if it was to be closed off to car access, the city would have to look to new parking alternatives.
“I think they would probably have to get rid of one of the parks––like South Park,” says senior William Aidan Carrassco Cooper, a downtown Lawrence resident. “My house is right next to that area,” he says, “so I think parking would just be the biggest issue. But other than that, I think it would probably be better for Mass. Street to be more open. And I mean, the cars kind of just throw off … the environment a bit.”
Luckily, Carassco Cooper doesn’t think that the establishment of a pedestrian-only zone would throw off traffic patterns too greatly: “In my opinion, there’s no real reason to drive down Mass. Street at all unless you’re parking down there, because there are easier ways to get around town,” he says.
Because of Mass. Street’s reputation as a hub for community events, it is often closed off to cars for various events throughout the year. “They do block it off quite a bit … Whenever there’s something big going on, you can’t even drive down there so it wouldn’t really be much of a difference if he just got rid of it altogether,” says Carrasco Cooper.
For some, this only adds to the case for pedestrianization of Mass. Street. During these events, “people come in with their booths and trucks and all that,” says Klish. If Mass. Street was a pedestrian-only zone year round, “people would get to see all the stuff that they’re making,” he says. “I think it would help the community in general.”
Despite the wishes of those living in the community, the actual practicality of the pedestrianization of Mass. Street can only truly be determined by business owners. “I would side with whatever the business owners downtown want,” says faculty member Eric Nelson, an ambassador of Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop located on Mass. Street. Although he is a fan of the idea himself, Nelson acknowledges the impact that a move toward pedestrianization would have on local businesses: “Downtown has taken a real hit, so I think it’d be awesome, but only if it’s good for the business owners.”
“Like 16th Street Mall in Denver; I mean, there are plenty of places where there’s a model for walking only,” says Nelson. “They have electric buses that run up and down, so I assume that some sort of a pedestrian bus would be part of this plan [in Lawrence],” he says. “You could ride for free, so you can get from one end to the other … You’d hop on the little trolley––have a cool, open air trolley in the summer––and ride up and down. Have a ding ding bell. No more Harley’s. You know?”
Whether or not a plan for the pedestrianization of Mass. Street it practical, it is clear that there is interest in the idea amongst downtown residents and shoppers.
