Revitalizing downtown Walpole: It takes a community
Part 1 of 2
1 October 2024
The town of Walpole has been proactive in creating the conditions of a vibrant central business district by undertaking studies, considering recommendations, and implementing improvements to public spaces, infrastructure and traffic flow downtown.
A well-designed public place with amenities can be an anchor and defining feature of a town center. The commons provide community space enhancing the downtown area attracting visitors and increasing foot traffic for local businesses. Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was recently allocated for improvements to the Town Common including new benches, trash barrels, dog waste stations, street planters, and landscaping improvements. A recent investment by the Town in 2023 also brought public Wi-Fi as well as piped-in music to Walpole Common in 2023.
Designated parking (click to enlarge)
Walpole is fortunate to have nearby homes to enable many folks to walk downtown to dine, shop or attend community events. For those who arrive by car, there is plenty of parking in both the municipal lot by Stone Field and the lot on the west side of Main Street off Glenwood Avenue. These lots, as well as plenty of on-street parking, are vital as the restaurants and eateries draw more customers and attention to downtown as a destination. Additionally, “P” blue wayfinding Public Parking signs were recently installed around downtown through the Town’s capital budget to help people find parking lots downtown.
2023 traffic study report.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Complete Streets program promotes roads and public ways that are accessible for people of all abilities and all modes of travel. Our Select Board has adopted the town’s Complete Street Policy thus making Walpole eligible for grant monies, for which the town applied - and received approximately $300,000. In 2023, the last items in the grant were completed which included a bus stop shelter on Main Street at the Old Town Hall and modifications to a pedestrian crossing on Common St. near the United Church.
A recent downtown traffic study evaluated all modes of transportation with particular findings on traffic signal operations, wayfinding, branding, and pedestrian/bicycle accommodations. Last year, signal control equipment at two of the three downtown signal locations was replaced to restore detection/timing functionality.
One of four charging stations expected to be operable soon at the Walpole Public Library.
More electric vehicle charging stations are needed downtown. We face a unique and timely opportunity not to just increase EV charging availability, but to merge the implementation of charging infrastructure with land use planning to make electric vehicle usage more practical, plausible, and equitable. Four charging stations with a total of eight hook-ups have been installed in the library parking lot. They are expected to be operable very soon.
Walpole is also working to improve bike access. MassDOT says the soon-to-be-completed Rt. 1A road project includes bike lanes (northbound and southbound) from the Norwood line to East St. (Rt 27). These improvements will be ready for bicyclists in 2025 and will provide better bike access to downtown, further enhancing downtown accessibility. The decision to extend the bike lanes through downtown Walpole into Norfolk would be up to the town of Walpole and MassDOT on future projects.
These are some of the amenities and investments that the Town of Walpole has undertaken for our downtown area. Join us as we work towards a vibrant downtown Walpole!
-Spotlight article contributed by Rick Ward
