Downtown Street Direction To Change For Better Parking
Effective next month, MIddlesex St. at Pleasant St. will be shifted to allow drivers to turn directly to the nearby downtown parking center.
Note: The following notice was provided by the mayor's office.
Effective Monday, November 5, 2012, the direction of Middlesex Street at Pleasant Street will be reversed. Drivers will be able to turn left at Middlesex Street on Pleasant Street to Exchange Street and will be looking directly at the CDB Garage, which offers convenient and validated parking for downtown shopping.
The initiative for the direction change came from downtown merchants and the Chamber of Commerce and comes just in time for shopping as we prepare for the Holiday Season.
"I applaud Mayor Christenson and Councillor Nestor for taking our idea and making it a reality for us downtown merchants. Hopefully, this will be a positive solution for parking challenges and will become a permanent part of the Square's traffic flow," said Kevin Rigney, owner of Liberty Jewelers on Pleasant Street.
The direction change is proposed for three months during phase two of the Pleasant Street Reconstruction Project and will be subject to a review at that time. Both Councillor Nestor and the Mayor's office have pledged to hold discussions with the merchants on the effectiveness of the change and the Traffic Commission will then consider either extending the initiative or allowing it to expire depending upon information gathered during this period.
"I am happy to work with the merchants in the area to help increase business in any way I can. Many visitors to the area do not realize how close and how much parking there is in close proximity to Pleasant and Exchange Streets. This is an innovative way to direct consumers to a parking area so that they will patronize the many great restaurants and businesses in Malden Square", said Councillor Nestor.
Overall completion of the Pleasant Street project is expected in June of 2013.
whatsup
8:44 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
This seems odd. We can now circle Pleasant street to left on the street after S Washington to Exchange street and then left on Middlesex to left on Pleasant.
Now if I don't see parking I have to wait for the MainStreet /Pleasant traffic to make the left turn. (and unlikely to make the turn into Pleasant now)
Tony H.
10:54 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Agreed. And waiting at traffic lights will make me less likely to enter the square district. I don't want to park in a garage -- I want to circle and find on-street or lot parking. They can certainly give this a try, but I feel the more people parking in the garage will be offset by the more people avoiding the square.
If City Hall actually gets torn down, I would be for reversing the direction of both Exchange and Pleasant St to better traffic flow. Right on reds, easy and continual traffic flow, better throughput. It would also allow better funneling into the square from Route 60Exchange and Pleasant/Commercial intersections. But hey, pipe dream, right?
Amanda
11:09 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
This makes only one way to get into Malden square and is a terrible idea.
M
11:13 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Can't see this helping. I will not park in a garage. This means if I don't find parking on my first loop, then I will go elsewhere. I am not sitting through 2 lights, making that crazy left back onto Pleasant St. Good luck with that though.
Mike G.
11:26 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
But with the situation as it is presently, you'd be sitting through at least 3 traffic lights to get back onto Pleasant St, no?
Bobby James
11:34 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
@ Mike - No b/c You can take the left before the intersection with Main St to come up next to CVS and loop back down Pleasant. Now ALL streets will only lead away from Pleasant St. Seems like a horrible idea... Was there a traffic study done for this? I'm pretty sure you can't just go and willy nilly chnage one way street directions. Will signs be put up? Like, LOTS of signs? That street has been going that direction for DECADES.
Mike G.
11:42 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
I suppose there's no harm in trying it out though, right? People have been begging for some change on Pleasant St for a long time. This is at least *something*, until City Hall gets knocked down.
M
12:01 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
No lights presently Mike. Pleasant St/Exchange St. loop.... up to City Hall, down to Exchange, turn up Middlesex, back to Pleasant... repeat....
Ken Downey
2:36 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Not sure there's a positive outcome of this at all - either pay to park in the garage or you're late for your appointment/meeting/otherwise because youa re waiting at lights...or you just leave downtown and go someplace else.
Erik Royds
4:25 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Is there effective signage that clearly says "Hey! There's a big parking garage over here!"? If not, the only people who are going to turn left and be herded into the garage are those who were going to drive up the street turn left, come around and park in the garage anyway. Is the goal to utilize the garage? In Boston you sure know where the garages are, what the rates are and what the hours are, whether you want to or not. Signs are everywhere. They're tacky, but efficient.
robert wilson
4:43 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Are there any old timers here that remember when they made Exchange St two way as well as Pleasent, it didn't last very long but they tried.
paul surette
7:17 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
I grew up here back when Jordan Marsh and Woolworths were here, and I can't ever remember Exchange St. being two ways. Even when Mal's Supermarket sat where the BOA building is now (across the street from where Jordan Marsh was).
H
11:01 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Three intersections on the South side of Pleasant Street and they ALL run Southerly? ALL traffic goes through the funnel of lights on Exchange - Main - Pleasant? Insanity.
Jen Pawlowski
11:11 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
I don't see the problem with parking in the garages. Wouldn't this reduce the amount of drivers looking for on street parking along Pleasant and Exchange Streets. I agree that clear signage would help direct people.