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Nashua Downtown Master Plan
Streets:
Access and Connectivity
1N GREAT CITIES STREETS are more than a means of simply 7p
moving traffic. Streets are just one of the many components
creating the public realm.
This Master Plan proposes a new framework of streets and
blocks for Downtown Nashua. The framework includes con-
verting one-way streets to two-way streets, improved
streetscaping, and alignments of new streets.
Many of the streets in Downtown Nashua were converted to
one-way movement after World War II as a means of moving
higher volumes of traffic through Downtown. Typically streets
were converted in pairs, one in each direction (such as Kinsley
and Hollis or Pearl and Factory). However, some are
“orphans”--that is, they are not paired.
The public outreach process uncovered a variety of opin-
ions, both negative and positive, about one-way streets. While
they do move more traffic, there are several negative impacts:
* faster traffic, therefore a less pleasant pedestrian experience
* confusion and frustration for drivers who cannot move
through Downtown based on intuition
* needlessly additional vehicle miles due to restricted move-
ments and re-routing
+ — less desirable retail environment because businesses get
exposure to traffic during either the morning or afternoon
commute, but not both
+ diminished access to parking and other destinations
because of restricted movements
* reliance on wayfinding and signage because driving is no
longer intuitive.
For these reasons, the Master Plan recommends converting
as many one-way roads to two-way as possible. Doing so, how-
ever, is more complicated than simply removing the one-way
sign. Typically, slight reconstruction of the road and intersec-
tion, as well as new traffic signals are required. Because of the
complexity of converting streets from one-way to two, the
Master Plan recommends a phased sequence of conversions.
All streets have been categorized. A phased conversion is rec-
