Agenda

DESIGN ASSOCIATES

design speed is incompatible with the
densely developed urban fabric (or
what should be such fabric) in the
road corridor. Design speeds in the
40-50 miles per hour range are
appropriate for suburban arterials, in
which mobility is the highest consid-
eration. For urban streets for which
access and urban street values are the
primary consideration, design speeds
of around half this amount (i.e., 25 to
30 miles-per-hour) are more appro-

priate.

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

allel alternate route to the Main
Street crossing of the Nashua River,
one of the most problematical traffic
“bottlenecks” in the City.

* The proposed Parkway provides a
large increment of new access to the
Millyard district, enabling travel
between the Millyard and the north
side of the Nashua River without

requiring the use of Main Street.

However the Master Plan team
developed an alternative which better
meets the goals of the City and Down-
town.

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

To this end, the planning team
reviewed and analyzed the current pro-
posal, interviewed the community devel-
opment staff, public works staff, and the
regional planning commission staff, con-
ducted a field examination, and applied
national experience from other similar
projects to the design of the Broad Street
Parkway.

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

ommended beginning with those streets

that are the most simple to convert (the

“orphans”) because they are not paired

with another one-way street. Streets were

categorized as follows:

* streets that are less than 30' wide and
are too narrow to convert to two-way
movement with on-street parking

* — streets that can be easily converted
because they are wider than 30’ and
are not paired with a street in the
opposite direction

I

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.

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Frameworks

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Existing 70
Main Street South

(top)

Proposed
Main Street South
(bottom)

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

mentally and be primarily driven by the

private sector. A public streetscape pro-

gram is recommended however whole-
sale public sector acquisition and
redevelopment is not necessary.

UREAN

DESIGN ASSOCIATES

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Main Street South to avoid Main Street

altogether. By removing as much local
traffic and curb cut access from Main
Street as possible, Main Street can func-
tion more effectively as a regional

through route.

Salmon Brook Park

Located south of Main Street Market-
place, Salmon Brook Park is the southern
Gateway to Downtown. The park can
create a “green” gateway.

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

ating visual interest and subtle cues to
drivers that Main Street is an environ-
ment that balances the needs of automo-
biles and pedestrians. All street
furnishings (benches, light poles, trash
receptacles) should be coordinated
through a carefully selected palate of

materials and colors.

Circulation and Parking