City of Lawrence seeking input on possible multimodal infrastructure improvements along stretch of Massachusetts Street

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World File Photo

Liberty Memorial Central Middle School is pictured in September 2018.

The City of Lawrence is conducting a study to develop new multimodal infrastructure along a stretch of Massachusetts Street, and it’s asking for community input on goals and priorities for any future improvements.

Multimodal transportation infrastructure accounts for all types of transportation — like walking, biking, driving and riding public transit — rather than just one type.

The city is hosting an open house-style community meeting from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, in the library at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, 1400 Massachusetts St. The school sits at one end of the portion of the street the city is examining for improvements — the area from the intersection of 14th Street to 23rd Street.

That corridor is part of the priority bikeway network for the Lawrence Bicycle Plan, the city’s guide for crafting a safer and more comfortable bike network. The study will include safety, efficiency and equity considerations for walking, biking, driving and riding public transit.

At the open house, people are free to come and go as they please, and members of the project team will be available to review project information, answer questions and receive feedback from community members.

According to more detailed information about the project available on the city’s website, two more open house meetings are scheduled through March 2024, and the concept development and refinement process is slated to take place during the same time period.

One current design consideration, according to the website, is potentially reconfiguring this portion of Massachusetts Street from a four-lane undivided roadway to a three-lane road consisting of two through lanes and a center two-way left-turn lane.

Another page dedicated to the project on the city’s Community Engagement Portal notes that a community survey will be linked there soon as a resource for gathering information about community values, preferences and vision related to the project.