Chandler Street Redesign - Main Street to Park Avenue

Chandler Street Redesign - Main Street to Park Avenue

At a Glance

  • A Complete Streets roadway redesign of Chandler Street between Main Street and Park Avenue.
  • Design changes to reduce crashes and improve safety and accommodations for all users.
  • Improved streetscape including lighting and landscaping elements.
  • Improved ADA access and accommodations.
  • Enhanced bus stops and improved bus stop locations.
  • Improved traffic signal coordination.
  • Estimated project cost: $ 10.6 million paid for through a combination of local funds and federal grants.
  • Construction to be complete in two phases.
  • Anticipated start of construction: 2026

Project Overview

The City of Worcester, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), has undertaken a project to study and redesign Chandler Street (Route 122) between Main Street and Park Avenue. Today, Chandler Street sees a combination of high speeds mixed with congested intersections, frequent vehicular crashes, and a lack of modern accommodations for those cycling, using micro-mobility devices, taking public transit or walking, all of which was underscored by attendees at a public meeting held for this project in Summer 2021. This project aims to make the Chandler Street corridor a safer and more inviting place to live, visit, travel and do business.

Based on what we have learned from community input and technical analysis, the project team proposes a redesign of Chandler Street that helps lower vehicle speeds, reduce pedestrian crossing distances and generally improves safety for all users. Implementation of a two-way left turning lane will help maintain mobility for private vehicles, delivery trucks and WRTA buses. Additionally, repurposing a travel lane and parking spaces allows the introduction of:

  • Safety improvements, such as fully protected intersections, shortened crossings and median refuges for pedestrians.
  • Dedicated and protected bike and micro-mobility infrastructure.
  • Improved bus stops equipped with shelters and amenities.
  • Modern streetscape, including green storm water management, to help create a sense of place on Chandler Street.

November 2023 Public Meeting Recap

The City of Worcester hosted a public meeting on November 16, 2023 at Worcester Common Ground King Community Center. This meeting focused on review of existing conditions and opportunities in the corridor, and included presentation of the current corridor improvement concept. Following this meeting, the project team will develop detailed plans for presentation at the 25 Percent Design Public Hearing in Spring 2024.

Project Timeline

  • Roadside Safety Audit - March 2021 (Completed)
  • Public Meeting #1 Issues, Opportunities and Existing Conditions - Sept 2021 (Completed)
  • Public Meeting #2 Improvement Concepts - November 2023 (Completed)
  • Design Public Hearing - 2024 (Date TBD)
  • Final Engineering Design - 2024 - 2025
  • Phase I Construction - 2026
  • Phase II Construction - (Date TBD)

Public Participation

Members of the public are invited to submit comments and questions electronically via the following feedback form. Alternatively, you may email comments/questions to chandlerstreet@worcesterma.gov.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you would like to be contacted regarding your comment, be sure to leave your email address with your comment/question:


Have a Question?

  • While the project is under construction, some on-street parking spaces along the corridor will be temporarily out of service. Access to off-street parking lots will be maintained, and any necessary disruptions will be coordinated with the property owners and communicated in advance.

    As part of the redesign of the street, on-street parking will be evaluated in a comprehensive corridor-wide basis to determine where parking is needed and how it can be best managed. Some areas where on-street parking exists today may be eliminated due to space constraints or underutilization.

  • Improving safety for all modes of travel and all users of Chandler Street is a primary goal of the project. This can be done by reducing conflicts between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, managing travel speeds, and improving accommodations for all users. Some of the techniques that will be considered during the design of the project include:

    • "Rightsizing" is a common approach that reconfigures an oversized road to one with fewer lanes in order to improve safety and accommodations for all users. Streets that have been converted by road diet can operate at the same or similar capacity to the wider street, but with reduced speeding, fewer conflicts between turning vehicles, improved accommodations for bicycles and pedestrians and reduced distances pedestrians need to cross the street.
    • Center medians can facilitate safer pedestrian crossings and improve control of vehicle movements from driveways and cross streets.
    • Upgraded wheelchair ramps and other ADA accommodations allow people with mobility issues to safely navigate the street.
    • Flashing beacons such as a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (HAWK) or a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) are proven safety measures that may be appropriate at mid-block or other crossings not located at intersections controlled by traffic signals.
    • Separated or buffered bicycle lanes provide a safe way for people to navigate Chandler Street on a bicycle.
    • Improving the coordination between traffic signals and updating those signals along the corridor can improve traffic flow and safety.
  • Separating the project into two phases will allow funding to be secured to start work sooner. Given the scope and scale of the project, constructing it into two phases will also help limit the area of construction impacts that occur at any given time.

  • Yes. Access for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians will be maintained throughout the corridor for the duration of this project. Construction will be staged to ensure safe movement of all users of the corridor during construction. We anticipate that any roadway closures and detours will be limited to short durations (overnight & weekends).

  • Yes, the project will include new sidewalks with street furniture and urban-scale landscaping including street trees. The road diet process and incorporation of complete streets measures will likely add additional public spaces and place-making opportunities.

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