The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is performing a South Street Alternatives Study to address the concerns of traffic congestion, low level of service on Route 7/20 (South Street), and north-south regional mobility in that corridor between downtown Pittsfield and the Lenox town line. South Street serves as the primary arterial highway connection between Downtown Pittsfield and I-90 and will continue to serve in this arterial highway capacity for the foreseeable future. This study, and the engineering/design phase that will follow it, are part of a larger project to perform “environmental analysis, preliminary engineering and design for (a) North-South Connector in Pittsfield to improve access to I-90”, as provided for in a congressional earmark in TEA-21, and recommended in the Berkshire Regional Transportation Plan. The South Street Alternatives Study will be closely coordinated with the City – led Downtown Pittsfield Circulation Study and MassHighway’s East Street Widening Project Development and Design, the other two studies funded by the earmark.

This study is being performed by BRPC, for the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The alternatives study will lead to project implementation activities, such as environmental studies and preparation of engineering designs, for recommended projects that will result ultimately in construction. Those implementation activities will be led by the MassHighway, or other implementing agencies, as appropriate. Before the latter activities begin, the MPO must approve and add the recommended alternative or alternatives to the Berkshire Regional Transportation Plan. The MPO must also program these transportation projects in the Berkshire Region Transportation Improvement Program as appropriate.

The study area is within the City of Pittsfield and is defined as follows: to the north by West Housatonic Street, Center Street, and the CSX railroad tracks; to the west by Jason Street, Mud Pond Brook and Barker Road; to the south by the Pittsfield/Lenox boundary; and to the east by South Street. This study is expected to take about a year to complete. The alternatives study will involve a thorough analysis of the existing conditions, and evaluate a wide variety of alternatives for improving the north-south access from Pittsfield to Interstate 90.

The objective of this study is to identify alternatives to improve the traffic flow, and level of service on South Street in Pittsfield .  The traffic congestion in this area has been identified in both the Berkshire Region MPO’s 2003 Regional Transportation Plan and MassHighway’s North Central Berkshire Access Study/MIS (2001). The focus of this study is transportation, but it will also incorporate human and natural environmental elements within the specific study area.  The study will be completed in four stages.

Task 1: Public and Agency Involvement

Task 2: Inventory and Analysis of Existing Conditions, Future Traffic Growth, Problems and Needs.

Task 3: Identification and Evaluation of Alternatives.

Task 4: Recommendation of Potential Alternatives.

Downloads

Tech Memo # 1 (Exiting and 2030 No-Build Traffic Conditions) [pdf 2.3 MB]

12/13/2004 Public Meeting Presentation (Exiting and 2030 No-Build Traffic Conditions) Masonic Temple , Pittsfield [pdf 1 MB]

Tech Memo #2 [pdf 12.1 MB]