Springfield College to withdraw proposal to close city street
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College officials are withdrawing a plan to close Wilbraham Avenue after neighbors adamantly opposed the proposal.
College President Mary-Beth Cooper and staff members petitioned the City Council in February asking to close Wilbraham Avenue between King and Hickory streets, but agreed to keep Alden Street open on either side. The proposal called for the city to turn the property where the road sits over to the college once it is closed.
It is not the first time the college has asked the city to close the street. It also is not the first time the plan has been met with resistance from residents, who said it will close off a vital throughway from Alden Street to their neighborhoods and push more traffic onto other side streets.
During a City Council subcommittee meeting about the proposal, the college was urged to meet with neighbors before any decisions were made. They did and during that meeting, residents repeated their objections.
"It is not what they want. People live on King and Alden and Wilbraham Avenue and they use the street to get home," said Barbara Gresham, the head of the Old Hill Neighborhood Council and a School Committee member.
State Rep. Bud L. Williams, D-Springfield, whose district includes the Old Hill and Upper Hill neighborhoods which would be affected by the street closing, said he and some 50 residents met with Cooper and other representatives of the school. No neighbor spoke in favor of the proposal.
"It is an emotional thing and that issue resonated through the community," he said. "It is a main artery through the community and they were wondering what is next. Are they going to close Alden Street?"
But Williams and Gresham said the gathering was productive because the neighbors and college officials agreed to meet regularly to address concerns on both sides and build the relationship between the school and neighbors. The first meeting will be in April.
"It was clear from those conversations that this is not something our local community supports. This process has opened additional lines of communication with our neighbors, and we will be scheduling more regular meetings with the neighborhood councils to continue collaborating on a range of opportunities," Brian Magoffin, communications director for the college, said in writing.
City Council President Tracye Whitfield said she also recently spoke to Cooper who confirmed the college would be withdrawing the petition to close Wilbraham Avenue.
But Magoffin said the safety concerns on Wilbraham Avenue, especially at the intersection of Alden Street, are still there.
College officials cited a traffic study they commissioned, saying multiple crashes have occurred especially at the intersection of Wilbraham Avenue and Alden Street and pointed to an Oct. 28, 2024, pedestrian crash that left a student injured. Campus police cited the driver.
Springfield police had no record of the incident, including a 911 call, so couldn't comment on it.
What wasn't counted is the many "near misses" that have also taken place on Wilbraham Avenue, especially between student walkers and drivers, Michael Jarry, college vice president for finance and administration, said in a council subcommittee meeting about the issue.
The problems have gotten worse after a new health and sciences building was constructed by the college on Wilbraham Avenue, he said.
"We are certainly not to say it won't be an incremental inconvenience to folks," Jarry said. "It (the traffic study) says the existing grid in the surrounding neighborhood from a street standpoint is enough to handle the rerouting without making any material backups anywhere else."
Residents said closing off the street could also create a different safety problem since ambulances would have to take a longer route in an emergency. They instead suggested instead the college consider speed tables to slow traffic, lighted crosswalks and heavier enforcement by campus police.
Gresham argued Wilbraham Avenue is not only a route for residents, it leads to an early education care center and is a route to Sam Bolden Park, which is not only a popular recreation spot but also hosts several well-attended events including Harambee and the National Night Out celebration.
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