Main Street Hyannis, taken in 2017 at a No Cars, Open Main St event
HYANNIS – The Town of Barnstable has taken steps to work with a consultant to figure out the ideal streetscape for Main Street Hyannis.
Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District Executive Director Elizabeth Wurfbain said Barnstable’s Planning and Development department would bring on the consultant and that the professional would perform community outreach to see what people want out of the downtown area.
Wurfbain said although the barriers that were used for outdoor dining and social distancing purposes won’t be in place on Main Street this summer, there were benefits to having them.
“What we saw last summer was that slowed down traffic was a positive,” she said.
Wurfbain sad the slower traffic led to a safer downtown environment, however some businesses lost parking spaces because of the changes.
Wurfbain said the consultant will hopefully come up with possible plans that will keep the positive outcomes that came from the barriers.
In a Barnstable Patriot article from March, Barnstable’s Planning and Development Director Elizabeth Jenkins said bringing on the consultant would depend on the town receiving certain grants.
Wurfbain also noted that the current traffic pattern on Main Street can be confusing for tourists driving through the area.
“What other two-lane, one-way main streets are on Cape Cod? I can’t think of any. It’s because you want a slowed-down, safe, family-friendly environment,” Wurfbain said.
By Brian Engles, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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