Barnstable council hears final 'Great Streets' plan for Downtown Hyannis, including two‑way conversion and ADA upgrades

Planning Director Jim Kupfer on July 16 presented the final Downtown Hyannis "Great Streets" proposal to the Barnstable Town Council, describing a plan to convert Main Street and South Street back to two‑way traffic and to add pedestrian and bicycle improvements, targeted ADA upgrades and a redesigned 6‑Points intersection.

Kupfer said the project area runs roughly a mile through Hyannis and includes Main, North and South streets and adjacent side streets. The design emphasizes traffic calming, narrower travel lanes, expanded pedestrian crossings, restriping for continuous on‑street parking and targeted capital improvements where curb lines would be moved. The 6‑Points redesign would add landscaped islands, wider stamped crosswalks and rapid‑flash beacons to improve pedestrian safety. He said the project is largely paint and signage but includes paving and a few curb‑line changes where needed.

The presentation described an iterative public process dating to 2022 that included stakeholder meetings and a 75% construction‑drawing phase. Kupfer said the town received bids this spring and is within the project budget; if the council proceeds, construction would begin in fall 2026 with a policy to pause major work during peak summer tourist seasons and to target completion in spring 2028.

Funding sources outlined in the presentation included an $1.8 million MassWorks grant, approximately $500,000 in Complete Streets funding, CDBG dollars for ADA improvements, and Chapter 90 funds for roadway work; Kupfer emphasized no local tax appropriation was being requested for the base project design. He added that some sidewalk and ADA curb‑ramp upgrades will be phased into the construction and that DPW will pursue additional easements and small scope additions if property negotiations succeed.

Councilors focused their questions on operational details. On where delivery trucks would unload once Main Street becomes two‑way, Kupfer said the plan relies on timed loading zones (initially proposed as 6 a.m.–11 a.m.), signed delivery areas and business coordination to reduce peak‑period conflicts. Town engineer Griffin Bowden said the Main Street ADA work includes reviewing every accessible on‑street space, removing impediments adjacent to accessible stalls and, where practical, modifying granite curbing to allow van access at certain locations.

On crosswalk placement near Ocean Street and a nearby parking lot, staff said right‑of‑way constraints and private property limited some locations; however, the project includes a new crosswalk tied to a parking‑lot redevelopment and the team will continue to pursue private‑property easements where feasible. Councilors urged drought‑tolerant plantings in landscape islands; Kupfer said he would coordinate with DPW on plant selections.

Kupfer and Bowden said they added rapid‑flash beacons at key crossings and tightened travel lanes and curb islands at the 6‑Points intersection to slow vehicular speeds. The plan also adds a shared‑use path on North Street and Old Colony to improve multimodal connections to the harbor and transportation center.

Kupfer said the town is reviewing bids and will return with specifics before any contract award. The council did not take a vote on the project tonight; staff was asked to continue coordination with DPW and to provide final cost and schedule details as procurement moves forward.