ReImagine North of Main

ReImagine North of Main Imagine a new Fitchburg

ReImagine North of Main is a partnership—local businesses, government, nonprofits and, most importantly, residents—committed to making a collective impact, and dedicated to improving the quality of life in our neighborhood. Our collaboration is focused in six key areas: public safety, economic development & entrepreneurship, education, housing, health and community engagement. Through resident and

stakeholder engagement, policy advocacy and responsible development, we aim to improve the quality of life in these six areas, resulting in a ReImagined North of Main where both current and future residents and businesses want to live, work, play and invest.

We are excited to announce that ReImagine North of Main is now InTown Fitchburg! Going forward, please connect with us o...
08/31/2022

We are excited to announce that ReImagine North of Main is now InTown Fitchburg! Going forward, please connect with us on our new page: InTown Fitchburg

Although our name has changed, our mission remains the same. InTown Fitchburg is a partnership of residents, local businesses and entrepreneurs, artists and creatives, anchor institutions and local government - committed to working collectively to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood. Engaging the community through public events, public art and placemaking, storefront activation and support for small businesses, are key focus areas of our work in making downtown a welcoming gathering place for all.

Sign up for our mailing list at intownfitchburg.com and join our new page: InTown Fitchburg! Please note, the ReImagine North of Main (ReImagineNOM) Facebook will no longer post updates, therefore we encourage you to join InTown Fitchburg today!

InTown Fitchburg is bringing energy, creativity, diversity, and authenticity together. Beyond the neighborhood's great arts and cultural assets, more people are being invited to share their own expressions of creativity. Please take advantage of our event calendar, community resource guide, business listing page and more at intownfitchburg.com!

For more information, don't hesitate to reach out! We can also be reached at [email protected]!

06/25/2022

As the traditional ways of selling art become less and less effective, it's more critical than ever to be running your own art gallery business, online

06/25/2022
06/23/2022

If you are wondering why Fitchburg is going through all of the trouble of returning Main St to two-way traffic (starting Thursday morning!), it might be useful to look back at why the one-way traffic pattern was put in place in the 1960s, what the problems are with this design, and what the City is trying to accomplish with the return to two-way travel.

Main St was originally laid out long before the automobile, when Fitchburg’s biggest traffic problems included trying to keep the dust down and cleaning up horse manure. Even after cars appeared in the early 20th century, downtown was focused on serving pedestrians who lived in the surrounding neighborhoods or rode the streetcars to Main St.

This all changed after the Second World War when the car became king. Urban planners in Fitchburg and other cities across the country saw the dramatic increase in traffic in the 1950s, and looked for ways to ease the growing congestion. The solution they found was to abandon traditional traffic patterns and create larger one-way corridors that could move traffic faster and more efficiently.

This is exactly how Fitchburg and many other communities across the country decided to transform their downtowns. In the 1960s, Main St was converted to two lanes of one-way traffic and Boulder Dr was created to carry traffic in the opposite direction. The planners had prioritized the car in downtown, but didn’t consider the side effects of this decision.

The problem with this plan is that it left the rest of downtown behind. Traffic moved faster down Main St, but at the expense of pedestrians crossing the street and traveling the sidewalks. It made it easier for cars to get through downtown on their way to John Fitch Highway, but harder to reach businesses on Main St. Higher traffic speeds limited the visibility of businesses on Main St and storefronts on the far corner of buildings were hidden from the one-way traffic flow.

Beginning in the 1990s, planners across the country realized this was a mistake as downtowns starved of people were left to wither on the vine. Fitchburg is not alone in its decision to restore two-lane traffic in downtown and many other cities have already gone through this process to undo these one-way traffic patterns.

If downtown Fitchburg is going to be a successful city center, it needs people. It needs people coming to downtown to work, shop, or go out to eat. It needs people living in the upper stories of buildings on Main St. And it needs a traffic pattern that supports this vision.

Instead of giving priority to cars passing through to other parts of the city, two-way Main St will be focused on serving the people living, working, shopping, and having fun downtown. This is a key ingredient in revitalizing the heart of our city, and I am looking forward to it.

06/23/2022

** ATTENTION **

The Main Street- Boulder Drive two way conversion now in effect. Please use caution as we all adjust to this new traffic flow.

For issues or concerns after the conversion has taken place, please call the Office of Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale at 978-829-1801. As always, for emergencies please dial 911.

http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/873/Main-Street-Boulder-Drive-Project

06/22/2022

Fitchburg Civic Days 2022 is back and better than ever. To follow the events the Fitchburg Civic Days Committee has planned (there are just too many to list), visit it’s page!

06/22/2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fitchburg Mayor, Stephen L. DiNatale and the Fitchburg Civic Days Committee announce Leona Whetzel as Grand Marshal of this year’s Independence Day Parade!

06/22/2022

Meet the artists at the ribbon cuttings:

June 26 at 1 p.m. on the Boulder Drive Retaining Wall, made in partnership with the YMCA Spartacus Youth and Teen Center:

Jon Allen, .art
Keenan Cassidy,
Jennessa Burks,

06/22/2022

Meet the artists at the ribbon cuttings:
June 26 at 1:45 p.m. on the side of the Parking Garage facing Putnam St.,made in partnership with the North Central Minority Coalition:

William L. Thompson,
Petri Flint,
Deborah Downing,
Melissa Pandina,
Desirée Filkins, Indigo and Orchids Art by Desiree Filkins

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711 Main Street
Fitchburg, MA
01420

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