Norwood Selectmen Consider One-Way Traffic, Business District Upgrades-August 8, 1979

Town Manager John J. Carroll Proposes One-Way Traffic Trials for Broadway and Central Street Following Washington Street Revitalization Efforts

Following the momentum of ongoing plans to revitalize the Washington Street business district, Town Manager John J. Carroll urged selectmen last night to turn their attention toward upgrading Nahatan Street. Proposing a collaborative approach, Carroll recommended conferring with local merchants along the Broadway-Central Street-Nahatan Street corridor with an eye toward applying for a second state Urban Systems grant.

To test the feasibility of the corridor improvements, Carroll suggested establishing a three-week trial period after Labor Day making Broadway and Central Street one-way thoroughfares—with Broadway flowing toward Nahatan Street and Central Street operating in the reverse direction—while asking merchants to track the impact on customer traffic.

“With the design begun on the Washington Street project, I think the state DPW would look favorably on another application for a second Urban Systems project,” Carroll explained, emphasizing his desire to consult informally with business owners before the fall season. Engineering design bids for the primary Washington Street project were previously awarded to Storch Engineering Co., with state DPW approval contingent on federal and state funds alongside an $80,000 municipal engineering share. The proposed Nahatan Street initiative—stretching from Washington Street to Pleasant Street—envisions similar enhancements, including modernized traffic patterns, upgraded walkways, expanded parking areas, and aesthetic streetscape improvements.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger