Reimagining Memorial Drive: A Vision to Transform Chicopee’s Gateway
For as long as I can remember, Memorial Drive has been one of Chicopee’s busiest roads, along with being Chicopee's most rurally recognizable road. It connects our neighborhoods to nearby cities and helps define our city’s identity. But lately, driving through it feels outdated and is just sitting there, full of potential.
One of my primary goals as a councilor representing portions of Memorial Drive is to advance the revitalization of Memorial Drive. I want Memorial Drive to be safer, more inviting, and more attractive to local businesses.
But let me be clear, I’m not the one who started this. That credit goes to Mayor Richard Kos and his administration. They brought in the University of Massachusetts Amherst to study and develop a detailed vision for Memorial Drive. I’m here with a goal to help bring that vision to life.
The Problem: High Traffic, Low Impact
Memorial Drive extends about 3.7 miles from the Massachusetts Turnpike to the South Hadley line. Despite its length and importance, it falls short in critical areas such as traffic safety, lack of pedestrian walkways, and vacant rotaries:
• Seven intersections along the corridor rank among the top 100 most dangerous in Western Massachusetts.
• One intersection near Stop & Shop and BJ’s had 52 crashes in two years; Pendleton Avenue saw 48 crashes in the same period.
• Only 14 crosswalks serve the entire stretch, and there are no designated bike lanes despite wide shoulders.
• Many parcels, especially north of the Northern Rotary, are vacant or underutilized.
This corridor was designed for cars, not for people. That needs to change.
The Vision: A Corridor That Works for Everyone
UMass Amherst’s study, commissioned by the Kos administration, offers a roadmap for transformation. The study outlines a vision centered on mixed-use development, green infrastructure, enhanced mobility, and a distinct identity. My goal now is to help implement it, with help from residents, the Planning Board, my colleagues on the City Council, Mayor Vieau, and our state partners.
Here’s what that looks like:
1. Improve Safety
Working with MassDOT, we can advocate for a redesign of dangerous intersections, fix lighting, add crosswalks, and make sidewalks ADA-compliant. Some signal upgrades are already underway, but more work is needed.
2. Beautify the Drive
Planting trees, landscaping medians, and creating buffers between commercial and residential areas can soften the visual impact and invite pedestrian activity. A well-designed and maintained route will draw people into Chicopee and will boost our local economy in the process.
3. Update Zoning
By working with my colleagues on the City Council and the Planning Department, we can modernize zoning, support new development, and unlock new opportunities.
4. Attract the Right Investment
Sites like the Diocese Lot, Fairview Shopping Center, and other underused properties near the Turnpike are ideal for development. Our goal should be to support thoughtful projects that energize and connect.
5. Make Memorial Drive a Destination
Rather than a pass-through route, Memorial Drive should invite people to visit, explore, and become a destination. With clever branding, wayfinding, and promotion, we can re-establish it as “The Crossroads of New England” or as a place that truly connects the Pioneer Valley.
Why This Matters
Chicopee deserves a corridor that reflects who we are now and who we want to become, which is a safe, vibrant, and welcoming city. This is more than a road project; it’s an economic renewal, an identity upgrade, and a public safety initiative all in one.
President John F. Kennedy once said, “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
That’s what this plan offers: a clear path forward, anchored in a vision laid down by prior leadership, now ready for action.
We won’t move Chicopee forward by accepting limits. We’ll move it forward by pushing boundaries and by finishing what was started.
