Parking Commission to Seek Fix for Kendrick Park Parking Shortage

Report on the Meeting of the Transportation and Parking Commission, July 15, 2026

This meeting was held via Zoom and was recorded.

Permit Holders Occupy Most Parking Spaces at Kendrick Park
Transportation and Parking Commission (TPC) Chair Andy Steinberg reported that the commission received a public request to deal with the parking situation around Kendrick Park on North Pleasant Street. Although new back-in spaces were created along the park, most are occupied all day by holders of resident parking permits when UMass is in session, and often there is no parking available for those wishing to use the playground at the park.

Steinberg said there was supposed to be some sharing of spaces between permit holders and daily users, but, he said, “it was noted that a lot of students who are the prime users of permits for that area will leave their cars there all day long, even though there’s a parking box to pay for hourly parking.”

Superintendent of Public Works Guilford Mooring agreed that the Department of Public Works (DPW) has received similar complaints. He said that during the school year, all of the parking spaces are occupied by residents of Kendrick Place and the East Pleasant Street mixed-use buildings, which have minimal or no associated parking for residents. He suggested that the commission designate the eight or nine spaces near the playground for hourly use during the day.

Commission member Kim Tremblay said she regularly bikes past the park twice a day and agreed that during the school year there are no parking spaces for anyone visiting the park, but when school is not in session, those spaces are empty.

George Ryan suggested reserving a certain number of spaces, perhaps 10, for hourly parking during the day. Mooring said the DPW will gather more information about usage and submit a plan for discussion at the August or September TPC meeting.

However, Steinberg raised concerns that reducing the number of permitted spaces on North Pleasant Street might increase all-day parking on McClellan Street, which is a narrow street that is supposed to be two-way but barely allows the passage of one car when cars are parked on both sides.

Planning and Economic Development Director Jeff Bagg agreed that, even though the discussion of parking along Kendrick Park addresses a specific concern, changing it could have ramifications elsewhere and raise a lot of different questions. He recommended keeping the discussion focused but said, “I think it’s not going to be too long until we’re talking about the entire municipal parking district.”

Mount Holyoke Drive Residents Want a Crosswalk Across West Street
Residents of Mount Holyoke Drive filed a request for a crosswalk across West Street. The sidewalk heading south to Pomeroy Center is only on the west side of the street, and cars travel fast down West Street, making it difficult for pedestrians to cross. There is a path off the street heading north from the neighborhood to Crocker Farm School.

Mooring presented a preliminary plan developed by DPW staff for a crosswalk. He stressed that there is no funding for the project this year — he estimated it would cost $95,000 — so it would have to wait until fiscal 2027 if approved. He added that although there are ramps with tactile ADA pavers on both sides, the plan does not meet ADA guidelines because it lacks an accessible sidewalk on both sides.

TPC members raised questions about whether a crosswalk would make things safer for those wanting to cross West Street or would simply give a false sense of security. Amherst Police Chief Gabe Ting and others said pedestrian-activated flashing beacons were a necessity, but Mooring said that would add to the cost. The standard crosswalk includes ADA curb ramps, crosswalk signs and a painted crosswalk. The flashing beacons are considered an “enhanced crosswalk” and would likely cost roughly an additional $25,000.

The commission agreed to discuss the crosswalk again at its next meeting and will publicize it to neighborhood residents to gather their feedback.

TPC Working on a Portal to Receive Requests and Provide Status Updates
Tremblay said a subcommittee of TPC members is working on an online portal for residents to file concerns and requests relating to traffic or parking. She based the protocol on a matrix developed in 2018 by Eve Vogel and the Transportation Advisory Committee but never adopted by the town. She said links to the portal could be placed on the TPC page, as well as on the DPW and Amherst Police Department pages. The idea is to maintain an ongoing list of possible issues and their status as a way for the commission to prioritize its actions.

Questions remain about who will maintain the list and when issues will come before the TPC — whether they will be evaluated for appropriateness before reaching the commission, or whether the commission itself will decide which issues to take up.

The TPC did not set a date for its August meeting.