HopNews
In his Tuesday report to the Select Board, Town Manager Norman Khumalo shared an update on the Main Street Corridor project.
According to Khumalo, Eversource is having difficulty sourcing the underground transformers. “Eversource says it is highly unlikely that they will find transformers this year,” said Khumalo.
He said he plans to approach other networks the town works with get a clearer explanation as to why.
Due to the supply chain problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic, many utilities and builders across the country are dealing with the same problem. In a 2022 interview with The Mortgage Note, William Hinkle, Eversource Media Relations Manager wrote “Eversource does not manufacture or distribute transformers – it is equipment on the electrical system that is integral to reliability meeting the energy needs of customers.”
In a note to builders, Eversource cited supply disruptions, labor shortages and rising costs as the main reasons for the lack of equipment. At the time, they expected the problems to last at least through 2022. More recently, Austin Energy addressed the nationwide transformer shortage, citing demand for electrical steel, sheet aluminum, magnet wire, switches, fuses and other components.
Eversource has yet to provide a timeline for when the equipment will be available.
Additionally, Khumalo said they are still working on getting a specific schedule from Verizon for the installation remaining poles that they did not install when they installed the initial set of poles. “As you know, Verizon sets the pole, then everything else goes on the pole,” said Khumalo.
It is unclear if the two issues are connected.
Khumalo did reiterate that other aspects of the project remain on schedule, including the roadway. The current schedule has construction ending in October 2023.
I have an unrelated? Mr Khumalo when will the speed bumps and horrible pavement between Chamberlain St. and Teresa Rd. Be finally fixed the correct way. My car is taking a beating every day for the last 8 months.
Are you kidding me they have had several years of planning in order it source the equipment. What a waste of time and money anyway. The turn from Hayden Rowe onto East main st was a horrible design flaw. Ironically I have no seen a bicycle in that area so far this summer. Millions of dollars to ruin the small town look of our town on the taxpayers dime.
I will say it here first, nobody is going to use that bike lane. It makes for a very uncomfortable ride due to the dips at every driveway. It was the biggest waste of money I have ever seen. Bicyclists will continue to ride in the roadway because like water flowing down hill, it’s the path of least resistance. A raised bike lane was a very bad decision. After the complaints that are sure to come, I can foresee the bike lane being reengineered years from now.
Hey, I brought to Town Meeting three generations of bike experience, over 60 years of my own, and ten years in the bicycle industry, with involvement in bike safety programs in multiple countries, hard accident history data, and the consequences of, from the earliest age, being taught to ‘look both ways for CARS with the result being ‘inattentional blindness’, that most every rider on two wheels has experienced but the lure of free money…
As for just riding on Main St – with the narrowing, and parked cars, the only way to ride out of the ‘door zone’ will be to ride in the traffic lane. Going down hill, OK, but uphill…
As for the dips in every driveway, I will have more to say on that.
Those safety features are great if you are designing in a new development, or one in a more modern town outside of New England. I give it 6 months before some drunken driver or elderly person drives up on the bike path. And, as already stared the poor residents will have no choice but to use this as a place to put their trash barrels on pickup day. The landscaping also looks horrible.
Safety features?
I’ve noticed residents using the bike lane to set out their barrels on trash & recycling day- I had to laugh!
Craig`s heart and mind are in the right place but the first to state that cyclists will not use the bike lanes was most likely Ed Harrow and myself about four years ago, when they were first foisted upon us as the only way the state would help fund the Downtown Revitalization Project. These bike lanes are prototypes, never before tested in a setting such as this, so who will be first to offer their child as potential traffic fodder? The D.O.T`s financial contribution coercion for the entire project was centered on these bike lanes, which will most probably be used by pedestrians, skateboarders, dog walkers, hot-doggers, and the occasional one-off by unwitting families who believed the press reports. This is what we get instead of a safe and wider boulevard escorting frequent commuters and travelers through downtown Hopkinton on the busy state highway known as Main Street. Providence learned this lesson, and has already re-configured a [not as aggressive as ours] `bike-friendly` attempt, due to abject failure of the original intent less than a year after implementation. May we be so lucky before innocent victims pay the price for a handful of political advocates ignoring the proven adage that “if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.”
I just finished reading this article about supply chain issues.
I find it ironic that many years ago at town meeting, people voted in favor of beautifying our downtown space with the installation of underground wires and getting rid of the telephone poles and now what started this “forever” project is delayed!!
What we now have is the ugliest and largest bike path and not a very pretty downtown
I grew up on Main Street and saw many people walking on the sidewalks but very few bikes.I still live in downtown Hopkinton and suspect it will remain the same, very few bikes.
Hoping the Eversource shipment arrives soon and ends this poorly designed ugly project. Just my opinion….
Amen Laura !!!
Well at least Eversource will only need to source a few of these underground transformers. Imagine if the underground power actually extended all the way through downtown to Hopkinton Lumber.
Off topic but the photo makes me wonder if there was any real consideration on squaring the intersection? Seeing Hopkinton Drug up for rent/lease makes once again wonder what could have been.
Yes the poles are a bit ugly but this is an old new england town so that is the way it is just keep them straight. If you moved hrre and dont like them do us a favor and leave
Driving westbound on Main Street Friday at about 4:30 pm and the police had someone pulled over in the vicinity of Claflin Ave. Only one lane of traffic could get by! The police need to travel in pairs now apparently- one to do the job and the other to direct traffic where the once ample road is now too narrow? Either that or to direct folks to pull over in a parking lot so as to not impede traffic. Such a fiasco!
Been cycling in town for 17 years, one of the few roadies who live downtown. These are the dumbest bike lanes I’ve ever seen, very dangerous. No one will use them.
The town should just redo those sidewalks, make them normal and increase the car lanes close to their original size; A fiscal sacrifice will have to be made, but this change will happen eventually after a fatal accident.
Our town has been so shortsighted with its decisions these past 8 years, starting with its massive developments, population surge from which it will never recover. Boulder Capital Ruined our town.
I honestly can’t wait to move. Hopkinton’s identity and reputation have begun an irrecoverable downward spiral.
The Bike Path’s have destroyed the Historical Feeling of our Down Town! IMO.
Plus many residents sold their Property that were going to be Impacted by the Bike Paths.
So for maybe close to a Mile or Two, Bikers have a Bike Path, then back to the Old Way? lol
May be interesting during a Bad Winter, Mountains of Snow in them from Plowing, plus other Snow Removal Issues?
I say we just create a new downtown somewhere else! I’ve been in town since 2010 and downtown is horrible. No charm, vibe or anything. Just build it somewhere else
George Carlin!!! We have so much in common! ????
Come and enjoy 77 West Main Street and 1 Lumber. We have parking, great amenities, it’s safe, and great food! Easy in and out and no traffic!