The potential widening of Main Street Maynard’s sidewalks and narrowing of its travel lanes to a single lane between Nason Street and Waltham Street can provide another tool for economic development for Downtown Maynard. The addition of wider and safer sidewalks can increase activity and vibrancy of downtowns, not only for pedestrians, but also for businesses. Maynard’s 2020 Master Plan, the Community Development Principles, the Long-Range Recovery Plan, and Town-wide surveys all highlight activation of Downtown’s streets as beneficial for the Town to pursue. Outdoor dining, a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic, is also a viable economic driver to build on by attracting diners -and potential customers- to downtown Maynard.

Planning Director Bill Nemser stated, “The Road Diet objectives would be to develop a plan that will slow down Main Street traffic between Nason Street and Waltham Street, maximize sidewalk width, preserve on-street parking, and provide increased opportunities for downtown businesses.” He went on to emphasize that this initiative is only in the conceptual discussion phase. “We will want to hear from the community before moving forward with anything. It is critical to ensure the final project reflects broad public perspective,” Nemser said. OMS Executive Director Steve Silverstein pointed out that he has heard from the business community that vehicles are traveling at rates clearly over the 25MPH speed limit on Main Street, a fact confirmed by a speed monitoring station set up last summer by the Maynard Police Department. Silverstein also believes that “dedicated loading areas created could help address the hazardous on-street loading and deliveries that often take place on this section of Main Street.”  

In 2023, Maynard was awarded a grant under the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative (MDI), a program offered by the Executive Office on Economic Development that seeks to rejuvenate downtowns, for a consultant to conduct an analysis of potential road diet improvements that could be made to the existing roadway and sidewalks on Main Street. The results of the grant work will be presented by the consultant BETA Group, Inc. at the Maynard Planning Board meeting of September 23, 2025, at 7PM in the Soup Campbell Room at Town Hall. Time permitting, a Q&A session will follow the presentation. The presentation will be on ZOOM and all are welcome to attend either in-person at, or on ZOOM.  Access information for ZOOM attendance can be found on the agenda when posted.