A lot of the vision ideas here involve Springfield's riverfront. I earned my master's in city planning and recently moved to Springfield. I propose a study to see if a beltway or loop can be made to improve this area's traffic flow and also open up the riverfront.

We studied I-91 in graduate school. It is a well-known case and considered a textbook example of a road disabling three cities' geographical advantages.

In Springfield's case, right now, I-91 cuts off foot traffic to the riverfront and makes it an un-relaxing destination, with lots of truck rumbling by.

Springfield is not "stuck" with this road like a poster in another topic said. Also, it doesn't need to have a "big dig" to improve access to the river. (Boston needed one because it's on the coast.)

Springfield is not on the coast, obviously, so it has the option of creating "beltways" or "loops." Generally, these give city residents better access to highways. Washington, D.C. is an example of a city with a beltway.

Another poster said this in another discussion and I agree. The elevated highway over the riverfront does not need to be a permanent mistake.

As a planner, I support studying whether a "beltway" around Springfield and maybe West Springfield or Agawam is possible. To correct this textbook problem would be a feather in Springfield's cap.