MANCHESTER, NH – In the days following a narrow and at times contentious vote to reconfigure a portion of Hanover Street, Ward 3 Alderman Dana Dexter is trying to reset the conversation.
“This isn’t just about fixing sidewalks,” Dexter said in an interview this week. “This is about calming traffic… and making the street safer for people.”
The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 8–6 on March 17 to approve a redesign of the “theatre block” stretch of Hanover Street, from Chestnut to Elm streets, transforming the current three-lane configuration into a single, “sliding” travel lane with expanded sidewalks, bump-outs and designated loading zones.
The project, driven in part by federal funding that covers roughly 80 percent of costs, has drawn both strong support and vocal opposition from downtown stakeholders, with concerns ranging from parking loss to accessibility and traffic flow.
But Dexter, whose ward includes the project area, says much of the public debate has missed the bigger picture.
At its core, Dexter says the redesign is about reducing risk in a busy corridor that has seen dozens of crashes over the years.
“There’s a lot of decision-making that goes into somebody pulling in or out of a parking spot on Hanover Street,” he said. “The idea is to eliminate many of those decisions so people are focused on pedestrians — whether they’re in a crosswalk or not.”
City data presented during the March 17 meeting showed 74 traffic accidents and one fatality on the Theatre Block since 2018, figures that helped frame the safety argument for supporters, but which were questioned for accuracy by opponents.
Dexter emphasized that the grant funding itself is tied to those outcomes.
“The grant is for traffic calming and safety,” he said. “We benefit from that by getting a safer street—and we also get improved sidewalks as part of it.
Perhaps the most visible — and controversial — change is the removal of roughly two dozen on-street parking spaces.
Dexter doesn’t deny the tradeoff. But he argues the shift is intentional.
“The goal is to make Hanover Street a destination,” he said. “You park in a garage, you walk, you stop at a restaurant, maybe grab a drink before a show… instead of just pulling up, running in, and leaving.”
Nearby garages, including the Victory Garage one block over, have capacity, he said, and future development could add even more parking options downtown.
The concept mirrors what Dexter admits he once doubted himself: Concord’s Main Street redesign, which reduced traffic from four lanes to two, and eliminated parking.
“I was a naysayer,” he said. “But I watched it happen—and now it’s thriving. People go there to walk, to spend time. That’s what we’re trying to build.”
He says that Manchester is competing with such “lifestyle centers” in Concord, Londonerry and Salem’s Tuscan Village.
Dexter said several key elements of the Hanover Street plan have been misunderstood— including concerns about tree removal and the level of design detail presented.
“The trees are not being eliminated; they’re being replaced,” he said, noting that existing trees have damaged sidewalks due to improper installation decades ago.
He also clarified that the plans approved by aldermen were conceptual, not final engineering drawings.
“What had to happen was approval of the configuration,” he said. “The detailed design — where trees go, lighting, measurements — that’s the next phase.”
That next phase, he added, will include additional opportunities for public input.
The March 17 vote followed extensive public comment, with roughly equal numbers speaking for and against the proposal. Some business owners and residents raised concerns about accessibility, snow removal, and the loss of convenient parking, while others argued the project reflects years of community input and will strengthen downtown vitality.
The split carried over to the board itself, where several aldermen questioned data, timing, and potential unintended consequences.
A motion to reconsider the vote, proposed by At-Large Alderman Dan O’Neil, has already been filed
Dexter says he welcomes that conversation.
“My job is to bring all the facts forward,” he said. “If there are questions, we go get the answers — from DPW, from economic development — so everyone has the full picture.”
For Dexter, who was sworn into office in January for his first term as the downtown alderman, the issue has quickly become a defining early test.
“I wasn’t expecting to jump into a controversial debate in my first couple months,” he said. “But I welcome it.”
Drawing on his background in law enforcement, Dexter likens the role to mediating competing perspectives.
“You listen to all sides, gather the facts, and try to resolve it,” he said.
Ultimately, he believes the resistance reflects something deeper than a street design.
“Change can be scary,” Dexter said. “But many times that change is for the better.”
And for a downtown that is steadily adding housing, businesses and foot traffic, he sees the Hanover Street project as part of a larger shift.
“When people live here, work here and spend time here,” he said, “everybody wins.”