HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS — Hyannis News caught up with John Julius and Eric Schwaab bright and early this morning as a controversial remake of downtown streets moves toward the starting line.

The plan would convert one-way roads (Main Street & South Street) to two-way traffic and add roundabouts at busy intersections. Construction is slated to begin in the coming days and is expected to last a couple of years — likely longer. That timeline is already raising alarms in a town where many major roadways are torn up and several projects have run well past schedule.

Julius and Schwaab have launched a petition calling for a full public discussion of the project and its ramifications before the work locks in. They say they have already gathered more than 600 signatures from Hyannis merchants and community members.

The issue heads to the Barnstable Town Council tonight, Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is in the Hearing Room at 367 Main Street, Hyannis. Residents can attend in person or join virtually through the Town of Barnstable Zoom portal.

For Hyannis News, the message from the street this morning was clear: before the cones go down and the diggers roll in, a lot of people want their voices heard!

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*** TODAY’S EMAIL UPDATE FROM TOWN OF BARNSTABLE (Oct. 1, 2026 @ 12:52pm) ***

“Town of Barnstable Hyannis Great Streets Project to Commence Construction

Contact:
Jim Kupfer, Director of Planning & Development… 508-862-4784, James.Kupfer@barnstable.gov

(HYANNIS, MA – October 1, 2026) The Town of Barnstable’s project to return two-way travel to Downtown Hyannis is commencing. As a part of this project the one-way stretches of Main Street, South Street, Ocean Street, and Old Colony Road will be converted to two-way travel, and a new roundabout will be installed at the ‘Six Points’ intersection (intersection of South, Ocean, Old Colony). The project also includes new ADA improvements, a new shared-use path along North Street from Stevens Street to West Main Street as well as a shared-use path on Old Colony Road from South Street to Main Street. Construction for the project will commence within the next few weeks. The two-way conversion is expected to be completed at the earliest by Summer 2027. If there are any adjustments to the construction schedule further updates will be provided.

This project was informed by previous planning efforts, input from Town staff and feedback from local residents and merchants received through a robust community-input process. Ultimately, the Great Streets Downtown Hyannis Plan establishes roadway designs that respond to the overall project goals of addressing congestion, employing traffic calming measures to enhance safety for all users, and enhancing the public space through placemaking in support of economic development. This project is funded by State and Federal funding sources.

For more information, such as the full plan set and recordings of previous public meetings on the topic, please visit the project webpage at: https://barnstable.gov/Departments/planninganddevelopment/Projects/Great-Streets-Downtown-Hyannis.asp

You can watch the Downtown Hyannis Great Streets: Project Overview video here: https://youtu.be/wdcNAsBy3k8 “

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