Visitors to downtown Northampton dropped dramatically due to COVID; New program seeks to help businesses bounce back MassLive.com 6 hrs ago Jackson Cote, masslive.com Findings from an outside consultant group hired by the state to look at the challenges posed to businesses in downtown Northampton amid the coronavirus pandemic paint a bleak picture for the typically bustling area. Popular Searches Northampton’s primary business district wasn’t immune to the economic effects of the COVID-19 public health crisis, according to Karl Alexander, a project planner for Civic Space Collaborative. The pandemic caused a 50% decline in vehicle traffic and a 41% decrease in foot traffic in the Pioneer Valley city’s downtown.