Armed with maps of the town showing “collector roads” in bold relief and “Route 6” even bolder, Bonne DeSousa began the October 8 public meeting with an explanation.
DeSousa said the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen had approved the public meeting to begin the process of developing a “complete street” plan for Mattapoisett.
The state has $50 million in grant money earmarked for cities and towns whose planning included a focus on improving streets and sidewalks for the purpose of allowing safer freedom of movement. Plans needed to incorporate a full spectrum of transportation including bicycling and walking.
The planning process began, she said, with a survey posted on the Town website. The survey asked residents to share how they used the roadways for movement other than driving cars, whether they rode bicycles to do errands or walked to church or the library, with what frequency and other pertinent aspects of moving about the town sans vehicle. Eighty surveys have been completed, DeSousa said.
This meeting, arranged in partnership with the Mattapoisett Bike Path and the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path, would add another layer of information – information necessary in developing a plan that the state would deem worthy of consideration.
DeSousa also explained that a fully-fleshed plan would be one that the town would adopt as a directive by town departments such as police, fire, and highway. With the implementation of a complete street plan by the town, certification at the state level would open the door to grant applications.
Throughout the hour and a half meeting, a small but earnest group used the maps to illustrate favored walking and cycling routes and where residents felt safety was a problem, such as crossing points along Route 6.
DeSousa also gave the group an update on the current status of the bike path. She said that Phase 1B was awaiting another Massachusetts DOT review on a technical issue that she felt would be cleared up in the next couple of weeks.
During previous meetings with the selectmen, DeSousa had pointed out a $30,000 shortfall for this phase of the project and a crowd funding effort had begun. On this night, she said $13,000 had been raised and hoped that asking the townspeople for more money during the fall town meeting could be avoided.
During a review of the maps and the issue of safety, several attendees shared their fear of riding or walking on such much-beloved roadways as Ned’s Point Road, Acushnet Road, Long Plain Road, Brandt Island Road, and North Street. They said the speeding cars and narrow streets – most without sidewalks – made it dangerous.
Police Chief Mary Lyons said speed-sensing signs on trailers that could alert people to how fast they were going would help, but the one Mattapoisett owns is very old and does not function well. She hoped to receive a positive response from the community when asking for funds to purchase one or two in the future. Lyons also said people could notify the Police Department of traffic or speeding problems via email by simply going to the department’s webpage. To DeSousa, Lyons said they could post bicycling safety rules on the Police Department website.
On the issue of safe crossing, Safety Officer Justin King explained that automobile drivers do not have to stop and let pedestrians cross if they are on the sidewalk. And even more alarming to those in attendance was the following: “Cars on the other side of the road don’t have to stop and let you cross.…” King said. He said cited state law.
DeSousa told the group that the town had received the funds to purchase new flashing pedestrian lights, which would be installed at Route 6 crossings as early as November. It was hoped that the new lights would make drivers more aware when people were attempting to cross Route 6.
The National Complete Street Coalition was initiated in 2004 and has been gaining momentum ever since. Their website states, “A nationwide movement launched by the National Complete Streets Coalition in 2004, Complete Streets integrates people and place in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of our transportation networks.”
For more information, visit www.smartgrowthamerica.org.
No date was set for another public meeting for ‘complete street’ planning but DeSousa felt this meeting was a good start, “It has been recognized that biking and walking are good for health reasons … that’s why I do this.”
By Marilou Newell
