SRPEDD Transportation Manager Paul Mission and Jacqueline Schmidt, senior transportation planner, met with the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen during the February 24 meeting to discuss the town’s transportation needs.
After Mission outlined the various state and federal agencies with which SRPEDD networks and the role of SRPEDD in developing plans as diverse as environmental projects to bike paths, he got down to the reason for the meeting.
As part of SRPEDD’s community outreach, and in an effort to hear directly from cities and towns about their most pressing transportation issues, Mission asked for the board’s input. The information from this meeting and others conducted throughout the Commonwealth will be used to develop a new four-year plan as required by the federal government for the state to apply for funding.
Town Administrator Michael Gagne took no time in getting down to the issues faced by residents.
For over three years, he has been attempting to get van or bus transportation from the commuter Park and Ride on North Street to the commuter rail service in Lakeville. In spite of numerous efforts, roadblocks and ruts have derailed those calls for assistance.
Gagne presented Mission with a prepared report requesting once again that SRPEDD assist Mattapoisett in applying for MassRide to establish a van service. His report states that a pilot program could help residents, not only with a reliable mode of travel, but also save them as much as $13,500 per year, a figure he pegged when private vehicles are used to commute to work in Boston. Gagne said that he also sits on the SERTA committee.
“The Southcoast rail won’t be coming for some time,” said Mission. With that commuter option off the table for now, he felt a van service was a good option. A van-pool service would cost the commuter only about $1,900 per year.
Gagne asked for help in applying for the funds to build a secure shed structure at the North Street Park and Ride for those residents who wished to use the van service as a mode of transportation. Gagne said he envisioned enlisting the talents of the students at Old Colony to build the structure and that the students have done “fantastic jobs” in the past.
Several issues associated with Route 6 were also brought into the conversation.
“I’ve been talking about Route 6 for 30 years,” in his role as a town administrator, said Gagne, but to no avail. He said that stormwater discharge was a serious problem that affects shellfish beds.
“Mattapoisett has worked hard to provide quality water,” he said, but once the runoff mingles at Tub Mill and other points in town, it fouls the waters, especially at Eel Pond.
Mission acknowledged the stormwater problems, but indicated that larger cities would see repairs before smaller communities.
The two pedestrian crosswalks dissecting Route 6 were also discussed as a severe safety hazard. Gagne said that deaths have occurred. He said the Town has researched various options for lighting the crosswalks and alerting drivers, but in the absence of financial support and interest on the part of the state, improvements have not been made. They discussed the need for a reduction in the speed limit along Route 6, which is no longer the major corridor for travelers to Cape Cod.
Gagne asked Mission if there would be action items in the report. Mission said that meetings are needed to produce results, but the towns often never hear back from SRPEDD after preparing documents and spending the time to discuss matters of need.
Mission said that once a project is identified, it is studied for viability and then prioritized. He said that with two transportation agencies to deal with, things are difficult.
“What do you do?” Selectman Jordan Collyer asked. “The only thing I’ve seen is the bike path. Where are the tangible results? What are you doing for us?”
Chairman Paul Silva said, “We’ve been asking for three years. Please get back to us.”
Gagne said that more federal funds were needed in order to accomplish even a few of the projects that had been noted.
“We are putting more funds to projects than any other town, but we can’t do it all,” Gagne said. He stressed that Mattapoisett needed more assistance.
Resident Bonne DeSousa came before the board to ask their cooperation in completing the necessary state forms for Phase 2 of the bike path.
“If you are not in the plan, you don’t get anything,” said DeSousa, referring to the process necessary for bike paths to receive state funding. The board voted to complete the paperwork for MassDOT.
Also during the meeting, Highway Surveyor Barry Denham gave a report on snow removal.
With a snow and ice removal budget of $69,000, Denham said his department is presently $44,000 over budget. He said that during the past few weeks his team has removed 184 truckloads of snow, a whopping 66 inches through the month of February.
Gagne said it was important to try and keep the narrow public roadways open for emergency equipment. Also, FEMA was extending the timeframe for applying for emergency financial relief from Winter Storm Juno until February 22. He anticipates receiving $26,000 in funding. The board voted to approve snow and ice deficit spending.
Denham also thanked his crew saying, “If it wasn’t for the commitment of those guys, we couldn’t do the job.”
In closing out his comments, Denham said that during a recent meeting he attended with MassDOT he was told that there isn’t any money to make repairs to Route 6.
Gagne then reminded the board and the public of the MassDEP public hearing for the proposed Goodspeed Island private pier by Daniel DaRosa.
The hearing will be held at Old Hammondtown School on March 5 at 7:00 pm. Gagne urged the public to prepare written comments as companion pieces to their verbal comments during the hearing. The DEP had denied the Town’s request to postpone the hearing until April.
Gagne then read into the record a letter received from the DaRosas’ attorney urging the selectmen not to approve use of town counsel by the Conservation Commission in their appeal of the superseding decision. Selectmen received the letter too late to be considered at the last public meeting of the board. At that time, Selectman Paul Silva supported ConCom’s request.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen will be March 10 at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall conference room.
By Marilou Newell
