Cape Cod 1997 Regional Transportation Plan
This page provides a summary of the latest Regional Transportation Plan for Cape Cod. The plan is now finalized, but public comment is always welcome. Please send comments to us at trans@capecodcommission.org or to "Regional Transportation Plan," Cape Cod Commission, PO BOX 226, Barnstable MA 02630-0226.
The Regional Transportation Plan is the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization's blueprint for transportation in Barnstable County into the next millennium. As both a major tourist destination and year-round home to 200,000 residents, Cape Cod has a unique set of transportation needs and challenges. The region must provide for the flow of people and goods while preserving its delicate ecosystem and the natural beauty which attracts tourists from around the world. These tourists and seasonal residents make up almost half of the Cape's economic base.
Growing Demand for Travel
An estimated 200,000 people enter or leave Cape Cod
on an average summer day. The majority make use of
automobiles, as evidenced by the over 120,000 vehicles
per day that cross the Cape Cod Canal bridges in July.
A smaller but growing number make use of buses, ferries,
airplane and trains to come and go from Cape Cod. At
the same time, about 75,000 workers commute to and
from work on Cape Cod year-round. In addition, tourism
in the "off-season" is growing, particularly
in the Fall and Spring months.
Regional Goals
The Regional Plan is based on five regional goals regarding
transportation for Cape Cod:
1. "The 'Right' Transportation System" for
Cape Cod must be achieved by implementing solutions
that are consistent with the character of Cape Cod.
2. "Modes and Roads" are both a part of planning
for Cape Cod. Alternatives to the automobile must be
adequately represented in planning for future projects.
3. "Land Use Causes Transportation Causes Land
Use". In other words, land use changes both result
from changes in the transportation system and create
the need for new transportation projects.
4. "Traveling Smarter" is important for the
future, rather than simply traveling more. New information
technologies will help people make intelligent transportation
choices such as when to travel and how to travel.
5. "Working Together" is an important part
goal of the long range planning effort. New partnerships
need to be formed that cross over the traditional lines
of public and private sectors and across levels of
government, and old ones need to be strengthened.
The Need to Preserve the Existing System
The number one priority identified in the Regional Transportation
Plan is the preservation and maintenance of the existing
transportation system. It is projected that over 75
percent of the funding the region will receive for
transportation in the next 20 years will need to be
spent on maintenance and operations. Over half will
need to go to roadway resurfacing alone, and an additional
14 percent to transit operations and maintenance. These
needs of the existing system must come before any new
projects.
Recommended New Projects
However, many new projects are also recommended in the
plan in order to help provide for transportation needs
projected in the next 20 years. Many of the projects
proposed in the plan are mapped in Figure ES-1, and
are also listed below:
Construction of an Intermodal Center in Hyannis to
allow easy transfers between ferries, airplanes, buses,
trains and automobiles.
Construction of two bicycle and pedestrian bridges
over Route 6 to link together sections of the existing
Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich and Orleans.
Widening and Resurfacing of the original section of
the Cape Cod Rail Trail to 12 feet.
Extensions of the Cape Cod Rail Trail to Provincetown
in the north and Barnstable in the west.
Construction of a "Boulevard" on Route 132
from Route 6 to Bearses Way that would consist of four
lanes separated by a median.
Extension of Attucks Way in Hyannis to connect the
current road to Old Route 132.
Further study of the MacArthur Boulevard section of
Route 28 in Bourne in order to identify alternatives
for future improvements.
Reconfiguring of Exit 1 on Route 6 to reduce bottlenecks
at Sagamore Bridge during peak summer traffic times
in order to improve flow over the bridge.
Accommodation of bicycles along Route 28 in Hyannis,
Yarmouth and Dennis.
Route 6A transit service from Sandwich to Orleans
Safety improvements to Route 6 from Dennis to Orleans.
Purchasing of strategic parcels of land to prevent
overdevelopment in Cape Cod's sensitive areas.
Expansion of the Park and Ride lot in Barnstable.
Construction of a new system of bicycle paths in the
mid- and upper- Cape including paths in the Upper Cape region.
Creation of a Transportation Management Center to
help in managing congestion problems through the use
of variable message signs, highway advisory radio,
and other "intelligent transportation systems"
tools.
Increased ferry service to Cape harbors for travel
around Cape Cod and to other regions.
A Cape-wide study of the transportation capacity of
Cape Cod modeled after efforts recently completed in
the Outer Cape and Monomoy region.
Continued support of seasonal passenger rail service
to Cape Cod.
Figure ES-1
Key:
Corridor Projects
908: Marine Transportation Study
909: Regional Bicycle Network
1006: MacArthur Boulevard MIS
1011: Attucks Way Extension
1012: Route 132 Boulevard
1014: Cape Cod Rail Trail Improvements
1015: Cape Cod Rail Trail Extensions
1016: Route 28 Bicycle Accommodation
1021: Old Kings Highway Shuttle
1027: Route 6 Safety Improvements
Site-Specific Projects (numbered circles)
(1) Variable Message Signs
(2) Transportation Management Center
(3) Expand Exit 6 Park and Ride
(4) Cape Cod Rail Trail Bridges
(5) Reconfigure Exit 1
(6) Hyannis Intermodal Center
(7) Bourne Rotary Study
(8) Sagamore Rotary Study
The maintenance and projects in this plan will allow
the region to continue to remain mobile while preserving
the natural environment that makes Cape Cod a great
place to live, work, and visit.
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