Don't Feed the Stroads!
MassDOT "Improvements" Are Coming to Stroad 6 In Dartmouth
OK, so this is happening outside of the Haven, but just barely and it’s a good example of the process of how we’ve been blessed with Stroad 6 over time.
MassDOT is holding a hearing tomorrow on some proposed “improvements” to Route 6 in Dartmouth. It’s for the section of stroad between Faunce Corner Road and Hathaway Road.
The reason for the proposed $11.5M project? Reducing congestion and increasing safety. OK, sounds good. We don’t like congestion and we do like safety.
Readers of my last post will be familiar with what makes Stroad 6 dangerous: deadly design speeds combined with the complexity of street life that includes pedestrians and businesses. This section is classic stroad:
De-stroading this gem to make it safer would mean that MassDOT either:
Makes it a street, slowing traffic by reducing the number and width of travel and turn lanes, bringing businesses etc closer to the street and encouraging slow but steady driving. This would serve to build wealth along this corridor and reduce traffic and pedestrian deaths. The tradeoff is that you wouldn’t be able to travel quickly at highway speeds to get from one end to the other.
OR
Makes it a road, closing off most access to it (both pedestrian and business) and using the forgiving design that makes highways safer for drivers.
So what are they proposing to do?
That’s right, they’re adding lanes! (or at least widening the existing and adding turning lanes)
This time-honored design technique has consistently resulted in congested stroads becoming… wider, congested stroads. Induced demand generally dictates that congestion on stroads like this won’t be fixed by widening them. In the off-peak hours, when the stroad isn’t congested, the wider design allows for… higher speeds!
In addition to higher speeds for much of the day, pedestrians wishing to cross this thoroughfare will have quite a journey to make in crossing it! My guess is that, just as our North Fairhaven friends tend to drive (even distances less than a couple miles) to see us in the Center, North and South Dartmouth folks will prefer to drive, rather than to attempt to bridge their divide by foot or by bike.
To complete the street, they’re adding a dedicated bike/pedestrian path on either side of the stroad. Thankfully, the proposed bike infrastructure is separated from traffic. An improvement on Faunce Corner Road sharrows for sure.
I’m not sure who might be using the path. There’s not really any pedestrian or bike infrastructure to connect it to. Likewise, I can’t imagine it will be that pleasant to walk or bike alongside a 5+ lane stroad that’s either congested or facilitating high-speed traffic. Also, given all the businesses here, I imagine the path will be broken up by a number of driveways, accommodating cars that are edging out as they try to merge onto a high-speed thoroughfare.
While I won’t be able to make this public hearing, I hope some Dartmouth folks ask some hard questions of MassDOT. As public servants, the MassDOT engineers should take some time to determine the priorities of the community for this stroad. Then I hope they come up with multiple options that community members can consider— options that try to design for the things that people in the town actually want. If the plan does move forward as described, I hope I’m wrong and this $11.5M of taxpayer money improves the lives of the people in Dartmouth and the surrounding communities.
I've ridden my bike only once through that intersection- a harrowing experience to say the least. I would hope that the proposed improvements make it a more feasible experience for biking or walking, but whom would be this be serving? I think there's one housing development there, maybe? My knee jerk solution is housing as in-fill in those lots pushed all the way up to the street. Increase the demand for sidewalks, bike lanes, and car alternative means of transportation by having people actually live in that area.
Thicken it.