To the Editor:

In response to Ms. DeSousa's recent letter to the editor on Dec. 16, 2019:

SRPEDD is honored to work in partnership with residents, business owners, and officials in Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Marion, and Wareham as we examine alternatives for the future of Route 6. The Route 6 Corridor Study was first initiated by Marion and later supported by Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, and Wareham due to concerns about intersection safety, vehicle speeds, and the lack of multi-modal accommodations. These concerns were confirmed by SRPEDD from community officials in stakeholder meetings, from comment cards submitted by the public, through the public survey, which resulted in nearly 740 responses, and, importantly, from the public meetings held in 2018. 

Citizen participation is essential to the success of this planning project. However, some statements in Ms. DeSousa's letter were incorrect. For example, the public meeting on Dec. 12 did not recommend a "uniform strategy" to the corridor; on the contrary, SRPEDD presented a menu of options that may be appropriate for different sections of Route 6, depending on the character, land uses, and environment surrounding each section. SRPEDD presented these conceptual alternatives to build consensus on the type and location of improvements that aim to resolve the current issues along the corridor.

SRPEDD is eager for the public and stakeholders to share their vision for Route 6. To do so, please attend the second public workshop at 6 p.m. on Jan. 6 at Sippican School, visit the project webpage for more information, and contact us online or via phone. Your input is essential to any future work on this historic, scenic roadway, as MassDOT seeks to address concerns with speed, safety, and Route 6's impact on town planning goals.

Sincerely,

Jed Cornock, AICP
Route 6 Corridor Study Project Manager