To the editor:

Residents, business owners and public officials should learn about and comment on the SRPEDD Route 6 study (Fairhaven to Wareham) currently in the public hearing phase. On Dec 12, 2019, SRPEDD presented four alternative strategies for developing this important, historic and scenic road so it meets the region’s needs decades into the future. Another hearing will happen Monday - Jan. 6, 2020 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Sippican Elementary School 16 Spring Street Marion, MA 02738

SRPEDD is looking for consensus in strategy based on numbers of lanes. None of the alternatives presented, however, appear to address concerns raised by residents in summer 2019.  

Any alternative, as presented, is completely inadequate if implemented as a uniform strategy for all road segments in all Towns. This is because land use characteristics are different along the length of the road.  Any strategy should be first and foremost context sensitive.

Residents should fill out comment cards and ask for a fifth, context sensitive strategy that demonstrates locations at regular intervals for crossing the road and walking alongside it while balancing vehicle user concerns, especially left hand turns and narrow shoulders.  If this fifth strategy includes design exceptions to the standard guidelines, that’s how it needs to be.

Please attend the Jan. 6 meeting and/or  contact SRPEDD  (Email comment cards are available here: http://www.srpedd.org/Route-6-Corridor-Study#HowtoParticipate. The address for all letters is c/o Jed Cornock, Project Manager, SRPEDD 88 Broadway Taunton, MA 02780 jcornock@srpedd.org

Please tell transportation planners at SRPEDD to offer a fifth, descriptive, context-sensitive strategy that obviously addresses resident concerns.

Sincerely,

Bonne DeSousa
12 Marion Road, Mattapoisett