Marion residents got their first glimpse of possible alterations to Route 6 on January 6, when the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) brought the results of a long-term study to the public eye.
SRPEDD planner Jed Cornock began by explaining some of the biggest concerns that SRPEDD planners found within the Route 6 corridor, specifically the section of Route 6 which travels from Fairhaven through Mattapoisett to Marion and into Wareham.
According to SRPEDD estimations, 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles travel Route 6 every day, at an average speed of 45-50 miles per hour.
Amongst the biggest safety concerns, Cornock noted, were narrow travel lanes, equally narrow shoulders, and unsafe roadway curves, as well as several intersections that lacked visibility. Cornock added that in Marion especially, Route 6 is only partially edged by sidewalks, making it difficult for bikers and pedestrians to traverse the corridor safely.
Cornock explained four different options that SRPEDD had devised to update Route 6. The first was to keep the four-lane road as it remained, but add a consistent sidewalk on both sides of the road throughout the entire Route 6 corridor from Wareham to Fairhaven. The sidewalk would be narrow, which means that more often than not, bicyclists would need to cycle on the main road alongside traffic.
The second would also keep a four-lane configuration, but would provide widened sidewalks on each side to accommodate both bicyclists and pedestrians as a shared-use path.
Alternative three, Cornock continued, would reduce Route 6 (or certain sections of Route 6) to two lanes, which would add space for both a pedestrian and a separate bike lane with a buffer between the two.
Alternative four would be identical, but without the buffers between the bicyclists and pedestrians.
For those in the audience who wondered why the alternatives all included bicycle and pedestrian considerations, Cornock explained the reasoning.
“When taking money from MassDOT for road improvements, the plans require bicycle and pedestrian planning,” he said. “We can’t get the money without plans that provide for pedestrians and bicyclists.”
No matter which plan residents ultimately agree on, (and Cornock stressed that the plans could be customized if needed), there are certain changes that will come along, regardless.
“We’d like to change several intersections along Route 6 into T-shaped geometric intersections,” Cornock said, citing intersections like Spring Street and Converse Road in Marion. “We’d remove the islands and make them straight intersections to improve visibility and reduce conflict points between cars.”
Marion residents had strong feelings about the proposed improvements. Resident Steve Kokkins said he was a proponent of a “three-lane” solution, which would move Route 6 to two lanes with a middle turning lane.
“For economy, appeal, and simplicity, I really think that this is the best option for Marion,” Kokkins noted.
Several other residents recalled the years in the past when Route 6 was reduced to two lanes. Accidents and fatalities, they said, immediately skyrocketed.
“Fatalities were a real thing,” one resident said. “There were head-on collisions in a way you just don’t see anymore. It’s much safer as a four-lane road, and I hope it stays that way.”
When asked what the timeframe would be for the improvements to be constructed, Cornock had no clear answer.
“We’re still in the planning phase,” Cornock said. “Once SRPEDD’s report is submitted, it will be up to the individual communities to initiate the work with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.” He continued, “It could be anywhere between five and 15 years, but it’s something the communities will have to pick up on their own, although SRPEDD can assist if needed.”
By Andrea Ray