On December 21, the Marion Pathway Committee met after a few months off to take up the matter of when, where, and how the town will connect bike paths and bikeways to the neighboring towns of Mattapoisett and Wareham. Yet with the plans each of the neighbors are now pursuing, one off the beaten path and the other along Route 6, Marion has big decisions to make.
Chairing the committee, John Rockwell reported the good news that design plans meeting the 75-percent goal for a section of bikeway that will connect to Mattapoisett’s Industrial Drive bikeway along a railroad easement out to Point Road had been submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on December 18.
“There’ll be a 90-day review period,” Rockwell said, which is likely to put the matter off schedule with Spring Town Meeting timing. He said that easements for construction would not make it into the warrant.
Rockwell also said that, after the MassDOT review, the proposed project would have to go through other agency reviews, further delaying the process by another 90 days.
“That means it would be six months before we could file a Notice of Intent,” said Rockwell. He added, however, that as designs stand now, they were ready for the permitting process. When asked about abutters, Rockwell also confirmed that three construction-related easements would be needed around and near Brew Fish restaurant.
Pathway Committee member Jeff Oakes reported that it is possible to have the project placed on the 2023 federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Oakes also discussed what their neighbors to the east, Wareham, have decided.
Oakes said that, during a recent joint meeting of MassDOT and Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), also attended by Wareham selectmen, it was revealed that Wareham is leaning toward building bike lanes along Route 6. Oakes said that the SRPEDD feasibility study resulted in Wareham’s interest in pursuing those plans rather than forging ahead with concepts to construct bike lanes along County Road, Blackmore Pond Road, and Fearing Hill Road.
“The Route 6 corridor along Route 6 over the Weweantic Bridge to the village could be widened,” Oakes said, reporting that plans to add improvement across the bridge span were already on the TIP for 2022. “Shared-use paths on one or both sides of Route 6 are possible, so plans are already in place.”
Oakes said the project would solely be a MassDOT project, so the town would not be required to fund it. “It looks as though we (Marion) should seriously consider Route 6.” He added that other concepts along country roadways could take up to 10 years.
Rockwell gave a brief historical perspective of Marion’s review of bike paths, saying that at first, people were positive about having bike paths and lanes, but emotions changed when other issues surfaced, such as cars traveling at high rates of speed and traffic volumes along such roadways as County Road, Delano Road, and Point Road.
“People became hostile,” Rockwell recalled. “They said, ‘We can’t even walk outside our door, never mind ride a bike.’” This sentiment, he said, had stayed with him. “I’ve been thinking about it, not being able to go outside your house without getting hurt.” He conjectured that sidewalks would be necessary if a bike path were to be constructed.
“Route 6 makes sense for Wareham,” Rockwell stated. He then wondered aloud how Marion would connect to Wareham if Route 6 was their plan. He asked the committee to take a ride along Point Road to Wareham and Point Road to County Road in Wareham. “Think about which is the best route for Marion.”
Member Paula Meere asked, “Doesn’t that force us to use Route 6 to connect [to Wareham]?”
“If they like one and we like the other, then more discussion will be needed,” Rockwell responded. He agreed that Wareham’s Route 6 plan was good for them because the route was basically flat from the Marion line to the village center.
“Getting everyone’s ideas is critical,” Rockwell told the committee. He shared that County Road would present issues, given its narrow layout and rates of speed.
Oakes also suggested that the committee look at the roadways in terms of their usage as commuter roadways versus country roads.
The next meeting of the Marion Pathway Committee was not set at adjournment.
Marion Pathway Committee
By Marilou Newell