2011 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN: Selected Draft Chapter Articles in This Issue
 

Every four years, SRPEDD conducts an assessment of our region's transportation infrastructure.  This assessment and its corresponding proposals and recommendations make up the bulk of the Regional Transportation Plan ("T-Plan"). 

Selected draft chapters of the 2011 T-Plan can be accessed through the "Quick Links" in the left hand column and on SRPEDD's website.  Each chapter examines an important issue facing the SRPEDD region - including sustainability and livability, traffic congestion and 'bottlenecks', the need for the South Coast Rail project, and transportation security.  The plan also speaks to reducing greenhouse gases, promoting alternative transportation modes, and supporting smart growth within our cities and towns.
 

SRPEDD also wants your feedback.  You can comment on individual T-Plan chapters by joining the chapter-specific conversations going on under the Discussions tab on our Facebook page.  You may also submit comments to tplan@srpedd.org.
 

EMPLOYEE PROFILE: Bill Napolitano 

(Each month SRPEDD profiles one of its employees.  If you're up for a quiz - and the chance to win a free SRPEDD mug - get to know this month's employee.)

Hi!  My name is Bill Napolitano and for the last twenty-five years, I have been the Environmental Planner (or some iteration thereof) at SRPEDD.  And yes, this is my picture for the newsletter.  Despite appearances, I did not spontaneously combust!  I've chosen this shot because most of my friends agree that this is probably the best photo of me in existence!  It's about soul ( or sole).

My physical being lives in Kingston, MA, with my wife Jane, who teaches art at Silver Lake Regional High in Kingston, and my sons Joshua and Jesse.  I am active in cultural, agricultural, watershed, aquifer, and historical committees, associations, commissions and alliances both in my hometown and throughout the SRPEDD region.  The study of the environment is my passion, and the pursuit of music is my vice (I'm a collector of vinyl records and all types of music)!

Over the years, my favorite projects have always involved the public and a multiplicity of diverse groups working together on projects that have lasting impact.  Some of my "career highlights" include: the study that led to the federal designation of the Taunton River as Wild & Scenic (a twenty-year journey!); organizing agricultural commissions in southeastern Massachusetts and statewide; the Earthlab Environmental (Teachers) Cooperative; the state designation of Three Mile River Watershed as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern; being a founding member of the Taunton River Watershed Alliance; working for twenty years on  a dream of regional/interstate bike paths; our regional open space plans, and just too many other things to mention in a limited space!  The bottom line - it's all about cooperation, empowerment and partnerships - the things that make SRPEDD what it is.

If you've been involved with one of my projects, you've probably heard me paraphrase Mildew ("... there is no precedent for anything until it is done for the first time."), quote Kettering ("Logic is a way of going wrong with confidence."), and champion Boulding ("Anything that exists is possible.").  I will also tell you that the purpose of our work is to "provide simple truths and profound clues" for those who follow!  And isn't that what all planning should be about?

Where in the world am I in the above photo?  The first of SRPEDD's Facebook Friends (a person who "Likes" the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District) to post the correct answer on our wall wins a free SRPEDD mug!
 

CHAPTER 5: Congestion Management Plan 

Faunce Corner Rd. at I -195 in Dartmouth 

No one enjoys being stuck in traffic, but it's become a fact of life.  It happens to all of us and it seems to be happening more frequently. Traffic congestion causes us to be late for work, makes us frustrated and increases the levels of air pollution we all have to breathe.  Congestion, however, is not confined exclusively to roadways. Overcrowded buses, trains, and commuter parking lots are other examples of congestion we need to manage.

There are two general kinds of roadway congestion in southeastern Massachusetts: work trip traffic, which occurs during the morning and afternoon commute; and retail traffic, which happens mostly along densely built commercial corridors.

Projects intended to alleviate congestion or 'congestion mitigation' projects include: projects underway; projects that are planned; and projects needing further study.  Read more!

CHAPTER 6: Safety
   

Pedestrian crosswalk at the Taunton Green
 

Have you ever been late to work because you were stuck in traffic due to a crash? Ever been rear-ended because someone wasn't paying attention? Or have you ever been hit by someone who ran a red light? As distractions increase, motorists lose focus on the road and become less aware of traffic signals and stop signs. This can lead to crashes.

There are many factors that can contribute to crashes, including poor signal timing, inappropriate traffic controls, poor geometry, missing or faded pavement markings, weather, obstacles in the roadway, and driver inattention, among others. As traffic specialists, SRPEDD has taken the initiative to evaluate roadways and intersections in our region with a high number of crashes to determine the cause and ultimately recommend improvements that will improve safety and save lives.

The Safety chapter of the T-Plan focuses on crash data from 2006 to 2008 in our region. Intersections and locations with the highest number of pedestrian and bicycle crashes, road departure crashes, red light running crashes and fatal crashes are highlighted to inform the public of the dangers that exist on our roads.  Physical improvements to a roadway, traffic control devices or increased police enforcement can improve the safety of our region's roads.

Recommended improvements also include changes and/or additions in statewide policy or law. The change of a secondary seat belt law to a primary seat belt law, as well as the legalization of red light cameras would reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries statewide. 

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CHAPTER 7: Bridges

Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge between Somerset and Fall River
 

It is almost impossible to travel through this region without eventually driving over a bridge. In fact, there are 483 bridges within the SMMPO region alone. Four of these bridges are of significant importance and all four are being replaced or rehabilitated. The Brightman Street Bridge is being replaced by the new Veteran's Memorial Bridge; the New Bedford / Fairhaven Bridge is undergoing extensive repair and preservation; The Berkley - Dighton Bridge is being replaced; and the Braga Bridge is being rehabilitated.

MassDOT recognized that while they were making repairs to some structurally deficient bridges, far too many were deteriorating into disrepair. As a result, the Accelerated Bridge Program (ABP) was implemented in 2008 to provide $3 billion for design and construction in order to reduce the number of structurally deficient bridges 15% by 2016.  Read More!

CHAPTER 8: Pavement Management 
 

Regional Pavement Conditions, 2006 and 2008
 

When you're on your way to work every morning, do you know where the biggest potholes are? Of course you do, because you're trying to avoid them. Potholes, frost heaves and rough roads are simply a part of life in the region. Unfortunately, these poor pavement conditions can lead to additional wear and tear on your car. TRIP, a national transportation research group, reports that poor road conditions cost the average motorist $402 annually in additional vehicle operating costs. To try to stay ahead of these poor conditions, a process called Pavement Management is used.

Pavement Management is the process at which a network of roads is evaluated and rated to determine a schedule of maintenance to keep the roads in good to excellent condition. SRPEDD collects pavement condition data for all of the federal aid eligible roads in Southeastern Massachusetts.  Read More!
 

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CHAPTERS 9, 10, AND 11: Public Transit, Commuter Rail, and Commuter Bus
 

 Goody Clancy: View of King's Highway South Coast Rail TOD
 

Sustainable Transportation Means Choices, and, Yes, Transit

Having a car in southeastern Massachusetts isn't much of a choice; it's a necessity.  Unless of course you don't have one; then, your choice is to rely on friends and neighbors, taxis, your own physical power, or the little bit of transit that exists.  Only 2% of the region's population takes transit to work.  In part, that's because the car is a more attractive option.  But even for those who don't have a car, transit doesn't run early enough, late enough, frequent enough, go by their workplace, or make the right connections.    Besides work, people without cars need to get to school, shopping, medical services and visit friends and family members.  And who are these people without cars?  They are young people who don't yet have a license, seniors who no longer drive, people in low income households, and people with disabilities or conditions that prevent them from driving. 

It's ironic that this region was once criss-crossed with railroads and trolley tracks.  As cars displaced trains and trolleys, the rails were removed and trolleys were replaced by buses.  Public investments in roads, cheap driving costs, urban sprawl and the freedom of the automobile led to a decline in transit ridership.  The country developed in a way that favored travel by automobile.  And transit service was cut to the level that exists today.  It's ironic--because fifty years later, we are trying to put back the rails and restore service.  And the voices complaining about inadequate transit service are getting louder.  Why?

It's because the world designed around the car is showing signs of stress:  traffic bottlenecks and congestion, injuries and deaths from crashes, air quality impacts causing higher levels of asthma, health impacts because we sit more and walk less, household budget impacts from the increasing costs of maintaining a car for every driver in the household, security impacts of a nation dependent on foreign oil, and the problem of an aging population that is reluctant to give up the keys because there is no other viable way to get around. In addition, there are environmental impacts (on air and water quality and climate change), inefficient use of land in order to accommodate cars (road capacity, parking), quality of life (time and cost of driving), and the inequity of our car-based culture that does not work well for nearly one third of our population.  Read More!

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CHAPTER 12: Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation 

Mattapoisett Rail Trail
 

The Bicycle and Pedestrian chapter of the T-Plan assesses bike and foot traffic in the SMMPO region. Bicycling is a popular recreational activity and it is also a mode of commuting in our region. Several miles of new bikeways have been constructed recently in the region, including a multi-use path in Fall River and a multi-use path in Mattapoisett that connects to Fairhaven's Phoenix Trail.

The most important recommendation of the Bicycle section is the design and construction of the South Coast Bikeway, a continuous set of bikeways that will connect Rhode Island to Cape Cod through the South Coast.  The existing bikeways in Swansea, Fall River, New Bedford, Fairhaven and Mattapoisett are all part of this vision. 

Walking is usually considered a recreational activity, but walking is now used by nearly 2% of Southeastern Massachusetts' population to get to and from work, with additional residents walking to transit stops.  Overall, walking as a mode of transportation can be fairly isolated in this region due to the rural nature of much of it.  Safety issues involved with walking are important, as there were 615 crashes involving pedestrians from 2006 to 2008, a third of which occurred at unsignalized intersections.  A number of roadways and intersections in Southeastern Massachusetts have been identified as being unsafe for pedestrians for a number of reasons, including lack of sidewalks and crash history. 

The most important recommendations of the Pedestrian section are further study of those roadways identified as high pedestrian crash corridors and priority locations for new sidewalks.  The high pedestrian crash corridors are typically urban streets with high pedestrian activity or suburban/rural roadways with no sidewalks.  Priority locations for new sidewalks are typically roadways within a half-mile of major pedestrian trip generators (such as schools) that lack complete sidewalks. 

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CHAPTER 13: Airports

Regional Airports 

Do you ever think it would be a great weekend to spend on the Cape, but you don't want to deal with all that traffic? Well, guess what? You can fly to the Cape and Islands in just 20 minutes from New Bedford. Services like these, as well as a variety of other services are provided at the four public airports serving the region's communities:  New Bedford Regional Airport, Taunton Municipal Airport, Mansfield Municipal Airport and Plymouth Municipal Airport. 

Other services provided by the four airports include but are not limited to: flight instruction for various types of aircrafts, gliders, and helicopters, charter flights to various locations including the Cape and Islands, scenic flights, corporate services, emergency helicopter transport, search and rescue, anti-terrorism efforts, law enforcement assistance, and assistance to fire departments during periods of high fire danger.

Recommendations of the T-Plan include prioritization and implementation of improvements and to minimize the impacts of land use encroachments on current and future airport operations and expansions. 

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CHAPTER 14: Freight and Intermodal Connections

CSX Crossing on Tremont St. in Taunton
 

Did you ever wonder how the apples you just bought at the grocery store got to the grocery store in the first place? Or how the sneakers you bought at the mall got there? Well, transportation involves the movement of goods, as well as people.

The vision for the Regional Transportation Plan is to provide a fully integrated, seamless transportation system that links people, as well as goods, into and out of our region.  The most recent federal transportation legislation continues to stress the maintenance and improvement of the nation's transportation system, not only to retain our standard of living, but also to continue to compete effectively in the global marketplace.

The freight and intermodal chapter outlines freight movements in the region by the four major modes of transport: truck, water, rail and air.  A number of projects are planned for the region's two major seaports: Fall River and New Bedford, including new cargo facilities, new loading/unloading equipment and new tourist attractions.  Rail upgrades around the Port of New Bedford are also planned, along with upgrades to the New Bedford and Fall River freight rail lines recently purchased by MassDOT.  Improvements to trucking infrastructure are also outlined based on SRPEDD's 2009 Regional Truck Route Study. 

Major recommendations in the freight chapter include support for Short Sea Shipping in Fall River and New Bedford, new truck parking facilities along the region's limited access highways, improvements to regional truck routes, a study of the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge and the double-tracking of the New Bedford and Fall River Branch railroad lines. 

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CHAPTER 15: Intelligent Transportation Systems 

ITS in Fairhaven

Have you ever been headed to Fairhaven but altered your route when noticing the "Bridge Closed" sign lit? That sign, and the others located on several approach routes to the New Bedford  / Fairhaven Bridge, is the simplest example of ITS in our region.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are defined as "the application of advanced sensor, computer, electronics, and communication technologies and management strategies - in an integrated manner - to improve the safety and efficiency of the surface transportation system."  In short, they are interrelated systems that work together to deliver transportation services. ITS improves transportation safety and mobility.

ITS is a worldwide effort that seeks to develop coordinated technologies to improve the efficiency and safety of surface transportation through better informed travelers, improved traffic controls, information technology and electronic systems that increase the efficiency of commercial vehicles and transit operations.  ITS technologies are applied to vehicles and roadways to perform communications, data processing, traffic control, surveillance, navigation, sensing, and various other functions.  Read more!