Pedestrian safety key for complete streets

Cars, trucks and other motorized vehicles may be the most frequent users of public roads, but they aren't the only ones. 

A statewide program called Complete Streets aims to consider other types of users in infrastructure planning. Wareham has the foundation in place for its participation in this program, including a list of projects that could take place to make its roads more accessible for all types of travelers. 

Complete Streets is a planning process that looks at all the roads around town and comes up with a list of improvements for pedestrian, bicycle and other vehicle travel, said Ken Buckland, director of Planning and Community Development. 

That planning process has resulted in a Complete Streets policy document, which the state approved August 15, 2023. 

The policy sets forth a goal that road construction in Wareham consider travelers of all types — including "pedestrians, cyclists, emergency responders, commercial vehicle operators, public transit and school busses and motorists" — and of all ages and abilities. It puts specific emphasis on providing access to key locations, like schools, libraries and the senior center. 

While the policy has accessibility as a broad goal, it also recognizes that goal can't always be met. If making a project accessible would be excessively expensive, or if it would impact a scenic or rural road, exceptions can be made. 

"[The policy] is focused on developing a connected, integrated network that safely accommodates all users (pedestrian, cyclists and motorists) and also fits with the character of the community," it reads. 

Wareham can apply for grant funding for the projects to implement its Complete Streets plan, said Buckland. 

The town has submitted to the state a list of 38 projects that could make its streets more complete, in order of importance; according to the Massachusetts Complete Streets website, that prioritization plan has been approved by the state. 

Pedestrian improvements on Main Street are top of the list, with proposals to improve pedestrian crossings with ADA compliant ramps, install flashing pedestrian beacons at the crosswalks between Main Street and Sandwich Road and install street lighting on Merchants Way. 

Other high priority upgrades include upgrades to crosswalks and the installation of bike path markers on Onset Avenue, speed feedback signs at multiple locations throughout town and improvements to the intersection of Onset Avenue / Depot Street and Minot Avenue / Great Neck Road.

The Complete Streets ethos of pedestrian accessibility affects other infrastructure projects within Wareham as well, not just those which receive Complete Streets funding. 

A recent pedestrian accident on Marion Road highlighted ongoing discussions about pedestrian safety at the intersection of Marion Road and Swifts Beach Road. 

John Goggin, communications officer with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said the safety signs at that intersection were in place prior to the accident. 

However, there is an intersection improvement project underway at that intersection, scheduled to go to bid in September, 2024, said Goggin.

Other roadwork projects under consideration, including a reconfiguration of the intersection between Onset Avenue, Minot Avenue, Great Neck Road and Depot Street, also include pedestrian accessibility in the form of planned crosswalks and sidewalks.