Roundabout, More Sidewalks For Harwich Port

 HARWICH – A traffic study presented to the select board Monday suggests officials consider a roundabout at the intersection of Route 28 and Sisson Road as well as other improvements along 

a two-mile stretch of Route 28 in Harwich Port.

The study by VHB, Inc. highlights the need for changes to roadway infrastructure to improve safety and multimodal accommodations. Among other suggestions are changes to the Lower County Road intersection at the Harwich Port Post Office and extending sidewalks to Sisson Road.

 “These are not recommendations, more considerations for potential improvements,” Matt Duranleau of VHB told the select board. 

 The study examined eight intersections from Sisson Road to Gorham Road, three of which have level of service rating of “F,” which indicates unsuitable operating conditions in peak season. They include Route 28/Sisson Road, Route 28/Bank Street and Route 28/Freeman Street/Snow Inn Road.

Those three intersections have crash ratings exceeding Massachusetts Department of Transportation District 5 averages. The Route28/Freeman Street/Snow Inn Road intersection is identified by MassDOT as being listed as in the top 5 percent crash-cluster in its Highway Safety Improvement database.

The study found that Route 28 currently carries up to 8,700 vehicles on an average weekday and up to 9,700 vehicles on an average Saturday in October. Congestion issues along the corridor are primarily seasonal, according to the study.

There are numerous recommendations for improving safety at the various intersections, including alterations to road layout and adjustments to crosswalks. Also, of the 39 crosswalk ramps only 11 were found to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and eight met the additional ramp and landing requirements of MassDOT.  

“A major constraint along Main Street (Route 28) is the limited right-of-way,” according to the study. “Most of the main street corridor consists of a single 11-foot travel lane in each direction with two-foot shoulders. In the village center, buildings are frequently located at the back of the sidewalk.”     

In the center of the village, several safety measures for pedestrians are recommended, including the addition and upgrade of crosswalks, locating them at all minor streets with raised sidewalks in key locations, improved signage and use of rapid flashing beacons. The use of pedestrian refuge islands in the median of Route 28 to help cross the road more safely was also suggested. Scaled ornamental post-mounted streetlighting was recommended as well.

To reduce bicycle movement in the heart of the village, the report suggested establishing parallel bicycle travel lanes along Pleasant and Miles streets to avoid heavy traffic on Route 28.

As three of the eight intersections are expected to operate at an unsuitable level of service during at least peak hour periods in peak season conditions, the report recommends infrastructure enhancements be evaluated to improve operations and safety.

The report suggests possible contributing crash factors at Route 28/Sisson Road could be sight distance, queuing issues, and drivers not properly stopping. The recommendation is to conduct a signal analysis to see if one is warranted or installation of a roundabout to improve safety and enhance operations. 

Duranleau said the roundabout proposal is not an endorsement but something to be considered. He said there could be right-of-way impacts in private parking lots in three of the corners of the intersection.

As for the Route 28/Lower County Road intersection, it is suggested the northbound approach could be slightly realigned to improve sight distance or Lower County Road could be closed to general traffic between Post Office Square and Route 28 and have the traffic take a left onto Route 28.  

Stop ahead signs are recommended in both directions for the Route 28/Freeman Road/Snow Inn Road intersection. The report also recommends review of sight distance, especially from the northbound and southbound approaches, and it encourages adjacent property owners to trim vegetation, move fencing or move signage that may limit sight distances.

At the Route 28/Bank Street intersection, a reduction in the curb line on the northeast corner, limiting its radius, was suggested.

The crossing at Route 28/Schoolhouse parking lot is a busy one. It was suggested a raised crosswalk or a rectangular rapid flashing beacon could be installed at the pedestrian crossing east of Schoolhouse Road to increase pedestrian visibility. LED stop signs could also be installed to increase driver awareness. 

The report also suggests extending the sidewalk on the north side of Route 28 from Seaport Lane to Sisson Road and on the south side from Sisson Road east to Lower County Road.

Select Board member Julie Kavanagh wanted to know what steps could be taken in the immediate future to make safety improvements for this summer season.

Duranleau suggested LED stop signs could be placed on the town roads converging with Route 28. But he added improvements on Route 28 would require much more lead time, since it is a state highway and MassDOT approval is required. 

 Select Board member Donald Howell said he did not see anything in the plan that addresses a major concern: the movement of people from establishments late at night. It was agreed more lighting is necessary in the village.

Traffic safety committee chair Linda Cebula questioned the absence of review of parking conditions in Harwich Port. She said her committee is willing to examine the report and make recommendations. 

Select Board Chair Jeffrey Handler said the report would be forwarded to the traffic safety committee. He also said the select board would make time to delve more deeply into the report once town meeting has concluded.