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Papers and Presentations
Volpe's Recommendations for Improving Transportation on Cape Cod this Summer are Unanimously Approved (CCTTF)
 Most visitors to Cape Cod use one of two bridges that connect the Cape to Southeastern Massachusetts. Bottlenecked summertime traffic, as shown above, can detract from the relaxing atmosphere people seek. Recently, the Cape Cod Regional Transportation Authority voted unanimously to adopt all of the Volpe Center's early-implementation recommendations to improve public transportation to, from, and
on the Cape starting this summer. |
The natural beauty and relaxed lifestyle of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, attract more people every year. The regional population triples every summer, and the year-round population is the fastest growing in the Northeast. This popularity has resulted in increased traffic congestion as well as increased demand for public transit. Many year-round residents, such as the elderly, are transit-dependent and in need of human services.
In February 2000, a Transit Summit was held to develop a community consensus on the future of public transportation on Cape Cod. A major directive of the Summit was the need for a plan for improved transportation in and among Cape Cod, the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and southeastern Massachusetts. In response, State Secretary of Transportation Kevin Sullivan created the Cape Cod Transit Task Force (CCTTF), which adopted the goals and objectives set by the Transit Summit, particularly the development of a short-term strategy for improving public transportation.
Under the direction of Mr. Terry Sheehan of the Service Assessment Division, the Volpe Center is working with the CCTTF to develop the Cape Cod Five-Year Public Transportation Plan. It is anticipated that the Plan's findings will be deployed for the existing transportation network, and will also serve as a basis for a subsequent, more comprehensive, 25-year plan. The CCTTF holds regular public meetings that include discussion of the Volpe Center's work on the Plan and provide a comment period for citizens and public officials. The Center's contributions include skills in facilitating input from diverse groups and building consensus.
 The 15-member Cape Cod Transit Task Force (CCTTF) is the main advisory committee for the Cape Cod Five-Year Public Transportation Plan. The CCTTF is composed of stakeholders representing federal, state, and local officials; social service providers; and transportation providers for the Cape Cod region. It is co-chaired by Mr. Mark Forrest, a member of Massachusetts Congressman William Delahunt's staff, and Mr. Thomas Cahir of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Construction. The membership includes representatives from: the Massachusetts Highway Department; Cape Cod Commission; Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce; Cape Cod Central Railroad; Southeastern Massachusetts Private Motor Carriers Association; Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates; Lower Cape Health and Services Coalition; Barnstable County Human Services; Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamship Authority; Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority; Cape Air; and Cape Cod National Seashore.
The CCTTF's Web site, www.gocapecod.org/ccttf, provides general information on Cape Cod transit planning as well as links to other sites that help visitors and residents plan car-free transportation to, from, and on the Cape. |
The second annual Cape Cod Transit Summit was held in Hyannis, Massachusetts, on March 12, 2001. Massachusetts Congressman William Delahunt (D-MA-10th Congressional District) and Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Kevin Sullivan were keynote speakers. The primary purpose of the summit was to brief members of the CCTTF, invited guests, and the public on the Volpe Center's findings regarding viable and fiscally responsible approaches to improved public transportation on Cape Cod. Potential "early-implementation" items, which would help improve transportation as soon as this summer, were highlighted. Mr. Sheehan presented these initial findings and recommendations.
A key Volpe Center recommendation offers public transportation to people who would ordinarily drive their automobiles from the Boston area to Woods Hole on Cape Cod to take the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. On weekends from June 29 through September 3, 2001, "Relax and Ride" will provide 45-foot luxury buses to transport travelers from a 2,600-space, multimodal commuter rail parking lot in Westwood, Massachusetts, to the Steamship pier in Woods Hole. There will be "one-price" ticketing for the bus, Steamship ferries, and Martha's Vineyard Regional Transit Authority. Bus schedules will be coordinated with the schedules of steamships, commuter rail trains, and Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains, including the Acela high-speed trains.
Additional early-implementation recommendations include: schedule coordination of all modes to, from, and on the Cape; Sunday transit service on the Cape's fixed-route transit system; coordination of social service--related transportation; air service improvements; satellite parking for the Cape Cod National Seashore; and creation of associations to engage private-sector employers in the deployment of transportation strategies.
On March 21, 2001, the Cape Cod Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors unanimously voted to adopt all of the Volpe Center's early-implementation recommendations for the Summer 2001 season. (The timely vote permitted the inclusion of these recommendations in the Cape Cod Smart Guide 2001.) The Board is investigating funding mechanisms to implement the Center's recommendations year-round.
Other comments from CCTTF members, stakeholders, and residents are currently under review. The Center will move forward in Summer 2001 to complete the Final Five-Year Plan in a manner that optimizes available state and local funding and other resources, and includes extensive public input.