VIII. Circulation and Transportation

 

A. Overview

This chapter presents goals, issues, and recommendations associated with BelchertownÕs transportation system.  Automobile use has come to characterize Belchertown.  The townÕs land use patterns, its lifestyle, and its commerce all reflect the assumption that driving a personal car will remain an inexpensive right for nearly all of the townÕs residents.  Both the townÕs infrastructure budget and the townÕs zoning reflect and reinforce this standard.  Furthering this is that Belchertown is where several main state routes meet in their conduction of through-traffic.

 

Historically, a high percentage of BelchertownÕs traffic has been through-traffic.  There are two general through-routes that meet in the center of town: Route 202 which connects Route 2 to the north with greater Springfield; and the Route 181-Route 202-Route 9 combination which connects the Massachusetts Turnpike with UMass.  Although this through-traffic has increased over the years, it has become a smaller percentage of total traffic in Belchertown.  Local traffic resulting from the increased local population and the dispersed land uses has grown drastically.

 

To accommodate the many often-conflicting needs of the town, a transportation plan must be balanced with predictable funding.  Such funding is fanciful.  Municipal transportation funding comes mainly from the commonwealth.  State-level funding comes from various sources, including the federal government.  In every case, this money is highly sensitive to political moods, deals, and manipulation.  The townÕs transportation plan will have to incorporate the reality of unpredictable resources with the safety and convenience of the community.

 

B. Goals and Policies

The following policies were developed to work toward the three overall goals for the town determined during the community vision phase of the community plan project.

 

Goal 1: To maintain BelchertownÕs rural New England look and feel.

Policies related to circulation and transportation for Goal 1:

¤       Establish and maintain a transportation system that retains the visual character of a mostly-undeveloped area.  The system should protect the sights that most residents associate with ÒruralÓ and Òsmall town.Ó

¤       Road improvements should be done respectful of the visual effects of any changes.

¤       Farm equipment should have the right-of-way.

¤       Assure on-street parking for recreational users: hikers, hunters, etc.

¤       Reduce the need to use private cars.  

¤       Encourage the clustering of amenities, services, and residences.

¤       Direction and distance signs should be posted at intersections. 

¤       Signs should denote the regions or villages within Belchertown, e.g. ÒDwight,Ó ÒBondsville.Ó

¤       Preserve existing transportation rights-of-way for transportation uses, including bicycle and pedestrian access ways.

¤       Identify public ways, roads, and lay-outs that should be discontinued or abandoned.  Develop a policy for acting on such ways.

Goal 2: Manage residential construction to increase benefits to the community while lessening potential negative effects.

Policies related to circulation and transportation for Goal 2:

¤       Monitor the results of the subdivision regulations and revise them accordingly.

¤       Lobby the legislature to revise MGL c. 41 ¤81P, the provision for Òsubdivision approval not requiredÓ, which allows for unlimited building lots along loosely defined road frontage with no environmental or public review or conditions.

¤       Transportation and circulation improvements should encourage pedestrian activity.

¤       Speed limits should be developed and enforced.

¤       Potential improvements should be evaluated using established performance indicators as defined in the Highway Capacity Manual8.

¤       Traffic flow should be considered on a macro-level, i.e. areas in which several intersections are interrelated should be reviewed as a whole, not intersection by intersection.

¤       Include bus service in large new projects.

¤       Develop zoning, subdivision, and other land use tools to discourage development in outer areas.

¤       Encourage mixed compatible uses.

¤       Bicycling and walking should be encouraged as an alternative to automobile trips.  Safe bicycle and walking links should be created to establish an interconnected transportation system.

¤       Town regulations should encourage home occupations and modern communications links.

 

Goal 3: Evaluate and achieve business development that contributes to town life and mitigate potential negative effects.

Policies related to circulation and transportation for Goal 3:

¤       Circulation improvements should accommodate the visibility and access needs of local merchants.

¤       Sidewalks should be added in the central area contiguous to existing sidewalks.

¤       Traffic flow should be considered on a macro-level, i.e. areas in which several intersections are interrelated should be reviewed as a whole, not intersection by intersection.

 

C.  Inventory

1.   Roadway Network 

Several different types of road characterize BelchertownÕs road network.  Few roads have traits that could be considered urban.  Most road mileage is that of old town ways with frontage that has become filled with driveway cuts and mailboxes, old ways that are through-routes and that have been incrementally widened as traffic increased, and wide suburban streets in new subdivisions.  There are also privately-owned roads that will be discussed later.

 

The very center of Belchertown and the part of Bondsville within Belchertown are the two village areas with a more urban-type infrastructure.  These are the areas with sidewalks along the streets, designated on-street parking, and utilities.  Building set-backs are shallow compared to the rest of the town. 

 

More typical of the townÕs road mileage are the roads that grew from paths connecting farms, schools, and villages.  These roads often have poor drainage and poor sight-lines, and are narrow with no shoulder.  Frequent driveway cuts and mailboxes are further obstacles.  There is no pedestrian accommodation, yet bicycles, horses and occasional pedestrians must use the paved surface with cars and trucks.  Some of these roads have become arterial through-routes; traffic amounts have required these roads to be widened and have some drainage improvements, but they still have frequent driveway cuts, no shoulders, and poor sight distance.  The exception in this category are the roads under MassHighwayÕs jurisdiction, which have been widened and built to federal highway standards whenever physically possible.  These roads are Route 9 throughout Belchertown, and Route 202 outside the town center. 

 

Newer subdivision streets are suburban in character, and typically have a standard twenty-four foot width with good sight distance, drainage infrastructure, and low traffic volumes.  They are most often incongruous with the older town roads they connect to. 

 

Belchertown has 155 miles of town roadways.  There are also 15 miles of state roads.  There is no official account of privately-owned roads.  The network of state routes, (Route 9, Route 202, Route 21, and Route 181, of which only 9 and most of 202 are under state jurisdiction) converge in or near the town center.  This convergence is a result of the practice of numbering routes that link population centers. 

 

These numbered routes continue to be the main traffic arterials.  Congestion in the center of town has increased as commuter traffic has increased.  As going through the center becomes less convenient, people take other routes and increase the traffic on those roads.  Occasionally someone suggests a bypass around the town center, but if this is ever to be pursued, it is quite likely to be difficult to pay for.  The town will have to profoundly evaluate if it wants to raise the money itself to create something that would essentially change the townÕs character. 

 

 

 

Classification of BelchertownÕs Roadways.  [See Roadway Classification Map.]

 

Control of roads in Belchertown is divided into three categories: state roads, town-accepted roads, and private ways.  Below is a brief description of each.  The following section describes how the roads in Belchertown relate to these categories.

 

State Routes

Route 202, 9, 21, and 181 are the state routes through Belchertown.  Of these, 21, 181, and 202 through the town center are in the townÕs jurisdiction.  Only Route 9 and Route 202 north of 9 and west of 21 belong to the state.

 

Local Roads

Town-accepted streets total 155 miles.  The Belchertown Department of Public Works is responsible for maintenance of all local public roads.  Many of the roads that have no formal layout have a vaguely-defined and narrow right-of-way.  It is difficult for the town to improve drainage, or add amenities and safety features, such as bike lanes and sidewalks to these roads without encroaching on private property. 

 

A difficult issue that arises frequently is that of a roadÕs status Ð is it an accepted public way or not?  This usually becomes expensive for the town in that the town has to defend an attempt by someone to develop along the road, or to pay to build the road to accommodate the development.  Sometimes the town loses a defense and pays for both.  An idea that is mentioned at least annually is that someone should research all the roads in town and definitively list all the ones that should be discontinued, but no one has yet taken on this task.  Such a list could help avoid law suits and unsuitable developments.  This research itself is a direct expense, albeit a small one in the long run.  It would be cost-effective if it helps the town avoid the greater costs of making overgrown roads passable.

 

Private Roads

Belchertown has few private roads that are open to general traffic.  Such roads are almost entirely around the three lakes.  The abutters own private roads, and it is generally the responsibility of the owners to maintain the road.  In the case of the lakes, the town has historically maintained the roads to ensure access for the many residents of this neighborhood.  Other private roads are entirely the responsibility of the property owners. 

 

Belchertown has a common drive provision in the zoning bylaw.  This results in roads that are private driveways that serve two to six houses (under the current bylaw).  The town requires common driveways to be built to certain standards so to protect the owners of the drive and to ensure that drainage and emergency access are sufficiently addressed.

 

One other type of road falls between public roads and private roads: approved but incomplete subdivision ways.  There are enough of these that they are a notable component of the townÕs road network.  Developers eventually finish most subdivisions and there is an ensuing smooth transfer to town adoption of the road.  But some subdivisions do not get finished and the roads end up in legal limbo.  The town has adopted the policy of plowing these roads, but does not otherwise maintain them but for exceptional situations.  We need to pursue resolution of this problem more aggressively.

 

 

Roadway Classification

 

2. Parking

Parking is not a large problem in Belchertown.  Town-owned parking is around the common.  There is a public lot on the common with seventy-three spaces, including three that are handi-capped accessible, unmarked on-street parking with about thirty-five spaces along the east side of Park Street, and a lot behind town hall that has sixty spaces, including three that are handi-capped accessible.  There is also a pedestrian button at the main intersection and other crosswalks to facilitate the ease of walking between parking and uses around the common.  Usually, the only times the lots near the common are full are Sunday mornings when the three churches are having services, and when there is a major event on the common, which happens a few Saturdays between May and October.  Outside of the common most businesses and public-oriented sites have their own parking.  Unofficial on-street parking is allowed along most streets, but such parking is not frequent. 

 

3. Transportation other than personal cars  [See Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Bus Routes map.]

The preceding sections have addressed private car transportation and the roads that provide for the convenience of that type of travel.  Mobility by private cars is by far the main method of transportation in the Belchertown region.  There are other modes of travel, however, which are important for residents who cannot afford to own or who cannot drive a private car, or who simply choose not to drive themselves.  Here these modes will be called public transportation and personal transportation. 

 

In this plan, the term public transportation is that which is available to anyone.  It may be publicly or privately owned; it may be scheduled on a fixed route or have flexible availability on demand; it may serve many riders at once or an individual.  Essentially, the person using it does not own it.  Public transportation is not extensive in Belchertown, but it is available to those who need or want it.  There is free fixed-route bus service, shuttle service, and on-demand service provided by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA).  There are private taxis and shuttle companies based in surrounding towns.  There is Amtrak service available with stops in Amherst and Springfield.  Intercity bus service provided by Peter Pan is available in Amherst and Palmer.  The townÕs residents have generally convenient access to several airports.

 

Personal transportation here refers to individual travel other than a car.  Personal transportation methods are very few, and opportunities to develop them in Belchertown are restricted.  The

Norwottuck Rail-trail, primarily for bicycles, connecting Amherst, UMass, Hadley, and Northampton, terminates just inside the town line at Warren Wright Road.  An effort to extend this through Belchertown faced many technical obstacles and was voted down by the town in a very close vote.  Bicyclists must use the roads described above to get around within Belchertown.  Pedestrian ways are limited to the sidewalks in the two villages, and to some designated recreational trails that are not intended as transportation. 

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Bus Route

 

 

Belchertown Community Plan 2002

 

Table 8.1: Public Transportation Facilities & Service Area

 

Transportation Type

Service Area

PVTA scheduled free bus service, fixed -route

Belchertown State School to Amherst

PVTA shuttle, fixed -route

Pine Valley Plantation to Wal-Mart in Ware

PVTA senior vans

Ride by appointment throughout region

 

Taxi Service

On-call private service

Based in Palmer and Amherst

Valley Transporter

Shuttles to Bradley and Logan airports

 

Inter-city Rail and Bus

Amtrak

Daily stops in Amherst and Springfield (Vermonter): one northbound to MontrŽal and one southbound to Washington.  Daily stops in Springfield (Lake Shore Limited):  one eastbound to Boston and one westbound to Chicago.  (Northeast Corridor): six southbound to Washington, six northbound from Washington.

Peter Pan Bus

Daily stops in Amherst and Palmer

 

Air Service - small airports within 25 miles

Metropolitan Airport, Palmer

Small field - General aviation

Northampton Airport

Small field - General aviation

Orange Airport

Small field - General aviation

Turners Falls Airport

Small field - General aviation

Southbridge

Small field - General aviation

Barnes Municipal Airport, Westfield

Two-mile runway has jet capability

Air Service - commercial flights

Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks

Serving Springfield metropolitan area, about 40 miles from Belchertown.  Major regional airport with international connections.

Worcester Airport, Worcester

Limited service, about 35 miles from Belchertown

Logan International Airport, Boston

Inconvenient from Belchertown, about 80 miles.

Other scheduled commercial air service is available at Providence (60 miles), Bedford (Hanscom Field) 60 miles, Albany (85 miles), and Manchester (70 miles).

 

Encouragement and expansion of these modes of transportation could reduce the amount of car trips required.  Realistically, this could happen to a greater degree with more clustering of neighborhoods and businesses, when there are links between abutting business properties, and when there are more facilities in a small area for residents to use.  While it is unlikely that a cross-town trail will be built, there can be dedicated trails in new developments.  Such trails could serve well in providing an alternative for residents who may not be able to or choose not to drive a car.

 

D.  Analysis

 

1. Road Maintenance & Improvement

 

            Pavement Management System

The Commonwealth funds improvements to public roadways, either through the Regional Transportation Improvement Plan or through Chapter 90 reimbursement.  In 1999, the town received $429,000 to maintain its 155 miles of public roadway, a level that has been unstable in recent years.  However, this amount is not adequate to maintain all roads, resulting in the need to prioritize roadwork.

 

The Department of Public Works has a five-year resurfacing schedule.  This is largely dependant on the amount of Chapter 90 money available. 

 

                                                Table 8.2  Chapter 90

                                                Reimbursement for most

                                                Recent fiscal years

FY99

$429,000

FY00

$285,000

FY01

$299,000

FY02

$150,000

 

The Department of Public Works has worked with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in developing a pavement management program for Belchertown.  This includes a detailed condition survey of all public roads in the town.  Indicators of condition will include the age of the road, surface condition, base condition, level of traffic, and other characteristics to assist town officials in making informed budgeting decisions to properly maintain local roads.  The town should pursue a regular pavement management program using contemporary analytical tools (software, material and labor costs, etc.) and outside advice (PVPC, engineers, etc.) and integrate the program in the townÕs capital improvement program

 

Other components of the transportation network that are under the authority of the Department of Public Works include sidewalks and municipal parking.  A unified transportation maintenance program should include these components.

 

Public Street Layouts & Private Streets

Most of the major routes in the town began as cart paths during the settlement period and were gradually improved over time.  In most cases, the town has accepted a road layout, which essentially conveys ownership of the street corridor to the municipality.  There still remain, however, a number of significant public streets for which no layout exists, for example, several small roads around the lakes.  In cases of unofficial lay-outs, the townÕs authority is difficult to ascertain.  This lack of definite town authority creates difficulties when there is a need to improve a local road or provide utilities.  In order to widen the road, repair drainage, or install utilities or safety features, the town must acquire property to create a public right of way Ð a difficult and time consuming task.  It is therefore recommended that the town begin a program of laying out and accepting all existing public streets.

 

The town does not currently maintain private ways.  It has been determined that snow removal on private ways can be provided by the municipality.  The town should investigate the costs and other issues surrounding snow removal and other services on private ways.

 

Highway Department Staffing and Capital Budget

More staff for the Highway Department may be required.  Residents require prompt maintenance of roads and there are frequently not enough workers, especially when there is storm damage.  Increased traffic causes road surfaces to need more frequent maintenance, and new developments add more roads to maintain.  The highway department is also responsible for storm water management on town property and in the newer subdivisions.  It is recommended that there be a detailed review undertaken of the Highway Department's future operating and capital plans.

 

Existing Traffic Congestion and/or Safety Problems

BelchertownÕs traffic volume has increased notably over the past couple decades for reasons put forth in section 9.1.  Congestion has long been a problem at the main intersection in the center of town.  Even though the intersection was widened with turning lanes added and the signal reconfigured, turning conflicts and queues have not been mitigated.  Other congestion problems are at the other signal (9&202) where there are several new developments planned, and just west of the town center on State Street, (202) near the former Belchertown State School, an area that is designated for business development.  The congestion already at these locations will worsen with more curb cuts and trip destinations.  The town has already performed a traffic signal analysis at the new police station on State Street.  The result of this was that a signal is not yet warranted there, but we can suppose that if the state school property is built out, there will likely be two or three signals needed on State Street between Stadler Street and Turkey Hill Road.

 

There is no notable seasonal difference in traffic volumes.  The times of any traffic surge connected to a time of year are associated with events at the University of Massachusetts and are predictable and brief.  Local residents have learned to avoid the main through-routes on those days. 

 

Traffic, especially during high volume periods, is now at a point that drivers seek alternative routes to avoid congested areas.  Narrow residential streets carry traffic at volumes and speeds that they are not designed for.  Not only are there more conflicts on these minor roads, but also the added traffic contributes to the deterioration of these roads.  There are also two or three private driveways that often are used to circumvent the traffic signals.  This causes more congestion with these drivers trying to re-enter traffic, and they create hazards in those driveways.

 

Problems at intersections and congested roadways cannot be solved separately from the road network.  If one problem is fixed in isolation, it will likely just cause another problem within the system.  There must be a broader approach to resolving the deficiencies in the road network that will not result in simple displacement of the problem.  This may involve examining two or three intersections that are closely related, for example, Bay Road, Federal Street, and Allen Road.  It may also involve policies for reviewing development proposals.

 

Table 8.3:  Problem areas that should be addressed in the future include:

¥     Main Street / South Main Street / Maple Street / Jabish Street

¥     Federal Street / Bay Road, Federal Street / Allen Road, Allen Road / Bay Road.

¥     Maple Street / State Street / Howard Street

¥     Bay Road / Stebbins Street

¥     State Street / Stadler Street / Front Street (BSS entrance)

¥     Federal Street / North Street

¥     State Street / Turkey Hill Road

¥     South Main Street / Mill Valley Road / North Washington Street / Springfield Road

¥     Cold Spring Road (rebuilt bridge)

¥     Federal Street / North Main Street / Sargent Street / Daniel Shays Highway

¥     George Hannum Road / Pelham Road / Federal Street

 

 

Traffic Mitigation Measures

Private cars are by far the way Belchertown residents get around.  Even though alternate modes of transportation are available, most land uses are dispersed such that anything other than driving is time-consuming and inconvenient.  Further, people like the independence and comfort of their own cars even when another mode is viable.

 

As road and traffic conditions continue to worsen from increased population and through-traffic, new strategies must be developed that confront road and traffic concerns.  A comprehensive circulation plan has to be the basis of this strategy.  There should be policies to facilitate walking and bicycling, there should be plans to improve certain substandard roads that will inevitably become arterials, and there should be important intersection improvements.  Strategies that could be employed to reduce congestion may include the following:

 

¤       Include a comprehensive transportation and traffic plan as part of any state school development.

¤       Improve directional signs.

¤       Begin discussion of a bypass via the state school around the center of town connecting 9 and 202 in the north to 21 and 202 in the west.  Any redevelopment of the state school campus should include a traffic plan, with a main arterial to connect George Hannum Road and State Street.

¤       Increase bus service.

¤       Investigate the potential for commuter bus service to major employment areas.

¤       Establish walking links between businesses to encourage shoppers to walk between destinations.

¤       Establish set biking lanes on roads and bike path links

 

Another method of reducing congestion and improving safety is to reduce the number of curb cuts along State Street for any new development on the state school grounds.  This could be accomplished by providing driveways, which serve a number of adjacent businesses and directing entrance and egress at limited locations.

 

Certain land use regulations will also help address traffic problems.  Strip development that encourages automobile use should be discouraged in favor of development that allows people to park once and visit a variety of destinations.  In order to focus new development into centers as opposed to strip development, new zoning models should be identified or created and adopted.

 

Table 8.4: Traffic Counts for Roadways

Sta.

Rte/Street

Location

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

S004

Bardwell St.

East Of North Liberty St.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

700

2148

Bardwell St.

North Of River St.

570

 

530

 

 

 

 

 

 

S006

Bay Rd.

West Of Rte.9