A MassDOT project in Wellfleet that is about to start construction in fall 2023 is a good example of a lost opportunity. The intersection of Route 6 and Main St is getting rebuilt with sidewalks and bike lanes, but it isn’t designed as a protected intersection. I’ve spent some time putting together what it could have been if it were designed with separate bike paths and sidewalks that follow some of the principles of Dutch design.
Here are the current plan and my conceptual design for a fully protected intersection:
MassDOT engineering plan for Route 6 at Main St in Wellfleet. I’ve added some color to highlight the sidewalks and pavement markings.
Conceptual design for a protected intersection at Route 6 and Main St in Wellfleet.
Separation
The main objective was to move people away from motor vehicles and provide clear paths through the intersection. If you squint at the current plan, you can see that the bike lane that heads into the intersection from the right is adjacent to a combined turn lane for motor vehicles. There’s no turn lane for bikes, so when the light turns green there’s a huge potential for a right-hook crash as someone on a bike continues straight ahead while a driver turns right onto Main St.
In the conceptual design, the bike lane peels off well before the light and gets a dedicated lane to an advance right turn to Main St or a forward movement to continue through the intersection in full view of any turning vehicle.
Bike crossings of the intersection are set back with clear sight lines and ample room for a driver to yield to people on bikes.
Comfort
In the concept sketch I’ve widened all of the bike lanes and sidewalks in the intersection to 10 ft. This makes for a much more comfortable space for riding and allows plenty of space for riding side by side with a child or to let faster riders pass by.
When stopping for the traffic light, people on bikes wait far ahead of motor vehicles where they are much more conspicuous and out of the way of drivers.
With setback bike lanes, there’s now space for landscape buffers between the cars and bike lanes.
And with the protected bike lanes, no one needs to hang out exposed to traffic in a little green bike box just to make a left turn. (Honestly, how does this work for multiple people on bikes trying to turn left?)
Directness
Moving the crosswalk and bike lane closer to the intersections provides a much more direct route to cross Route 6. For people walking, it also reduces the distance they travel by over 100 ft for this crossing to the Outer Cape Health pharmacy.
In these sketches, red lines show paths that people on bikes would take and orange shows the walking path.
When making right turns, folks on bikes don’t have to wait at the light since they would have dedicated lanes that bypass the signal completely.
MassDOT plan marked up to show some of the convoluted travel paths for people on bikes (red) and walking (orange).
Conceptual design marked up to show more direct travel paths for people on bikes (red) and walking (orange).
Maybe next time?
There was so much anger and frustration in the community over rebuilding this intersection that I’m not surprise of the outcome. The anti-roundabout folks came out early and in force to shoot down that idea really early on. Roundabouts are far and above the safest configuration for an intersection like this, but it got eliminated because people said they didn’t like it for many reasons that had nothing to do with safety.
Absent a roundabout, a protected intersection would have been a great option.
It’s disappointing that MassDOT and the engineers at Stantec didn’t follow the Separated Bike Lane guide while this project was being engineered.
I hope that planners, town officials, and residents start to understand that intersections can be a lot safer by applying elements of a protected intersection in the design process.
The next time you hear about an upcoming road safety project, ask why it’s not a protected intersection.
Resources
Bicycle Dutch explained the protected intersection
Evolution of the Protected Intersection (PDF), Alta Planning, 2015.
Protected Intersection Design webinar, YouTube video, Alta Planning, November 1, 2015.
Biking Safely Through the Intersection: Guidance for Protected Bike Lanes (PDF), National Institute for Transportation and Communities, February 28, 2019.
Contextual Guidance at Intersections for Protected Bicycle Lanes (PDF), Youtube video, National Institute for Transportation and Communities, February 28, 2019.
Wellfleet’s Rail Trail Extension Project Update, Pedal Ptown, March 11, 2020.
Route 6/Main Street Intersection Project Contract Drawing Plan Set, April 2022, Town of Wellfleet, accessed on October 20, 2023.
WELLFLEET- INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS & RELATED WORK AT ROUTE 6 & MAIN STREET, MassDOT, accessed on October 20, 2023.
Wellfleet – Route 6 & Main Street Intersection Improvements – Combined design public hearing, MassDOT, accessed on October 20, 2023.
Town of Wellfleet Road Safety Audit Route 6 at Main Street (PDF), June 2016, Cape Cod Commission, accessed on October 20, 2023.
Main St at Route 6 in Wellfleet, Google Streetview (October 2022 images)
Ghost Bike at Route 6 and Way 68 in Wellfleet, Google Streetview (October 2022 images)
Common Crashes Between Bicyclists And Drivers, League of American Bicyclists, Youtube video, May 1, 2022.
Choosing an All Ages & Abilities Bicycle Facility, Urban Bikeway Design Guide, NACTO, accessed on October 20, 2023.
Bikeway Selection Guide, FHWA, February 2019.
MassDOT Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guide, Chapter 2 (PDF), MassDOT, 2015.
Pedal Ptown 