MassDOT is planning a $10M reconstruction of 1.5 miles of Haydenville Rd in Whately from the W’burg town line to just past the intersections with Webber and Strippe Roads. Whately Select Board members and MassDOT are saying the project is needed to make the street more bike-friendly.
Do you think that’s true? Have you had any problems navigating that stretch of road (besides the bad road condition and the occasional obnoxious driver)? Have you had any problems at the intersections of Webber and Strippe Rds with Haydenville? Has MassDOT or Town of Whately reached out to NCC or any other cycling group for input?
This is certainly a corridor with a high volume of bike traffic; most of us ride there regularly. It’s a picturesque and historic rural road running through gorgeous forest and stream-side settings. Every spring I look for trillium blooming along the S-curves, and ferns along the river bank.
But it’s not a high volume of car traffic: The
MassDOT website shows that Haydenville Rd carries less than 1700 vehicles per day (less than 1500 in 2020) vs. 10,000 to 15,000 on Route 5 in Whately.
NACTO suggests bike lanes for streets with >3,000 vehicles per day. Haydenville has about half that amount of traffic.
I think just re-paving the road with no design changes, widening, or straightening would be a better approach that would preserve the lovely rural character of the road.
Here’s the project description from MassDOT:
Unfortunately I couldn’t find detailed plans showing how much and where they plan to do any widening and/or straightening. My concern is that they’ll unnecessarily widen the lovely S-curves through the woods that are currently such a special spot.
Here’s a recent Gazette article:
Comments are being accepted through Jan 22. Send comments to:
Carrie E. Lavallee, P.E., Acting Chief Engineer, via e-mail to
MassDOTProje...@dot.state.ma.us or via US Mail to Suite 6340, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Project Management, Project File No. 605983
James Lowenthal
Northampton