Clearing the way
Study seeks to solve ferry terminal congestion
BY PETER B. BRACE
Finding smooth transitions for ferry traffic is the subject of a study being initiated by Transportation Planner Michael Burns and the Nantucket Planning & Economic Development Commission.

“We’d like to identify all the problem areas for vehicle access, pedestrian access and public transportation access around the core area and the ferry terminals, then we’d like to identify and evaluate improvements that solve identified problems,” Burns said.

Some of Burns’ congestion alleviators include ideas like making Broad Street one-way in certain sections; making Centre Street between Broad Street and India Street one- way; improving access in and out of the Steamship Authority terminal property; creating an out-oftown parking lot and shuttle bus service to ferries, and improving pedestrian transportation to and from the island’s two ferry terminals.

The study concept, which Burns presented to the Planning Commission last week, would begin with Burns taking comments from the commissioners. Then, at a special Jan. 4 meeting of the NP&EDC, Burns hopes to get the commission to accept the work he is proposing for this study.

That work includes: • Studying the ways and means of encouraging a smooth transition between the ferries and Nantucket destinations, while reducing the secondary impacts of ferry service downtown;

• Studying all the wharves and adjoining streets to see how they can more efficiently handle visitor arrivals and departures;

• Renewing talks with the Steamship Authority to create a mutual strategy to ameliorate congestion at the Steamship Authority and Lower Broad Street.

Once the NP&EDC approves the study, its staff would then develop an RFP (request for proposals) seeking a consultant, most likely a traffic engineering firm, to do the actual legwork of solving this congestion.

“We’re thinking between February and April we’ll get a consultant,” said Burns. “This summer, we’d like to collect the issues, and then in August and September, perform some sort of measurements

to quantify the problems in the workshops. From these quantified problems some would be dismissed, then we would develop alternatives in the fall and then, hopefully, have a final document by summer 2008 because we can implement some of those improvements by then.”

Funding for this traffic congestion study would come from state grants and from contributions to a general downtown traffic study fund from the owners of the Dreamland Theater, Point Breeze Hotel and Harbor House Hotel, all of which received special permits from the Planning Board this year for major commercial development renovation projects contingent on their helping pay for traffic studies. The Planning Board typically asks for monetary contributions to such studies from applicants whose projects could ultimately exacerbate congestion.

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