Route 28, Provincetown pedestrian access top transportation plan
By Jennette Barnes
May 1, 2025 at 8:29 PM EDT
Route 28 improvements in Chatham, Dennis, Harwich, and Yarmouth — plus a big change to a Provincetown street and intersection — are among more than 15 priorities in a draft of Cape Cod’s five-year capital plan for federal transportation spending.
The document, called the Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, details how federal highway and transit funding will be used through 2030.
In Provincetown, motor vehicle lanes along part of Route 6 will be reduced from four to two, allowing the extra lanes to be used by cyclists and pedestrians. A roundabout will be built at the intersection of Route 6 and Shank Painter Road, and Shank Painter Road will be fully reconstructed to serve as a more pedestrian- and bike-friendly gateway to the town.
“That's going to be pretty transformative,” said Colleen Medeiros, transportation program manager at the Cape Cod Commission.
The change will help people safely access the Herring Cove Beach area and the downtown, she said. “So it'll provide this great connectivity and safety improvements for all users.”
Commission staff serve as the staff for the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization, the public body responsible for the TIP. The body includes local, state, and federal officials.
The five-year capital plan also includes improvements to the Old Colony Rail Trail, Medeiros said.
“The state is supporting funding to completely repave that rail trail, and also upgrade safety at some of those important roadway crossings as well,” she said.
Other projects include installation of a median on the Bourne Scenic Highway and resurfacing of Route 6 in Barnstable. In addition, the plan funds work already underway on the Route 151 corridor in Mashpee.
Public comment is open through May 12 on both the TIP and a second document, the Unified Planning Work Program. The latter outlines the scope of transportation planning work the Cape Cod Commission will conduct over the next year, including studies to be done.
Written comments can be emailed to Colleen Medeiros by May 12 at transportation@capecodcommission.org or mailed to:
Cape Cod Commission
3225 Main Street
Barnstable, MA 02630
The Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization plans to host an online meeting May 19 at 1 p.m. to hear more comments before voting.
The document, called the Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, details how federal highway and transit funding will be used through 2030.
In Provincetown, motor vehicle lanes along part of Route 6 will be reduced from four to two, allowing the extra lanes to be used by cyclists and pedestrians. A roundabout will be built at the intersection of Route 6 and Shank Painter Road, and Shank Painter Road will be fully reconstructed to serve as a more pedestrian- and bike-friendly gateway to the town.
“That's going to be pretty transformative,” said Colleen Medeiros, transportation program manager at the Cape Cod Commission.
The change will help people safely access the Herring Cove Beach area and the downtown, she said. “So it'll provide this great connectivity and safety improvements for all users.”
Commission staff serve as the staff for the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization, the public body responsible for the TIP. The body includes local, state, and federal officials.
The five-year capital plan also includes improvements to the Old Colony Rail Trail, Medeiros said.
“The state is supporting funding to completely repave that rail trail, and also upgrade safety at some of those important roadway crossings as well,” she said.
Other projects include installation of a median on the Bourne Scenic Highway and resurfacing of Route 6 in Barnstable. In addition, the plan funds work already underway on the Route 151 corridor in Mashpee.
Public comment is open through May 12 on both the TIP and a second document, the Unified Planning Work Program. The latter outlines the scope of transportation planning work the Cape Cod Commission will conduct over the next year, including studies to be done.
Written comments can be emailed to Colleen Medeiros by May 12 at transportation@capecodcommission.org or mailed to:
Cape Cod Commission
3225 Main Street
Barnstable, MA 02630
The Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization plans to host an online meeting May 19 at 1 p.m. to hear more comments before voting.