Table Of Content

SEPTEMBER 2011 2012 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN F ranklin c ounty M assachusetts Providing a vision for the county’s transportation systems in a context that is suitable for the rural nature of the region 2012 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN 2012 regional transportation Plan september 2011 Prepared by: Franklin regional council of Governments 425 Main street, suite 20 Greenfield, Ma 01301 Main telephone: 413-774-3167 Fax: 413-774-3169 www.frcog.org 2012 FRANKLIN REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN September 2011 Franklin Regional Council of Governments Pat Allen, Chair, Franklin Regional Council of Governments Bill Perlman, Chair, Franklin Regional Council of Governments Executive Committee Lois Stearns, Chair, Franklin Regional Planning Board Franklin County Transportation Planning Organization Richard A. Davey, Secretary and CEO of Transportation, MassDOT Francis DePaola, Administrator, Highway Division, MassDOT Bill Perlman, Chair, Franklin Regional Council of Governments Executive Committee Ann Banash, Franklin Regional Council of Governments Regionally Elected Representative Rick Kwiatkowski, Chair, Franklin Regional Transit Authority William Martin, Mayor, City of Greenfield Robert Dean, West County Sub-regional Representative William Shores, Central County Sub-regional Representative Vacant, East County Sub-regional Representative Ex-oficio, non-voting members: Chair of the Franklin Regional Planning Board Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration 2012 FRANKLIN REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN September 2011 Transportation Staff Margaret Sloan, Director of Planning and Development Maureen Mullaney, Transportation and GIS Program Manager Elizabeth Giannini, Senior Transportation Planner Stacy Metzger, Transportation Planning Engineer Megan Rhodes, Transportation and Land Use Planner Jessica Atwood, Data Manager/Economic Development Planner Ryan Clary, Senior GIS Specialist Gretchen Johnson, Planning Grant Administrator Alyssa Larose, Land Use Planner Prepared under contract 0056006 in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration. # Chapter title 1 Introduction 2 Public Participation Process 3 Transportation Planning Goals 4 Regional Economic and Demographic Profile 5 Road and Bridge Infrastructure 6 Freight Transport 7 Passenger Rail 8 Airports 9 Transit and Paratransit Services 10 Livability: Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities 11 ITS and Telecommunications 12 Transportation and Climate Change 13 Transportation Safety 14 Transportation Security 15 Scenic Byways and Tourism 16 Air Quality Conformity Determination 17 Recommended Projects 18 Financial Constraints 1 Introduction 2012 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN With the recent rise in gasoline prices in the past few 1 Introduction years, there has been a renewed support for the active exploration and implementation of alternative transportation options for the region. The Franklin Franklin County is the most rural county in the Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) has Commonwealth and as a result, transportation recently completed several studies on this subject. planning and its implementation pose interesting Through the work on those studies, the completion challenges. Its sparse population and large of this Regional Transportation Plan update, and the geographical area naturally constrain many modes of accompanying public participation process, it is clear travel beyond that of the private automobile. The that there is a very strong interest in expanding the large area that the transportation network covers regional system to include additional alternative also makes it difficult to efficiently provide transportation modes to the singly-occupied vehicle. improvements. In spite of these obstacles, Franklin County has had a very successful track record in Specifically, there is a very strong demand for maintaining, improving, and preserving its expanded public transit services either through the transportation system. The Franklin County Long establishment of new routes to unserved areas of the Range Regional Transportation Plan, that is updated region, or the initiation of additional service runs on every four years, helps to provide a clear vision of existing routes. The recent completion of new the county and prioritizes its needs in a context that sections of the Franklin is suitable for the rural nature of the region. County Bikeway has This Regional prompted increased Transportation Plan This Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) update (RTP) update focuses on interest in bicycling as focuses on the importance of providing safe, efficient the importance of an alternative means mobility for residents, while taking into account the providing safe, efficient of transportation. rural character of the county. The RTP specifically mobility for residents, Additionally, interest emphasizes the following goals: preservation and while taking into has been expressed for improvement of the existing transportation system, account the rural new park-and-ride character of the county. while also maintaining the region’s scenic and facilities throughout natural resources; providing residents transportation the county and a greater exploration of developing alternatives to the singly-occupied vehicle; passenger rail services for the region. The strengthening the local economy and industries, construction of the Franklin County Regional Transit including tourism; improving the environment Center, that is currently underway, is a symbol of the through water and air quality protection; and high amount of interest in alternative transportation safeguarding the region’s quality of life. in the region. The Regional Transit Center is intended to serve many modes of transportation including As in years past, safety is a major focus for this buses, passenger rail, paratransit, taxi, and bicycling. update to the Regional Transportation Plan. The safety of the regional transportation system has been During the development of the 2012 Regional and will continue to be a high priority when Transportation Plan, a particular emphasis was evaluating and setting the agenda for regional placed on public participation and outreach. Chapter transportation projects and activities. It is crucial that 2 details the public participation process that was existing roads and bridges are maintained to ensure undertaken during the creation of this update. The a safe transportation system. For this reason, Franklin County Transportation Planning projects that will make the existing system safer, Organization (TPO) recognizes that there are finite more efficient, more secure and better able to financial resources available to advance the support the goals of this RTP are prioritized in the recommendations of this report. Therefore, in order region rather than those that will create new roads or to ensure that the recommendations are financially add capacity to the region’s roadways. Introduction Chapter 1 – Page 1 realistic, a financial component has been included as for Franklin County, as well as provide a wide range part of this plan. of other planning services. The Franklin Regional Council of For clarity, it is important to note that “Franklin Governments County” as a governmental entity no longer exists; The Franklin Regional Council of Governments the RTP refers geographically to the 26 towns in our (referred to as the FRCOG) serves the towns of the region as “Franklin County.” References to “Franklin Franklin County Region in the upper Connecticut County” throughout this document should be River Valley in Western Massachusetts. The FRCOG interpreted as meaning the collective group of the integrates regional and local planning, human 26 towns. Reference to the FRCOG will mean the service advocacy and coordination, and the provision entity providing the services and serving as a of municipal services such as cooperative purchasing regional government. and building inspection to advance the following regional goals: The Franklin County TPO is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was • Balancing economic development with the executed in 2006 and updated in 2010. As defined protection of natural and cultural resources, and by the MOU, the TPO’s committee membership with the rural character and heritage of the contains nine members including the following region; • Ensuring the most economical creation and representatives: delivery of public services in a rural region comprised of many political subdivisions; • The Secretary of the Massachusetts Department • Building healthier communities by developing of Transportation (MassDOT) (to act as the Chair and connecting broad-based coalitions, which of the FCTPO); raise the level of expectations for community • The Administrator of the Highway Division of achievement. MassDOT; • The Chair of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments Executive Committee; The FRCOG advocates on behalf of its member • The Chair of the Franklin Regional Transit communities at the state and federal level to ensure Authority; that funding, programs, and policies are sensitive • The Franklin Regional Council of Governments and respond to the rural nature, economic strengths, Regionally Elected Official; and human and natural resources of the region. • The Mayor of Greenfield; and • Three Franklin County Sub-Regional Additionally, the Franklin Regional Council of Appointments (one from the West County, one Governments serves as one of the Commonwealth of from Central County, and one from the East Massachusetts’ thirteen (13) Regional Planning County sections of Franklin County as defined in the MOU). Agencies and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO). An MPO consists of a Committee of The MOU defines that the FCTPO shall have the Signatories, who together make decisions about responsibilities of developing, reviewing, and transportation planning goals, projects, priorities, adopting the region’s annual transportation Unified and funding. In Franklin County, this group is Planning Work Program, the Regional Transportation referred to as the Franklin County Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program, and Planning Organization (TPO). In its role as TPO air quality conformity determinations. The MOU member, the FRCOG follows federal transportation further states that the FCTPO shall have the planning regulations, including the establishment of responsibility of meeting all of the provisions of the a citizen advisory group to participate in federal 3C (Continuing, Cooperative, Comprehensive) transportation planning activities. The FRCOG staff is Transportation Planning Process that may include: responsible for coordinating and working with the the initiation of studies, evaluation and other TPO members to develop, implement, and recommendation of transportation improvements, routinely update the Regional Transportation Plan Introduction Chapter 1 – Page 2