Chatham Parking and Circulation Study

Start Date: 2023

Project Overview

The Cape Cod Commission, under the Unified Planning Work Program, are collaborating with the Town of Chatham to conduct a parking and circulation study. This study will identify existing parking trends to better understand motorist and non-motorist circulation in the downtown Chatham area, as well as potential solutions and strategies for the Town of Chatham to consider for parking management.

Background

Downtown Chatham is home to numerous commercial and recreational activity sites and faces challenges with parking and circulation around the Main Street area. While parking seems plentiful, with Main Street offering free on-street parking along with several free public parking lots – finding a parking place can be challenging during peak times, especially in the summer. Surrounding roadways, Chatham Bars Avenue, Seaview Street and Shore Road are affected by the congestion of Main Street. The narrow, winding configuration of Main Street provides additional navigational challenges for all users, especially for bicyclists.

There are several tasks that the Commission staff will engage in through the duration of this project including: project initiation, data collection and mapping (review existing parking infrastructure including number of spaces, signage, pavement markings, existing traffic volumes, and roadway configurations), meeting with the Chatham Parking Solutions Working Group (PSWG), concept development and refinement, preliminary concepts and summary of feedback, public review of concepts, summary of public meeting, and draft and final report.

Parking Data Collected During Summer 2023

Orpheum Lot [Colonial Building parking lot] (Stage Harbor Road near rotary)
Town Hall
Kate Gould Park (Chatham Bars Avenue)
Veterans Field (next to the Red Nun Bar & Grill on Main Street)
Chatham Community Center
Chatham Light & Overlook (30-minute limit)
Oyster Pond
Chatham Elementary School
Chatham Railroad Museum
Behind the Chatham Squire Restaurant and Yellow Umbrella Books
Eldredge Tax Parking Lot
On-Street Parking (Main Street)

Public Participation:

Public participation will be sought throughout the project. The Commission will work to present project updates to the Chatham Parking Solutions Working Group periodically. The first kickoff meeting with the Chatham Parking Solutions Working Group was held virtually on Friday, November 3, 2023. A copy of the presentation is shown below and a recording of the meeting can be viewed at: https://play.champds.com/chathamma/event/1497.

The next update to the Chatham Parking Solutions Working Group will likely be scheduled in Early Winter 2024. Additionally, a public meeting will be scheduled further along in the project process to solicit feedback on potential alternatives and solutions.