Barnstable Complete Streets

Overview

The Town of Barnstable is seeking to improve the travel experience for all users of its streets – motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists – through the development of a Complete Streets Prioritization Plan. In January of 2022, the Town of Barnstable was officially recognized as a Complete Streets community with an approved policy. With funding provided by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Town of Barnstable retained the services of the Cape Cod Commission transportation staff to develop a Prioritization Plan. The Prioritization Plan will include a priority list of ranked multi-modal projects to improve safety for all users, including motorists, pedestrians, transit users and bicyclists for people of all ages and abilities, while making streets safer, sustainable, and more accessible to promote a more livable community.

The project will allow the Town to obtain up to $500,000 in construction funding grants from MassDOT to implement complete streets projects included in the Prioritization Plan. Complete Street projects on state and federally owned roadways are not eligible for funding through the MassDOT Complete Funding Program (i.e. Route 28, 6A, for example).

A key component for the development of the prioritization plan was public outreach as detailed further below.

Project Resources 

• Town of Barnstable Complete Streets Policy (link) and Town of Barnstable Complete Streets webpage (link)
• Town of Barnstable's Complete Streets Introduction video (link)
• Cape Cod Commission data and analysis on traffic volumes (link) and safety/crash trends (link) 
• Visit the MassDOT Complete Streets Funding Program portal (link) to learn more about the Complete Streets Funding Program.
• Additional resources, including multi-modal planning studies conducted in the area, are included under 'Project Resources' below

Public Outreach and Engagement Activities 

Community Public Outreach Meetings - Summer 2022

The Town of Barnstable and the Cape Cod Commission held five family-friendly village public meetings in the Summer of 2022 on the Barnstable Complete Streets prioritization plan development. The meetings were focused to provide an overview of the development of a prioritization plan as part of the MassDOT Complete Streets program and to hear ideas for potential Complete Streets projects that would better support walking, biking and safe driving in the Town of Barnstable. Over 500 public comments were submitted during the Summer 2022 outreach period with potential ideas/locations for multi-modal and safety improvements throughout the Town.

Virtual Public Outreach Meeting #2 - February 15, 2023 

The Town of Barnstable and Cape Cod Commission (CCC) held a second public meeting virtually on February 15, 2023 to gather public feedback on the Town's Draft Complete Street Project Prioritization List. To view a recording of this virtual meeting, click here: Public Meeting #2 Video Recording

The Draft List of priority projects was developed in collaboration between Town and CCC Staff after a review of existing conditions maps, data layers, the Town's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and the public feedback received in Summer 2022. Public comments on the Draft Prioritization Plan were accepted in March 2023 and the Town finalized the Prioritization Plan in Summer 2023. 

MassDOT Approved Complete Streets Prioritization Plan 

The final Barnstable Complete Streets Prioritization Plan was approved by MassDOT on August 30, 2023 as part of the Town's ongoing participation in their Complete Streets Program. The Town is now eligible to apply for construction grant funding up to $500,000 from MassDOT for any of the identified projects listed on the Prioritization Plan. 

Barnstable Complete Streets Online Project Viewer 

A GIS map-based web tool was created to provide project background, display existing features, document public comments on locations of future complete streets projects, and to obtain feedback on the Prioritization Plan: a list of priority roadway improvement projects throughout the Town of Barnstable ranked by defined evaluation criteria including safety, mobility, access, ability to implement, equity, and community support. Click the image below to review the Barnstable Complete Streets online web tool.