To the editor:

Take a drive down Massasoit Avenue. As you do so, take a moment to notice that for a little over a quarter-mile there is no sidewalk, barely a shoulder. Notice how at certain times during the day the sun glare makes it difficult to see those barely-there shoulders. Notice that despite the 25 mph speed limit, most are going faster.

Now park your car and walk down that street, do you feel safe? Would you want to have your children walk down that road, ride a bike down that road? A recent editorial outlined the critical need for a sidewalk on Massasoit and, time and time again the need has been ignored.

The last time survey data was taken, almost 9,000 cars a day drove down Massasoit Avenue — that was 24 years ago. I am not out there counting cars daily, but I guarantee that number has gone up. The town’s Complete Streets Plan labels it as a state-owned minor arterial, by definition a road that connects cities and towns, a road that is more heavily trafficked and can support larger trucks. This is not a small neighborhood road, it is a throughway for people going to Warren, Seekonk, 195 and elsewhere, people rushing through during their commutes. 

Massasoit is also a route to three local schools, all considered to be within walking distance. However, due to obvious safety issues the town must pay for bussing to get children back and forth to school. At any time during the day,  people of all ages utilize Massasoit as pedestrians or cyclists. In addition to safety concerns, the project would help improve drainage in the area.

The residents that rely on Massasoit have already done the legwork of gathering signatures, appealing to the state, and asking our representatives to help us out. They have been doing it for at least half a century. 

In 2012, a sidewalk on Massasoit was labeled as high priority by the state’s Transportation Advisory Committee, however at the time the only action to be taken was that the issue required further review. Then in 2017, a subcommittee for the state’s Transportation Improvement Team ranked the Massasoit sidewalk project as a high priority again: “Massasoit Avenue Sidewalk, Barrington – Resubmittal Ranking: #7 This project requests a sidewalk on Massasoit Avenue from Martin Ave to Arvin Avenue. The Town listed this project as a high priority. The project improves mobility and pedestrian connectivity. This project was ranked #7 by the subcommittee. TIP Guiding Principles - Mobility Benefits, Cost Effectiveness, Economic Development, Supports Local and State Goals, Safety and Security, and Equity.” 

That same project was approved and slated to start in May 2021. Phil Hervey helped get it through and signed off on. The state now projects to construct .35 miles of sidewalk between Woodward and Arvin, between 2026 and 2029. This is not acceptable and honestly I am not sure the date is even trustworthy. You see, if you go through the paperwork, find the old notes, you will see that Barrington had submitted a request for safe sidewalks over and over again, for over a decade. 

I ask that this project be taken more seriously, that we set this in motion immediately and move the date for construction to within the next year. Last year a student biking home from school was hit by a car, thankfully they walked away with just a few scrapes. The state and town may not be as lucky next time. 

Thank you,

Bronwyn Ellis

Barrington