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Cape Cod MPO hears bridge program update; residents press MassDOT on public access and grant transparency
Summary
MPO staff updated members on the Cape Cod Canal Bridge program, announced an open house Nov. 18 and advisory meetings; public commenters asked why MassDOT is withholding grant application documents and whether Route 28 would be reclassified as limited access, potentially restricting bikes and pedestrians.
The Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization on Oct. 21 received an update on the Cape Cod Canal Bridge program and heard public concerns about outreach and access to project documents. Stephen Topper, representing Cape Cod Commission staff, told the MPO the project team submitted a Bridge Investment Program grant application Aug. 1 and expects decisions early next year; he also announced an in‑person open house Nov. 18 at the Bourne Veterans Memorial Hall and further advisory group outreach.
Why it matters: the bridge program carries regional traffic, safety and land‑use implications. Residents and local advocates pressed staff for clearer public notice of advisory meetings and for access to grant application materials they say are important for meaningful input.
During public comment, Steve Buckley asked whether a stakeholder advisory meeting scheduled the following day was open to the public and requested MassDOT post meeting details on its website. John York raised a broader transparency concern, saying he had requested copies of MassDOT’s grant applications and been told the agency considered them part of an ‘‘ongoing policy discussion’’ and therefore not public records. ‘‘If public funds are being already allocated to this project through a grant process where that round of grant funding is closed… the public should be able to know what it was that MassDOT said they were gonna do with that money,’’ York said.
Topper and another attendee confirmed there was a posted sign at the Bourne Rotary prohibiting bicycles and pedestrians at that specific approach, and advised callers to contact MassDOT project manager Brian Cordero for meeting logistics and legal clarifications. Topper directed participants to mass.gov/cape-bridges for project materials and said staff would pass unresolved questions to MassDOT or the Army Corps of Engineers.
Topper also summarized recent funding work: the project team submitted a Bridge Investment Program application on Aug. 1 (Topper said the exact dollar amount was not published) and had earlier applied for multimodal discretionary grants, though Sagamore Bridge was not included on an FHWA list released the same day. He encouraged public participation in the upcoming open house and advisory group sessions to review NEPA status and interchange options.
What’s next: staff said questions about legal access to grant documents and whether Route 28 would become limited access would require follow‑up with MassDOT’s legal and project teams. The MPO will continue to receive program updates and host public outreach events.
Sources: Presentation and public comments at the Oct. 21 Cape Cod MPO meeting; Stephen Topper (Cape Cod Commission staff); public commenters Steve Buckley and John York.
