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MPO to seek public comment on updated freight corridor designations, adds canal-bridge connectors
Summary
The MPO voted to release updated critical urban and rural freight corridor recommendations — trimming the rural Route 6 mileage and adding two canal-bridge connector segments on the urban side — for public comment and JTC review.
The Cape Cod MPO approved putting recommended updates to the region’s critical urban and rural freight corridor designations out for public comment.
Steve Topper (Cape Cod Commission) said the recommendations respond to the state’s freight-plan update and are based on the regional truck‑route network and freight destinations. Staff proposed trimming rural freight mileage to the rural stretch of Route 6 and keeping existing Hyannis-area urban corridors while adding two connector segments near the canal bridges to reach the target mileage the state allowed.
Members raised concerns about the omission of the Falmouth–Woods Hole corridor and asked whether Scenic Highway, Sandwich Road and Woods Hole Road should be studied further for documented freight volumes to justify inclusion. Topper and other staff said those routes are largely covered by the National Highway System and intermodal freight networks, but acknowledged the MPO’s public-comment period is the place to add supporting data and municipal requests.
The board moved and seconded a motion to release the freight designation updates for public comment; the motion passed on a roll-call vote. Staff emphasized the designation is largely technical — it does not change truck‑route signage or operations but can affect grant eligibility and state freight planning priorities.
Next steps: release materials for public comment, collect municipal and stakeholder data (including freight counts) where requested, and bring JTC feedback back to the MPO.
