The Town of Duxbury Sidewalk and Bike Path committee asks for your support of Article 33 at Town Meeting on March 10. Our beliefs are that more sidewalks and bike paths would promote safety, improve traffic flow, provide access to a green mode of transportation, create a sense of community, enhance commerce, provide a recreational benefit and improve property values.  One 2009 study found that homes in walking-friendly neighborhoods sold for more than comparable homes without that amenity.

We have created a long-term plan for the Town using a “hub and spoke” approach, hoping to connect business districts and school facilities more closely to our community. We have earmarked the northeast side of Depot (from Surplus to Hall’s Corner) as the first project in our plan.  We canvassed the residents of Depot Street and business owners in Hall’s Corner and received favorable feedback from the vast majority.  Some concerns were raised, and we plan on continuing a meaningful dialogue and be as transparent as possible. Overall, the thought of a sidewalk on Depot Street brought cheers from most.  We have determined that approximately 300 households on nine cross streets and 18 feeder streets would benefit from direct or indirect access to the sidewalk.  Also, because this street connects municipal buildings with the town’s business center and is the site of parades and festivals, a sidewalk would benefit the entire community.

We have been diligent in researching funding options and have contacted several state and federal agencies that provide funding for sidewalk and bike path projects.  In almost every instance, to apply for these grants, design documents are needed.  We are asking the CPC for $40k to prepare the required design documents. 

We believe that this project falls squarely under the definition of CPA projects.  CPA funds are earmarked for advancing smart growth and sustainable development for communities across the Commonwealth.  For further information and to see what similar projects the CPA has been involved with in Massachusetts, go to communitypreservation.org and click on success stories under the outdoor recreation tab. 

We are not asking for funding for the entire project at this point as many other towns have.  We are asking for funding to create a design that we can use to apply for grants.  I will not deny that we could be unsuccessful in obtaining grants and may look for other funding sources, but we are hopeful and diligent in our efforts to use as little town funds as possible.

We remain in conversations with the DPW, and short of taking on the project themselves, they have been very helpful and have agreed to maintain the sidewalk should we be successful in getting it built.

An Oct. 27, 2011 Boston Globe article quoted a study from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council that researched the ratio of sidewalks to streets in 101 communities in Greater Boston. It revealed Duxbury to be the worst with a one percent ratio.  We should do better.

As in most South Shore communities our roads are narrow and winding.  On any given day, our roads are used by cars, buses, trucks, SUVs, commercial vehicles, bikers, walkers, runners, skateboarders, etc.  Depot is 22 feet wide, an SUV is eight feet wide, and a common UPS truck is nine feet wide.  If you assume some space between vehicles passing one another, that does not leave much room for anything else.  A strategically designed sidewalk that is aesthetically pleasing can add a tremendous amenity with an element of safety that we believe very few other projects you can support can provide.

Peter Sullivan, Chair

Town of Duxbury Sidewalk and

Bike Path Committee