Transportation Planning

Franklin County Park and Ride Study

project pic

The Charlemont Park and Ride lot is located on Route 2 near the Buckland Town Line.

Project Overview

The goal of the Park and Ride Study is to identify and evaluate potential park and ride lots throughout Franklin County in order to provide residents travel options for their trips both in the county and to destinations outside of it. Alternatives to the single occupied vehicle have become much more of a vital issue recently as fuel prices continue to increase.  This increase in costs could greatly impact Franklin County residents if they have little choice regarding transportation options.

During the summer and fall of 2008, the FRCOG reviewed demographic, economic, and travel data related to transportation needs in order to determine appropriate locations for park and ride lots in the county. Surveys were also distributed to users of the existing MassHighway Charlemont Park and Ride Lot and to users of other parking lots that seemed to be functioning as informal park and ride lots.  These surveys confirmed that there is demand for park and ride lots within the county and that several sites have been acting as informal park and rides.  Finally, the FRCOG selected many specific sites based on various criteria around the county that could serve as potential park and ride facilities. These sites were then evaluated and narrowed down based on several factors, including: the ease in which they could be accessed; current ownership of the property (public ownership was preferred); the amount of public investment needed to develop the site as a park and ride; and how quickly the site could act as a park and ride lot.

Current Activities

The Study was endorsed by the Franklin County Transportation Planning Organization on February 3, 2009. The study’s main finding was that there are many sites in Franklin County suitable for park and ride facilities. However, there were several that stood out as prime locations due to location, current ownership of the property, and the small amount of public investment that would be needed. These sites include: the Visitors Center at the Route 2 Rotary; the 7-11 parking lot in Sunderland on Route 116; the intersection of Route 5/10 and Route 116 in South Deerfield/Whatley; and the West River Health Center parking lot in Orange at the intersection of Route 2 and West River Street. If you would like more information about the study, please contact Megan Rhodes or (413) 774-1194 ext. 110.

 

Future Plans

The FRCOG has included a task in its 2010 Transportation Planning Work Program to implement recommendations of the Park and Ride Study. This will include beginning negotiations with parking lot owners for potential shared parking opportunties. More information on this work will be provided as it becomes availalbe. Please contact Megan Rhodes with any questions.

Links

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This page was last updated on 08/11/2009 .

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