Engineers for the Hathaway address traffic concerns

The developers for The Hathaway, a proposed 300-unit Chapter 40B apartment complex, has suggested many road improvement projects to mitigate the impact the apartments could have on traffic in town. 

The engineers for the project first presented their traffic study on Monday, March 2. The peer review company, Howard Stein Hudson, responded with a list of 26 issues that had to be addressed, most of which asked for expanding the study and clarifying the site plans. 

During the Monday, April 6 meeting, Jeffery Dirk, The Hathaway traffic engineer presented some of the changes made to the traffic study as well as proposals for road improvement. 

The study area was expanded to include the intersection of Rockdale Avenue and Hathaway Road, and the developers requested the crash data from the Dartmouth and New Bedford police departments from 2022 onward, updated the triangular sightline from the entrance to the apartment complex, added bicycle parking and information on emergency access. 

The inclusion of Rockdale Avenue in the study showed a reduction in traffic from Hathaway Road onto Route 6, as residents of The Hathaway could use Rockdale Avenue rather than Hathaway Road to reach Route 6. 

The study, which was conducted in November, calculated that The Hathaway would add 1,338 additional cars on the road during weekday rush hours in the morning and evenings. 

A common concern raised by residents during the Zoning Board meeting is that the roads are much busier on the weekends, and that the study was not conducted during a warm season when recreational activities are occurring. 

Helena, a resident who lives near the property, said she has had to wait between 10 and 15 minutes to get onto Route 6 from Hathaway Road. 

Steven Findlen, the peer review engineer from Howard Stein Hudson, recommended field observations be conducted to see current traffic conditions. 

During the study, the engineers found that there are four “high crash” locations near The Hathaway, which means that there are more crashes than the state average. These four locations are the intersections of Route 6 and Hathaway Road; Route 6 and Slocum Road; Hathaway Road, Wilbur Avenue and Slocum Road; and Hathaway Road and Route 140 

While the  Massachusetts Department of Transportation has plans for road improvements that are set to start in Spring 2027, many residents expressed concerns that the apartments would be completed before any improvements happen. The road improvement plans have been promised for several years, with plans to start in 2021, 2023 and now 2027. 

Dirk is recommending that a traffic signal timing be looked into at the intersection of Route 6 and Slocum Road, allowing drivers time to clear the road before the light changes from yellow to red. This means that if the road is blocked, the light would be red on all sides. 

The engineers also want to ensure there is enough time for pedestrians to cross, repaint crosswalks, look into the vehicle detection system and repair the traffic lights. At Route 6 and Slocum Road, they found a majority of the crashes were rear-end crashes. 

The only recommendations for the intersection of Hathaway Road, Slocum Road and Wilbur Avenue is to enhance the markings and add signs. 

The last intersection is Hathaway Road and Route 140, which is located in New Bedford. Dirk is recommending enhancements to signage, adding reflective tape to the signs for visibility, painting white lines on the onramps and offramps, as well as traffic control through traffic signals and/or roundabouts. 

There are plans for 341 parking spots, with potential to add 131 more for a total of 472. They would monitor the property after people move in to see if the extra spots would be needed.

Many residents were concerned that this would mean residents of The Hathaway would park on side roads, which the Zoning Board stated they will consider a condition to add No Parking signs on nearby side streets.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, May 21, and will focus on the civil plans for the Hathaway.