Reacting to residents' concerns about making a portion of Elm Street in Padanaram one-way to make way for wider sidewalks, officials have decided to keep traffic flowing in both directions, and instead expand the sidewalks away from the road.

Part of the Padanaram Sidewalk Project, which is designed to enhance pedestrian access to the village, improve aesthetics, and promote business, the new proposal calls for the expansion of Elm Street's sidewalks by taking three feet of land from eight properties on the eastern side of the street.

“We heard loud and clear: residents wanted to maintain two-way traffic there,” said Dartmouth Public Works Director David Hickox, referring to a public meeting in March during which residents voiced concern about transforming the southern part of Elm Street into a one-way.

Voters will be asked to approve the land takings for the project at Town Meeting in the fall.

The project would not only make sidewalks handicap accessible, but also better define the presence of intersections, said Hickox.

“I think it’s going to be aesthetically more pleasing than it is now. The sidewalks in Padanaram are long overdue for improvement,” he said.

Currently, the areas targeted for sidewalk improvements include the stretch of Elm Street between Prospect Street and the New Bedford Yacht Club, and Bridge Street from the Dartmouth Fire District No. 1 station to the causeway. The project also includes a small section of Water Street.

Hickox said the department is in the process of determining where funding for the estimated $1.5 million project would come from. He hopes to apply for a $400,000 state Complete Streets grant, which awards money to cities and towns to improve transportation infrastructure for all forms of travel, including walking, biking, public transit, and driving.

Hickox said he also plans on using $200,000 from Chapter 90 funds, through which the state provides funding for transportation projects to the town. Hickox said he will continue exploring other potential funding sources too.

Looking ahead, Hickox said he hopes to complete the design and permitting process by the winter, and will have a better idea on funding for the project by early next spring.

If all goes according to plan, Hickox said construction could start by September 2017 and finish before the causeway reopens in 2018.