By Carol Britton Meyer

The town has begun planning the long-awaited reconstruction of Manomet and Samoset Avenues, decried by neighbors for their poor condition and described this week by one resident as an ‘obstacle course’ of potholes and uneven pavement.

Town Manager Jennifer Constable told the select board this week that no design decisions have been made, but community input will be sought throughout the process. Final plans may include new accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians, and could include changing one or both roads to one-way traffic instead of the current two-way setup on each street.

Funding could come from the State Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) administered by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for a more comprehensive project, or entirely from town funds for a simpler one. Various one- and two-way traffic options are under consideration, as well as different parking scenarios.

“A lot more community outreach is needed for this project,” Constable said. “I recommend going forward to determine what this would look like as a TIP project, because it would be more inclusive and provide more accessibility for bikers, walkers, and others.”

No specific design in mind

At Constable’s suggestion, the select board voted to endorse moving forward with the next steps, without specifying which design would be chosen.

A Manomet resident said he was thrilled to see on the agenda that “this obstacle course would be fixed” and asked that measures be included to help decrease the speed of some vehicles in the area.

Options for rehabilitating Samoset Avenue could range from $3.1 to $6.1 million and for Manomet Avenue, $2.8 to $5.5 million, based on a chart provided by the BETA Group engineering firm.

Click here for more details from the BETA Group on the road projects

All of the estimates include constructing pedestrian ramps at the intersections and some include shoulder and sidewalk reconstruction, while another includes construction of a concrete sidewalk with granite curbing down one side of the road.

These estimates are in 2024 dollars and include engineering/construction phase support, police details, and a general contingency.

The BETA Group was hired to complete an assessment of a series of typical sections of Manomet and Samoset, in part to help determine the general feasibility of providing the pedestrian and bicycle accommodations that are required under the TIP process.

On-street parking a consideration

The town has identified on-street parking as an important consideration for reconstruction of these roads. In a recent report, BETA provided scenarios to meet all of these criteria.

Seventy-two hour traffic counts were taken between Thursday, July 11 and Sunday, July 14, with 24-hour volume and speed recorded for each day.

“The traffic volume on each roadway is minor,” Merrick Turner of the BETA Group said in a memorandum to the town. “Along Samoset Avenue, traffic volumes are approximately 1,100 to 1,200 vehicles per day (vpd) for the average weekday and Saturday, with higher Sunday volumes (approximately 1,800 to 2,100 vpd).”

Along Manomet Avenue, traffic volumes are approximately 500 to 600 vehicles per day for the average weekday and Saturday. Sunday volumes are higher at about 900 to 1,100 vpd.

The 85th percentile speeds were observed at 27 mph to 29 mph on Samoset Avenue and 22 mph to 25 mph on Manomet Avenue “and are not indicative of excessive speeds in the corridor,” according to Turner. The 85th percentile speed is the speed at or below which 85% of drivers travel.

Town meeting allocated $500,000

Within the TIP process, the town would be responsible for temporary and permanent easement costs and may or may not elect to “bear the costs of certain abutter impacts, such as relocated walls and fences,” the memo states. “A one-way roadway project that limits right of way and abutter impacts may minimize these costs.” Town meeting earlier committed $500,000 to begin this project.

Total costs to the town when completing the reconstruction of Manomet Avenue and Samoset Avenue through the TIP process are anticipated to be less than completing a less comprehensive project independent of it, according to BETA, but the reconstruction work would take a longer period of time – several years or more, compared with two to three years.

Next steps outlined

Moving forward, next steps include determining whether this will be a town or a TIP project. If the state program is used, the town must determine whether a consensus exists for the one-way option, which BETA considers to be more desirable and a more competitive design, following a local outreach effort.

Adoption of a one-way road for Manomet may influence the selection of a one-way road design for Samoset, and vice versa, according to project engineers.

If the one-way option is favored, the TIP qualification process could begin.

If not, then the study would be redirected to evaluate design elements and to get input from MassDOT.

In other business at the meeting…

⦁ John Struzziery, director of wastewater operations and assistant director of public works, provided an update on the town’s pavement management plan.

Over the past several years, since a $10-million bond was authorized for road improvements, work on 21 miles of roads – 41% of the town’s 50 miles of roads – has been completed at a cost of $23 million, Struzziery said.

“We’ve made a significant investment in roadway infrastructure,” he said.

The costs have added up significantly beyond the $10 million due to unplanned but necessary related work and increasing costs. Some of the additional money came from state-funded programs. Next season, there will be a focus on repairing roads in the Allerton Hill and Hull Village.

⦁ The select board approved Shipwreck’d owner Lillian Parker’s request that the restaurant’s seasonal all-alcohol license be extended until January 15 from November 30.

⦁ The board also approved the renewal of the following annual licenses: The C Note – all-alcohol, entertainment, and automatic amusement; and the Nantasket Beach Salt Water Club – all-alcohol, common victualler, and entertainment.

⦁ Also approved by the board were the renewal of package store licenses for The Village Market and West Corner Liquors.

⦁ Breadbasket Bakery and Cafe’s common victualler license was also renewed.

⦁ The lodging house licenses for the Bermaken Hotel, 102 Revere Street, and Nantasket Beach Lodging, 12 Park Avenue, were renewed as well.

⦁ Also renewed was the Class II wholesale license for Ben’s Auto and the livery service license and livery badges for Seaside Transport.

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