'People love to ride their bikes.' A bike path along Route 6 in Provincetown proposed

Eric Williams, Cape Cod Times
·3 min read
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The town of Provincetown is asking folks to put their thinking caps on (or maybe their bike helmets) and consider the idea of a multi-use path along Route 6, from the Truro town line to Shank Painter Road, as well as other alternatives. A new municipal parking area along the highway may also be part of the package.

The proposed path aim to "bring to life the community's vision of an expanded bicycle and pedestrian network on the Outer Cape, according to a town release. The envisioned path would connect the Cape Cod Rail Trail to the Cape Cod National Seashore at Herring Cove in Provincetown, fostering access for all modes of transportation."

The Cape Cod Rail Trail currently runs from West Yarmouth to South Wellfleet and along with the proposed path in Provincetown is part of Vision 88, an initiative by the Cape Cod Commission. The initiative is to build a Cape-wide rail trail, converting sections of unused railroad and other trail space into an expansive network of bicycle and pedestrian paths.

A dedicated bike and pedestrian path along Route 6 from the Truro town line to Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown is envisioned in proposals to be discussed at a public forum on March 18 in Provincetown. In the photograph from Thursday is an aerial view of Route 6 in Provincetown in the area of a proposed multi-use path.
A dedicated bike and pedestrian path along Route 6 from the Truro town line to Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown is envisioned in proposals to be discussed at a public forum on March 18 in Provincetown. In the photograph from Thursday is an aerial view of Route 6 in Provincetown in the area of a proposed multi-use path.

In Provincetown proposal, multiple designs

In an email to the Cape Cod Times, Timothy Famulare, Provincetown Community Development Director, wrote that "there are multiple conceptual renderings and designs being presented to the public for input and feedback, one of which would include paths along both sides of the highway."

One of the concepts, which surfaced in a town survey about the possibilities of a multi-use path location, asks respondents how they would feel about converting the Old Colony Nature Pathway into a paved path for bikers and walkers.

Provincetown Select Board member Leslie Sandberg likes the idea of increasing pedestrian and bicyclist safety along Route 6 with a dedicated path. "People love to ride their bikes in Provincetown," she said. "But riding along Route 6 can be difficult or dangerous, especially in-season."

This image from a feasibility study shows a possible multi-use path and municipal parking area along Route 6 in Provincetown.
This image from a feasibility study shows a possible multi-use path and municipal parking area along Route 6 in Provincetown.

'At the conceptual stage'

The approximate distance of a path along Route 6 from the Truro line to the Shank Painter Road intersection would be about 2.7 miles, and would use land owned by the town.

Sandberg also said she is looking forward to hearing from the public about the multi-use path idea. "We're at the conceptual stage," said Sandberg. "Let us know what you're thinking."

The possibility of an additional municipal parking area along the highway, between Conwell Street and Shank Painter Road, is also part of the feasibility study.

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A contributing factor to the possible need for more parking is an "ongoing proposal to possibly construct the National Oceanographic and Administration Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary Visitor Center in the MacMillan Pier parking lot which, if finalized in future years, would require relocation of approximately 60 parking spaces," according to the town.

The feasibility study will also integrate existing plans to create a roundabout at the intersection of Shank Painter Road and Route 6, a multi-use path that runs to the Herring Cove area of the Cape Cod National Seashore and bike lane and sidewalk improvements to Shank Painter Road, according to the town.

The town has hired SLR, a design firm, to determine the feasibility of the multi-use path. More information about the feasibility study is available online at arcg.is/0n9bDf0.

A public forum about the possible project is scheduled for 5 p.m. on March 18 at town hall, and an online community input survey is up and running at surveymonkey.com/r/ptownsurvey.

Eric Williams, when not solving Curious Cape Cod mysteries, writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X: @capecast.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: New Provincetown bike path along Route 6: town asks public for input