by Jeff Shaw
Like many, I tend to take Millstone Road, the 2.5-mile residential road, when getting around in Brewster. The winding, somewhat scenic road, connects Route 137 near a Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) crossing and Route 6A across from the Sea Camp property (and near a different CCRT crossing). I say “somewhat scenic” because while many homes are set back from the road and separated naturally by trees, scrub pine and deep woods, the roadway lacks sweeping views of ocean, fresh water ponds, dunes or gardens that showcase the Cape’s natural beauty.
Also like me, you may have noticed some colorful lawn signs dotting the landscape along the shoulder of the road. The signs illustrate the battlelines of a multi-year campaign on the future of the road. Indeed, the opposing positions are: “Save Millstone Road,” i.e., preserve the “scenic” character of the road or “Sidewalks for Kids,” i.e., make the road more pedestrian-friendly for all users.
This hyperlocal political hot potato dates back to 2015, when the town adopted a Complete Streets policy, backed by $10 million in funding. Complete street policies intend to make roads more pedestrian and bike friendly. In Millstone Road’s case, the proposal included a five foot bike lane and five foot sidewalk, in addition to the 11 foot two-way vehicle travel lane. Just shy of $6 million is available for the project.
According to the Brewster Town Administer, almost 25 percent of the town lives on or off Millstone Road. So yeah, there are bound to be strong opinions worthy of signage.
Not living in Brewster, it is easy to say, build the dang bike lane/sidewalk already! And down with nimbyism! While tempting, I also understand homeowners worrying about paving over grassy areas, narrower driving lanes and having to double-check for passing bicycles and vehicles every time they turn into or out of, their driveway.
The town does have a Bikeways Committee, but the link is invalid to their Comprehensive Strategy. The plan, reviewed and approved by the Board of Selectman, probably provides additional context and/or economic and community benefit information.
Indeed, a quick glance at a Cape Cod Commission (CCC) map re: Biking in Brewster, suggests building the bike lane and sidewalk makes sense. Just look at this map.
Millstone Road is sandwiched (Cape town pun intended) between 1,900 acre Nickerson State Park (with its own 8-mile paved recreational trail network) and the 30+ mile Cape Cod Rail Trail, the majority of which runs through Brewster. Enabling more people to travel safely to these recreational areas (not to mention nearby Cape Cod Bay side beaches), is a benefit for residents and visitors.
Further, according to the CCC map, Millstone Road is already deemed a “Regional Bicycle Road,” albeit a dangerous one given the twists and turns of the shoulder-less road.
Having written much about biking on Cape Cod, I’m super biased. I say, build the dang bike lane/sidewalk! But be sure to maximize the “occasionally buffered grass strips” that would help preserve the character of Millstone Road, too.
July 5, 2022
