Surfside Road at Bartlett's Road Intersection

The purpose of this project is to utilize Town of Nantucket’s Complete Streets Policy (PDF) and the 2006 Massachusetts Highway Department’s Project Development and Design Guide and other Highway Division standards and criteria to design and construct a modern roundabout at this location, as recommended in the Nantucket Master Plan and the NP&EDC’s Regional Transportation

This intersection is currently an unsignalized ‘T’ intersection with three single lane approaches. It is located in a densely settled part of the island populated with large portion of year round residents. Congestion is experienced throughout the peak summer season, but also during morning commuting hours in the shoulder season due to the close proximately to the Nantucket Elementary School. The primary activity of concern that must be considered is during morning commute times during the school year when children walk or bike to school and require the assistance of a crossing guard at the crosswalk on Bartlett Road at the intersection, and at the crosswalk on Surfside Road just north of the intersection.

The intersection was originally reviewed as part of the 2005 Traffic Study and Strategy for the Mid-Island Area, which was completed by Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. using data collecting in the summer of 2004. The study showed that under the 2004 traffic conditions the Bartlett Road approach to the intersection was experiencing an acceptable level of congestion (LOS D) in weekday morning and evening hours, but experienced unacceptable congestion level during mid-day Saturday hours (LOS F). Under modest growth conditions, congestion at the intersection was projected to be unacceptable at all peak times by 2014.

Crash statistics included in the study (from 2000 to 2003) showed that the intersection had a crash rate that was less than the state-wide and district-wide averages for unsignalized intersection. However, from 2004 to 2006 the number and severity of crashes were higher than any other intersection on the island. As this intersection is adjacent to the Nantucket Public Schools, and used by children walking or biking to school, improving the safety condition for all users is vital.

Building on the data and recommendations of the 2005 study, two subsequent studies were completed in 2010 and 2013 by Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. These studies were to further evaluate traffic control options and refine the conceptual design and understand right of way impacts for the preferred option of a modern roundabout. Based on these updated reports verifying a modern roundabout configuration would provide a reduction is safety conflicts and added capacity the Town has acquired property abutting the intersection to facilitate the construction of a roundabout, and approved funding to develop a MassDOT approved plan for construction.


Preliminary Plans

Conceptual Plans

Design Studies

 MASSDOT Project Forms

The purpose of these projects is to utilize Town of Nantucket’s Complete Streets Policy and the 2006 Massachusetts Highway Department’s Project Development and Design Guide and other Highway Division standards and criteria to design and construct a modern roundabout at the following three (3) intersections, as recommended in the Nantucket Master Plan and the NP&EDC’s Regional Transportation Plan (click links below for additional information on each location):

  • Surfside Road at Bartlett Road 
  • Four Corners (Sparks Ave, Surfside Rd, Atlantic Ave, and Prospect St) 
  • Old South Road at Fairgrounds Road 

Why Roundabouts?

  • “A primary benefit is the reduction of vehicle speeds in and around the roundabout. Roundabouts improve pedestrian crossing opportunities, providing mid-block refuge and the ability for pedestrians to focus on one traffic stream at a time while crossing with or without crossing guards.” – Federal Highway Administration, Safe Roads for a Safer Future
  • “In settings with large numbers of children, lowering vehicle speed has great potential for injury prevention. Pedestrian crashes involving a child most often result from the child’s error, thus slower speeds give motorists more time to react and can lessen injuries when crashes do occur.” [Retting, Ferguson, & McCartt, 2003] – National Center for Safe Routes to School, Safe Routes to Schools Guide
  • General benefits according to the National Center for Safe Routes to Schools:
    • Lower motor vehicle speeds and increased yielding behavior
    • Fewer conflict points
    • Higher visibility of pedestrians in the crosswalk
    • Lower exposure to motor vehicles because of the shortened crossing distance
    • Simpler crossing due to the splitter islands, which provide mid-crossing refuge and allow the pedestrian to focus on traffic from one direction at a time