Connecting Cape Cod By Bike

We wrap up bike month by gazing into a future where bike riders can pedal through 88 miles of bike lanes stretching from Woods Hole and Bourne to Provincetown.

How many bike riders are there on Cape Cod?

31 May 2024 - Orleans MA - Imagine a future where bike riders can pedal through 88 miles of bike lanes stretching from Woods Hole and Bourne to Provincetown. Proponents of Vision 88 say that future can become reality.

Cape Cod holds far more pedestrians and bicyclists than it has  safe lanes to share the roads - but regional planning and regulatory agency the Cape Cod Commission is part of a long term effort to change that equation. Right now, as part of the process,  it has been counting use at strategical road location, such as the Orleans rotary pedestrian crossing. The data shows that in September 2023, more than 1,000 non motorists crossed here, despite the lack of markings at the crossing. This, and other gather data points highlight both the need and number of non-car uses of the transportation corridors.

Is it safe to ride a bike on Cape Cod?

Route 28 and 6 are especially dangerous for non-motorists. Between 2012 and 2022 there were 98 crashes involving bikes that resulted in serious or fatal injuries, according to MassDOT. Two of the fatal crashes were along Route 6 in Brewster and Eastham.

Steven Tupper, Deputy Director of the Cape Cod Commission, envisions a future where both bike and pedestrian safety as well as accessibility could add to Cape Cod's local health and economy. That goal forms the core of a project called Vision 88, a effort underway to build from of existing bike paths into miles of interconnected thruways, connecting the Cape from Wood Hole to  Bourne to Provincetown.

What is Cape Cod's Vision 88?

Vision 88 is an effort to create safe and effective bikeways across Cape Cod. According to Tupper, more than 88 miles of bike lanes and bike paths would come together to create an integrated option for non-vehicle transportation from one end of the Cape to the other.  It would leverage existing bikeways and draw upon use data and to plan and develop a network for alternative transportation for both visitors and commuters alike.

The project is a long-term one, requiring an eventual $100 million or more in investment. But the economic impact would be large, said Tupper, as would the environmental benefits. There's great demand for bicycling tourism in that natural beauty that is the Cape, and of course the reduction of green house gas connects directly to our effort to address climate change.

Would Route 6 be reconstructed?

Part of the project includes looking at Route 6. Tupper emphasizes that ensuring the safety of  people walking and biking along route 6 and 28 today is of the highest priority and longer-term solutions could mean a redesign of Route 6, making sure all users would fit. Watch the video above to learn more what such a design could look like and how much the project could cost.