Hey, Stroad Sister
This article was originally published, in slightly different form, on Strong Towns member Will Gardner’s Substack, StrongHaven. It is shared here with permission. All images for this piece were provided by the author.
One of my favorite YouTubers is Pat Finnerty, whose “What Makes This Song Stink” videos bring truth, humor, and beauty forth from schlock. It’s a testament to the human spirit that we can find inspiration in the least inspiring places.
I think the section of stroad between Faunce Corner Road and Hathaway Road in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, is becoming my “Hey, Soul Sister” (NSFW). There’s just so much there to talk about! So, here I am. On the stroad again.
Old Town Stroad
Here’s a picture I swiped off google maps:
(Source: Google Maps.)
When I chose this image, I focused on the piss-poor bus stop. The rumble strips caught my eye, as well—they’re a tell that this stroad is designed for speed and distracted driving. Also, the Hope Yoga has been replaced by a boutique named Privy, which, as a hiker, always gives me a chuckle. I was so caught up in these other details, I failed to notice the long row of cars. Congestion!
Why are the cars backed up here?
They’re waiting to turn onto Hathaway Road. Anyone who’s ever made that turn knows it’s harrowing: it takes a while to find a break in the traffic headed Westbound to turn onto Hathaway.
To the Left, to the Left
What makes it harrowing? You’re turning across three lanes (thanks to the additional turning going Westbound) and, given the design speed of the stroad, cars approaching from the east might be going anywhere from 20 mph to 60 mph. This is why U-turns are illegal on highways: it’s very difficult to judge gaps and cross traffic of variable, high speeds.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recognizes that the challenging left turn at this intersection is creating backups. That’s why they’re proposing a traffic signal here.
Here’s Chuck Marohn from Confessions of a Recovering Engineer:
Stroads are filled with intersections that provide for left turns across traffic, as well as vehicles turning into and out of the flow of traffic. Each of those turning movements requires a gap, which is another reason why we install traffic signals: to create the gap… One of the goals of a traffic signal is to group vehicles together in a cluster and thus provide gaps in the traffic stream that allow for turning movements.
Let me state that in a different way: One of the goals of you sitting at a red light is to create a cluster of traffic congestion—multiple vehicles that can travel as a group—with the space between groups being used by drivers who need to make turning movements… Traffic signals are used to create traffic congestion so that there can be gaps in the traffic flow.
There is a certain absurdity that keeps recurring, especially when engineers and traffic planners speak of this approach as efficient. The higher the speed, the larger the gaps that are necessary to facilitate turning movements. The larger the gaps that are necessary, the longer the red-light delays must be. The longer the delay at the red lights, the more congestion created and the longer it takes to get where you are going.
Imagine calling any system efficient that artificially generates congestion at one point while simultaneously having vast amounts of the system underutilized. That’s not efficient; that’s wasteful.
That analysis seems to hold up to my experience elsewhere on this stroad. If it’s accurate, it means that MassDOT’s plan to effectively widen this stretch of stroad, in addition to adding a traffic light at this intersection, will likely increase travel times for commuters and create additional congestion. And signals aren’t cheap! A quick Google search tells me they’re anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000. Sure, we’re playing with house money here (Feds are paying for most of the project), but might there be a better use of those funds?
The End of the Stroad
Rather than spending that money on increasing congestion, maybe we should spend it on things that will actually increase safety and may even reduce congestion. Here’s one that’s only 1% of the cost of a traffic signal!
In addition, if we want to make that intersection safer, it comes back to our two options:
Make this stroad a street.
Make it a road.
If we want it to be a street, we need to slow cars to street speeds (less than 20 mph). At these speeds, finding a gap to make that turn would not be harrowing. I’m sure a creative engineer could put something in that intersection (a small roundabout?) to make the turn even less harrowing. Without the disruption of traffic lights, which induce us to drive at either 30-plus mph or 0 mph, we’d likely reach our destinations sooner than we currently do.
If we want to make this section a road, we need to limit access and prevent things like left-hand turns across fast-moving traffic. If you haven’t watched this Not Just Bikes video on stroads, there’s a great explainer on how engineers in the Netherlands accomplish this, by limiting access of this class of “connector roads,” which bridge highways and streets. It would mean that you couldn’t turn directly into the parking lot for Privy right off the stroad. Attached to the connector would be a street, designed for slow speeds, which would provide access to these businesses. Incidentally, this smaller street would also be a nice place to walk or bike in or alongside. That’s right, you could walk to the Privy!
Ode to a Stroad
To conclude, I’d like to dedicate the following verses, composed by Train, to this stroad:
Just in time
I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me
You gave my life direction
A game show love connection we can't deny
Just like Train, this stroad has graced us with inspiration every time we go to CVS. It’s been a good run for them both, but it’s time we play a new tune.
Will Gardner is an education consultant and the founder of Alma del Mar Charter Schools. He’s currently scheming about how to improve his town, but he’s happy to help you with whatever you’re working on. You can find him at StrongHaven.substack.com.
The design of a roadway should reflect its intended use: streets should be designed for safety and building community wealth, while roads should be designed for fast travel. Here’s an example of safe road design and how you could apply it to a stroad.