TOWN CIRCULATION

The 2018 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) indicated that walking is a priority for the community, as represented by the community’s investment over the past few decades in creating trails to link and expand the town’s Greenway trail system.¹ Creating walking trails and linking trail connections remain top priorities for residents, according to the feedback gathered during this master planning process. Despite residents’ enthusiasm for walking, pedestrian circulation in Hanover is largely limited to the town’s open space trails. There are few sidewalks in town, which do not create a connected network and are sometimes perceived as unpleasant and unsafe, or are not ADAcompliant. B. Everett Hall Field is not located within the current greenway and does not connect to safe, ADA-compliant sidewalks. In 2018, the Town initiated a study that informed the adoption of a Complete Streets Policy, followed by a Neighborhood Traffic Calming, Traffic Safety, and Pedestrian Infrastructure Augmentation Policy in 2020. Although some traffic calming measures have been implemented in town since 2018, pedestrian- and cyclist-oriented improvements have been minimal.

There are 4,676 buildings within a two mile radius of B. Everett Hall Field, most of them residences. The field is a five minute drive from all senior housing. All buildings in town are within a four mile radius of B. Everett Hall Field.

79% of those who responded to a survey for this project live within two miles of B. Everett Hall Field, with 43% living within one mile. The light blue network shows the extent of 15-minute bike ride from B. Everett Hall field; the dark blue shows a 15-minute walk. Both presume the road network has connected sidewalks and bike lanes, which is not currently the case. Approximately 900 residences are within a 15-minute bike ride of the field. Yet, most visitors to the park drive.

Route 139

Route 139 is the only street with a sidewalk in the vicinity of Town Center, which means that this area is generally driven through and is not safe for walkers and bikers. The school superintendent reported that most school bus accidents happen at the major intersection of Route 139 and Silver, Main, and Center Streets.²

The town conducted a study on the Route 139 corridor, which has been a long-time safety concern for many residents, in 2020. This corridor includes the major intersection that most residents would need to pass through to access B. Everett Hall Field where Silver Street and Route 139 meet.

There are six to seven vehicle to vehicle crashes a year in the four intersections along 139 closest to the park’s main entrance. This is a particular concern because all of Center Elementary School traffic exits through that entrance onto Route 139. The average speed of vehicles on this segment of Route 139 is 42 miles per hour.³ An appeal made to MassDOT in November 2022 to lower the speed limit was denied.

The trail system in Hanover's open space does not reach the center of town due to a lack of sidewalks, though expansion of the trail system continues to extend farther into town as Hanover completes a new rail trail project.

Walking destination

Field destination

Open space

Historic Town Center

High-traffic commercial district

Senior facilities

“The Town of Hanover Complete Streets Policy will focus on developing a connected, integrated network that serves all road users. Complete Streets will be integrated into policies, planning, and design of all types of public and private projects, including new construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, repair, and maintenance of transportation facilities on streets and redevelopment projects. As practicable, recommendations from the Complete Streets Working Group for incorporating complete streets elements will occur in projects’ beginning stages prior to design.”

2018 Complete Streets Policy ⁴

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Main Center School entrance * * * *

Main exit and park entrance

Four entrances to the park are located off of Route 139: three for accessing the Sylvester School and one main entrance for the B. Everett Hall Field parking lot. This main entrance is also the exit for the Center School driveway which is accessed off of Silver Street.