The survey regarding a potential Rockport-Gloucester connector road, put forth by Rockport resident James Lane and coordinated through the Times, may not have unearthed many surprising results, with 44 of 48 Rockport respondents expressing support for such a project and 11 of 16 Gloucester residents opposing it.
Lane’s survey, after all, had focused squarely on using the Olde Rockport Road path as the jumping off point for a connector. And that will understandably never sell in Gloucester — or even with some Rockport residents — due to basic fears about its environmental impact, especially on the Babson Watershed.
It was however, interesting to note that even some Gloucester residents who oppose any Old Rockort Road development at least noted the need to explore some means of easing the traffic flow between Rockport’s Nugent Stretch and Gloucester’s Eastern Avenue and the Route 128 Extension, whether via Pond Road or some other route. That alone should give Rockport and Gloucester officials alike pause to at least pursue a feasibility study regarding a connector route.
The Route 127 traffic congestion, especially in the summer, isn’t merely an inconvenience for residents; it’s a hurdle for businesses in Rockport and Gloucester alike, and, more importantly, can pose a public safety hazard for emergency vehicles.
It’s time officials in both communities spoke with state Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante and state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr about at least exploring potential connector options. And it shouldn’t take another Blackburn Circle truck rollover or another A. Piatt Andrew Bridge fire to bring those talks about.
