Podcasts

Wellfleet’s Deadly Stretch of Highway

The narrow winding stretch of Route Six in Wellfleet might not appear to be a dangerous road, but recent data issued by the Department of Transportation tells us there were 164 crashes on this stretch of highway between 2010 and 2012 alone, 82% during daylight, 77% in clear weather, and no surprise here, 50% during the summer. In 2013 there were two highway deaths. This past summer and fall, two more. It began in August with a collision that jammed traffic for more than four hours and was followed up by a fatal crash only three days later. The following November there was a two-car crash resulting in a roll-over and incredibly, only two hours later, another two car crash resulting in another fatality.

The causes have been blamed on everything from the age of the road to the age of the drivers but clearly there’s a lot going on here. Luckily, however, our government officials are on the case.

In September, Representative Sarah Peake brought state and county traffic experts as well as local public safety officials together to work out possible solutions. Here with me in the studio to talk about their progress are the Rep. Sarah Peake, of the 4th Barnstable District, Fire Chief Rich Pauley and Police Chief Ron Fisette, both of Wellfleet.

The Lowdown with Ira Wood, Tuesdays at 12:30 PM and Saturdays at 5:30 AM on WOMR-FM, a Pacifica Radio affiliate station. Streaming and podcasts on WOMR.ORG.