The Botsini brothers, who brought suit against the airport for the traffic plan and what they saw as broken agreements, weren’t wrong on the silliness of the new layout, they just didn’t have winning arguments to change it. That was reaffirmed over the past week watching the elimination of the northbound leg of Barnstable road toward the airport.
Despite the conceptual good hope of keeping cars off the rotary, the idea that travelers would take circuitous routes to the airport always seemed far-fetched. For example, traffic from the west on Route 28 is expected to cut off at Bearse’s Way, head up to Enterprise Road, cut across Route 132 up Independence Drive to Attuck’s Lane and enter the airport via a new access road.
Given human nature and GPS devices determined to provide the shortest route, that’s wishful thinking at best, despite whatever signage plan is eventually in place. It’s double the distance, more than double the time, and the new tower is in plain sight from the lights at Bearse’s Way and 28.
Traffic leaving the rotary toward the airport was less of a problem than those darting into the traffic circle from the same point. That problem remains for those on the rotary and those trying to merge with them.
It needs to be said that while airport officials needed to rally around the traffic plan as a means to get the terminal built, its ultimate design was not fully of their choosing. Decisions regarding the rotary made on high at town hall restricted options and creativity.
It should also be noted that the airport has seen a 50 percent drop in passengers flying out of it. If and when that volume returns, expect to see a marked decrease in the ability to navigate the roadways around it.