Transportation Provincetown,_Massachusetts

commercial street in 1890s postcard


historic transportation

for of provincetown s recorded history, life has revolved around waterfront − waterfront on southern shore − offers naturally deep harbor easy , safe boat access, plus natural protection wind , waves. additional element of provincetown s geography tremendously influenced manner in town evolved: town physically isolated, being @ hard-to-reach tip of long, narrow peninsula.

the east harbor, provided protected mooring place in provincetown, had 1,000-foot-wide (305 m) inlet provincetown harbor, , blocked off access provincetown land. until late 19th century, no road led provincetown – land route connecting village points toward mainland along thin stretch of beach along shore north (known locally backshore ). wooden bridge erected on east harbor in 1854, destroyed winter storm , ice 2 years later. although bridge replaced following year, traveler crossed still needed traverse several miles on sand routes, which, backshore route, washed out storms. made provincetown island. residents relied entirely upon harbor communication, travel, , commerce needs.

until late 1800s, east harbor opened provincetown harbor, , there no roads provincetown. east harbor diked in 1868, making way railroad, automobile.

that changed in 1868, when mouth of east harbor diked enable laying of track arrival of railroad. railroad completed, great fanfare, in 1873; , wooden bridge , sand road replaced formal roadway in 1877. railroad terminated @ railroad wharf, known today macmillan pier. provided easy means fishermen offload vessels , ship catch cities rail.

the railroad not late arrival provincetown. roads within town slow constructed:

there no road through town. no carts, carriages, wagons, horses or oxen, why road? ... here every man had path house boat or vessel, , once launched, on broad highway of nations without tax or toll. there paths neighbors, paths school, paths church; tortuous paths perhaps, pilots night or day, on land or water. besides, @ low water there road such none else boast, washed twice day year year, wide enough , free enough , long enough, if followed, armies of netherlands.

the town s internal road layout reflects historic importance of waterfront, key communication , commerce outside world. town grew, organically expanded along harborfront. main thoroughfare hard-packed beach, commerce , socializing took place. deeds refer town rode , little more footpath ran behind houses. in 1835, county commissioners turned front street , known commercial street. street ran parallel front street, set harbor − today known bradford street.

houses faced water then; since of houses have been turned around; of them still have front door on shore side. 1 man, doctor, had not lived long in town, proposed street made sixty-four feet wide, voted down such foolishness foreigners. tried compromise on thirty-two feet, twenty-two feet seemed wide enough possible purposes, , twenty-two feet wide is.

modern-day transportation

a residential street in provincetown

provincetown eastern terminus of u.s. route 6, both in state , in nation. although terminus directed east officially, geographically speaking, road, having curved around cape cod, facing west-southwest @ point, , marked junction route 6a. state-controlled portion ends state highway ends sign road enters cape cod national seashore, after road under federal maintenance. route 6a passes through town well, following bradford street (whereas 6 followed commercial street before bypass built , commercial street switched one-way westbound), , ending south of herring cove beach.

provincetown served 2 seasonal ferries boston , 1 plymouth. dock @ macmillan pier, located east of town hall in center of town. when operating @ full capacity, pier accommodates in given day: 11 ferry trips carrying on 5,000 passengers; 5 whale watch vessels each running 3 trips day total capacity of 3,600 passengers; town s commercial fishing fleet of 55 vessels; , many other excursion , visiting vessels. plays host several times per year destination port-of-call passengers of organized cruise ship tours, whether themed towards gay traveller, or towards eco-tourism, arts , other aspects of provincetown , outer cape.

the town has no rail service; town s railway operated 1873 until 1960s, when abandoned new york, new haven , hartford railroad. large portion of road later converted 3 roads (harry kemp way, railroad avenue , rear howland) plus old colony nature pathway , 1.3-mile (2.1 km) pedestrian path , greenway.

the cape cod regional transit authority offers flex route buses between macmillan pier , harwich , shuttle truro. provincetown @ 1 end of scenic bike route 1 boston called claire saltonstall bikeway.

the provincetown municipal airport located east of race point. 378 acres (1.53 km) airport surrounded cape cod national seashore, , used general aviation, receive regular scheduled service boston or white plains, new york (with optional car service manhattan) via cape air, operates code-share flights jetblue. airport well-equipped, if small, general-aviation airport single 3,500-foot (1,100 m) runway, ils approach, , full lighting. nearest national , international service logan international airport in boston.