Danvers — The Danvers Planning Board on Tuesday heard a progress briefing from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council on a transportation needs assessment intended to guide town priorities for sidewalks, parking management, transit connections and climate-related reductions in vehicle miles traveled.

“The crux of the project is trying to identify what are the community's needs when it comes to transportation more broadly speaking,” said Sarah Scott, senior regional land use and historic preservation planner at MAPC, during the presentation. MAPC is working with town planning staff, led by Planning Director Brian Sakelly, on the study.

The assessment, still in progress, uses existing local plans, demographic data and a public survey (open through April 18) to identify gaps and opportunities. Scott said the project aims to produce short-term recommendations the town can implement and to flag items that require more detailed study. “We are planning on closing at April 18,” she said, referring to the public survey.

Why it matters: transportation is the largest emissions source in Danvers and shapes access to jobs, schools and services. MAPC showed data pointing to a car-oriented land-use pattern — extensive single-family lots, generous minimum parking requirements in zoning and limited fixed-route transit — that contributes to higher vehicle miles traveled per resident than neighboring communities.

Key findings and recommendations discussed

- Parking management downtown: MAPC reviewed a 2015 downtown parking study that found apparent oversupply by industry metrics but concentrated demand in specific blocks that creates a perception of scarcity. Recommendations discussed include time-limited curb spaces and better signage to steer drivers to nearby municipal lots and encourage “park once, walk” behavior for downtown visits.

- Sidewalk and walkability gaps: Maps shown to the board indicate the sidewalk network is dense in downtown but fragmented elsewhere, particularly on the west side of the highways. MAPC highlighted potential isolation for residents without cars and recommended prioritizing sidewalk repairs and targeted fill-in projects where they would connect to destinations.

- Safe Routes to School and Complete Streets: Scott reported that Danvers has adopted a Complete Streets policy and some Safe Routes to School participation, but has not yet pursued the state-level funding tier that requires updated prioritization plans. Scott said MassDOT recommends revising Complete Streets prioritization plans every five years.

- Transit and microtransit opportunities: The presentation noted limited fixed-route bus service and no regular shuttle to a commuter rail station. MAPC described the Salem Skipper microtransit pilot — an on-demand shuttle with a defined service area that arrived in Danvers about a year ago — and suggested expanding first/last-mile connections to the Beverly commuter rail as a potential lever to reduce single-occupant vehicle trips.

- Demographics and equity: MAPC emphasized outreach to groups likely to be affected by transportation changes, noting about 650 Danvers households lack a vehicle, 13% of renter households do not own a vehicle, seniors are a large share of the population and about one in five residents identify as having a disability. Scott said MAPC has engaged the senior center, veteran services, disability access commission and the schools and has a survey distribution plan that included offering community service credit to high school students to boost response rates.

Board and public reaction

Planning Board members and residents raised questions about downtown growth, the impact of newly approved housing (including a large Maple Street development), enforcement and use of municipal lots, and whether bike lanes would be appropriate in Danvers’ road network. Board member Jim Sears noted that demographic and ridership shifts (including remote and hybrid work) complicate predictions for transit demand.

Residents urged prioritizing sidewalk maintenance and enforcement of existing parking controls. John Bouchard, a Crestline Circle resident, suggested nontraditional options: “A golf cart's a possibility to go into Downtown Danvers,” he said during public comment. Other speakers described using the Salem Skipper and Logan Express as useful options and encouraged the town to maintain sidewalks year-round and improve signage to available parking.

Next steps

Scott said MAPC will close the public survey on April 18, incorporate responses along with interviews the team has done with service providers and the Chamber of Commerce, and deliver draft recommendations for town review. The MAPC contract requires a final deliverable by June to meet the project’s funding deadline.

Votes at a glance

During the meeting the Planning Board took routine procedural votes: it unanimously continued two active applications to the April 8 meeting and approved minutes and adjournment by voice vote. Those formal actions were recorded as follows in the public minutes (voice votes; three members present):

• Continue public hearing: 50 Independence Way (Chick-fil-A site plan review) — motion by Jean Hartnett, second by Jim Sears; outcome: continued to April 8 (approved by voice vote).

• Continue: Trask Lane full release of covenant — motion by Jean Hartnett, second by Jim Sears; outcome: continued to April 8 (approved by voice vote).

• Accept minutes: March 11 meeting — motion (mover not specified in record), second by Jim Sears; outcome: approved (voice vote).

• Adjourn meeting — motion and second not specified in record; outcome: approved (voice vote).

Taper: MAPC’s assessment is explicitly a mid-project, high-level needs analysis; the board and residents emphasized practical, near-term fixes such as sidewalk upkeep, better downtown parking signage and use of pilot microtransit services while MAPC continues work toward recommendations to be wrapped up by June.