Improving the Route 132 park and ride

At a time when regional mobility faces new pressure with the anticipated replacement of the Sagamore Bridge, expanding access to public transportation and reducing roadway congestion have become more critical than ever.

By sunrise most mornings, Barnstable’s Route 132 park-and-ride lot is already overflowing with commuters and travelers headed for Boston, Logan Airport, and other destinations. The Route 132 park-and-ride and the spaces available at the Hyannis Transportation Center are the only park-and-ride facilities offering direct service to Boston from the mid-Cape area.

Over the past three decades, the Cape Cod Commission has tracked trends at the park-and-ride, which is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). On average, 91% of the lot’s 365 spaces are filled, with the facility running near or at capacity almost every day of the year. Even after an expansion in the mid-1990s from about 220 spaces to the current 365, the lot still consistently fills by 6 a.m. on peak days and remains full until late evening. These high-occupancy conditions occur throughout the year, not just during the busy summer season.

The facility's layout and design are also challenging. There is no dedicated drop-off area, so buses and private vehicles must share the same lanes and aisles. ADA accessibility is insufficient throughout the site, and the lack of clear signage and pedestrian pathways leads to confusion and safety risks for all users.

MassDOT has dedicated funding this year to complete a major redesign of the facility. The final design expands the lot to the north and west, adding 271 new parking spaces for a total of 639 total parking spaces, nearly double the current capacity. Beyond simply adding spaces, the redesign fundamentally reorganizes how the site functions.

One of the most significant changes is the physical separation of bus and private automobile traffic. Dedicated bus aisles and drop-off/pick-up zones will eliminate the current mixing of traffic types, improving both safety and the efficiency of transit operations.

The new design enhances ADA accessibility with new sidewalks throughout all parking islands, additional pedestrian curb ramps, and accessible parking spaces distributed across the site, making pedestrian movement easier and safer.

The redesigned facility will feature new bus shelters with expanded passenger capacity, improving the transit rider experience. Existing electric vehicle charging stations will be relocated and integrated into the new site layout. Expanded lighting across the facility will improve nighttime safety and visibility. New wayfinding signage will clarify on-ramp access to Route 6 and introduce a dedicated turn area before the highway entrance. A new dedicated bicycle storage area will support multimodal access to the transit hub.

Given that the facility must remain operational throughout construction, the project is designed to be built in five distinct stages.

Stage 1 preserves the existing bus pick-up and drop-off area and the north lot parking. Subsequent stages complete improvements to the north area, construct the expanded south lot, and progressively improve both halves of the existing south parking area. Throughout all phases, a minimum of approximately 300 parking spaces will remain available to users, and a dedicated bus drop-off and pick-up area will be maintained without interruption.

The project has drawn broad support from municipal and regional organizations, including the Town of Barnstable, the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, the Barnstable Disability Commission, and several other local bodies — a coalition that reflects how central this facility is to the region's transportation network.

The project is expected to be advertised for construction bids later this year with construction likely to begin in 2027.