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Access and Circulation
Access & Circulation
The core of the site consists of the buildings and driveway loop, with open space on three sides and activities occurring in various zones across the site. Visitors arrive and traverse the site both by car and on foot, which can create the potential for conflict during very busy times. A network of mown paths links to the core with the waterfront and to various points in the fields.
Shell Middens Crosswalk
School
Accessible Gravel Trail
Church St entrance
Main St. Pedestrians
There is no formal pedestrian access to the site. Pedestrians can access the site indirectly from either the north or the south. From the north, a crosswalk at the shell middens historic site provides a route for Great Salt Bay school students and other visitors to cross Main Street to the accessible gravel path. From the south, walkers commonly take an informal shortcut through a right-of-way off Church Street to avoid walking on Main Street, which currently has no sidewalks (although these are planned in the future).
Many pedestrians use the driveway to cross through the entry area. The area in front of the barn is used during events and many people can gather there. CRCT staff report seeing people with limited mobility using the driveway loop for short walks or to do physical therapy. There is also foot traffic between the neighboring ice cream store and the site.
Vehicles
Vehicle entry and exit to the site occur via marked one-way drives off of Main Street. Immediately after entry, these merge and visitors are confronted with a wide gravel space which may cause confusion over whether to park or continue, especially since major destinations are not visible from the entry. Further into the site, the driveway narrows to one-way again and loops around the core area. A gravel parking area near the trailhead accommodates about eight vehicles. Another larger area near the barn fits approximately thirty vehicles. During very large events, the reinforced lawn area to the south of the driveway is used for overflow parking. Some vehicles exit this area by driving up over the pad. Semi trailers needing to access the food pantry in the rear of the barn must back through the parking lot and around the corner, and also navigate a tight S-bend on the way out. Maintenance staff use a workshop located in the basement of the farmhouse.
Conflicts
Because of the one-way loop, many vehicles navigating the site must drive past any events happening at the barn, which reduces privacy and poses a potential safety issue. During very busy times such as the farmers' market, the entry area can also be a conflict point as pedestrians cross the flow of traffic to reach the PortaPotties or other areas on the north side of the site. Vehicles also tend to park erratically along lawn edges and other undesignated areas when the formal parking areas are full.
