Three-Way Stop Sign At Boston/Main Proposal Presented To BOS

Traffic has long been a concern for Westford’s Town Center, particularly during rush hour. During the first Selectmen’s meeting of December, that issue was front and center as members of the Town Center Traffic Committee presented their recommendations.

Represented by Ellen Harde and Gail Flannery, the committee presented several recommendations building on the Northern Middlesex Council of Government’s (NMCOG) 2014 study.

At the corner of Boston Road and Main Street, the committee recommended a three-way stop.

Currently, only Boston Road has a stop sign, leading to northbound backups along the town common on Boston Road during high-traffic periods.

“The reason we want to do this beyond just the integrity of the common is to provide fair-play for all lanes, including those that are trying to turn left onto Main Street that run into severe challenges on a daily basis,” said Flannery.

Flannery said the committee also is requesting a traffic control officer in mornings during the school year, but Westford Police Department Captain Mark Chambers indicated an officer cannot be provided for those duties with the Westford Police Department’s current projected budget.

Chambers also indicated that a civilian traffic official would technically be illegal, and that a traffic official that has helped alleviate traffic on Patten Road during times of significant periods of traffic at Westford Academy should legally not be there, but has been allowed to continue due to limitations at those times for police.

NMCOG did not initially recommend the three-way stop alternative due to a projected 65.3 second wait for vehicles coming westbound on Main Street during peak morning hours.

Harde noted that the three-way stop sign was the best alternative given that a proposed roundabout and a traffic signal were not well received by the Selectmen at earlier hearings.

Additional recommendations also included a sidewalk that would be installed near the corner of Boston Road and Main Street near Northern Bank and Trust as well as a curb extension near the Parish Center for the Arts.

No action was taken by the Selectmen following the presentation. A meeting on the issue will be held by the committee on Jan. 13 at the Millennium School.