WESTFORD — Residents last Tuesday had an opportunity to weigh in on pedestrian safety improvements coming to North Main Street and West Street.
The Pedestrian Safety Committee hosted an open forum to gather resident feedback.
The forum comes months after voters approved $30,000 in capital funding for the design of the project at Town Meeting in March.
Project goals
The improvements aim to address limited sight distance at crosswalks, curb ramps that are not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and high-traffic low visibility crosswalks at the Blessed Trinity Parish at St. Catherine’s Church entry.
The project also proposes adding rapid flashing beacons and warning signs near pedestrian crossings, shortening the distance for pedestrians to cross and encouraging reduced speeds around a sharp curve before the crossing.
For drivers, the project aims to increase sight distances and reduce turning speeds by removing excess pavement.
The church, which is commonly used for funeral services, could lose its two parking spaces in front of the building.
Residents weigh in
Michael Donaruma, a resident of the neighborhood, was concerned with the width of the sidewalk, which could extend into his driveway and whether the change was necessary.
“It just seems like a waste of material,” he said, “If they decide to take the light they’re either in my driveway or they’re not going to comply.”
Resident Gary Hartman was concerned about potential traffic during and after the reconstruction.
“What’s this going to do to the traffic? It’s already a mess out there, are you going to be backing up traffic,” Hartman said.
John Rockwell representing TEC, Inc., a Lawrence-based engineering consulting firm said that they did not anticipate reconstruction creating a major impact on the flow of traffic. Town Engineer Paul Starratt said that traffic in that area is normal and even beneficial.
“Truth be known, we like a little bit of congestion at our intersections at peak hours because it gets people to do the one thing that we want them to do which is to slow down and pay attention,” Starratt said.
Designs for the project are still under consideration. Funding has not yet been allocated to construction of the project at the time of reporting.
The Select Board is slated to discuss the project during their Nov. 26 meeting. The board will meet in-person at Town Hall at 7 p.m. or via Zoom. The full presentation can be found online.
