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Date: 7/27/2021
WORTHINGTON – During the Worthington Selectboard’s July 20 meeting, the board listened to public testimony over the roundabout on Route 143.
The roundabout project initially went out to bid back in 2019 through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Transportation Improvement Program and is set to be finished this summer according to the file on MassDOT’s website. The $7.2 million dollar project includes the roundabout, new drainage systems, guard rails and general improvements to the road. Along the way the project has seen many residents speak both in favor and against the project.
To start the discussion, board Clerk Steve Smith said that while he was generally in favor of roundabouts, the roundabout on Route 143 has design flaws.
“I am not an opponent of roundabouts, my concern with this particular roundabout is that it seems not to be very well designed. We live in a town which has a hub for transportation that centers on the corners, Routes 143 and 112 come together there and much of the truck traffic we have in town has to navigate through there,” he said.
He added that the current design does not accommodate vehicles hauling large equipment, especially lowboy trailers.
“I think the solution leaves out a significant and important segment of the town. On occasion it is necessary to transport heavy equipment such as agricultural equipment or high loads that do not fit on regular trucks and lowboy trailers must be used. The problem I have with this design is the turn radius is too narrow,” he said.
As the roundabout currently is, Smith said snow removal in the winter will take more time and manpower.
“Snow removal is made more difficult, and it becomes necessary to use a smaller vehicle to negotiate the roundabout rather than one of our plow trucks. During snowstorms you are going to see an accumulation of snow that is not going to be readily able to be moved without expending more equipment time and additional manpower,” he said.
One resident, Tammy Parkinson, said she was against the roundabout, and it was unsafe during the winter.
“I have been here for 30 years, I have never seen any accidents going on down here, but when they put that in here and I had to go through there in the middle of winter it was horrible. Even when my kids came through here, they slid into the side. I am totally against the roundabout,” she said.
Another resident, Jim Downey, said he was in favor of keeping the roundabout because of the safety concerns a four way stop poses.
“If you look at the data published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the installation of roundabouts reduce collisions by 37 percent, they reduce injury collisions by 75 percent, it is a 90 percent reduction in fatalities and a 40 percent reduction in pedestrian injury. I think the motivating rationale here should be on safety,” he said.
Selectboard member Charley Rose said the roundabout is working as intended and is still not completed so some of the problems may still be alleviated.
“I believe the roundabout is a great piece of engineering and is doing exactly what it was designed to do. I love the fact that it was implemented in the same footprint and that we got something that is safer for drivers. You must consider that the road is not done yet and the pavement is not at its final height so that is absolutely a factor here,” he said.
Rose added that he was against removing the roundabout but would possibly entertain a Special Town Meeting.
“I have absolutely no interest in removing this thing, I guess I would be willing to go to a Special Town Meeting and see if the town is willing to spend $50,000 on this but I think it is a really stupid idea,” he said.
Along with Downy and Rose, other residents said they were happy the roundabout was slowing down traffic and is a safer alternative to a four way stop. Those residents also said they were not in favor of the town spending the $50,000 to remove it.
While Smith made a motion to reconsider the roundabout at a Special Town Meeting, the rest of the board did not agree. However, residents can move forward with a petition to bring the issue to a potential Special Town Meeting.
The Worthington Selectboard next meets on Aug. 3.