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Date: 9/28/2022
WILBRAHAM – Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Tonya Capparello discussed traffic safety issues with the Board of Selectmen at its Sept. 26 meeting.
The intersection between Nokomis Road and Boston Road/Route 20 was the first topic Capparello addressed. As she explained, drivers use Nokomis Road as a cut through between Boston Road and Main Street, to avoid the busy intersection of those two streets. Capparello said turning right onto the access road from Boston Road and from Boston Road onto the access road are both dangerous as the vegetation growing on the bank of Nine Mile Pond blocks visibility of oncoming traffic. She said the foliage is fast growing and difficult to reach, making cutting it back onerous.
Instead, Capparello has approached the state about making changes to Route 20, a state highway. While the state showed a willingness to address the problem a couple of years ago, the coronavirus pandemic interrupted plans to review the conditions.
Taking action in the meantime, Capparello asked the board to support her request to the state to close off the access road where it meets Boston Road. She said there is another access road a quarter mile east on Boston Road but navigating the turn would require traffic to slow down, increasing safety.
“We wouldn’t be detouring people miles out of the way,” Capparello said. She had run the plan past the police and public transit services and heard no concerns.
Board of Selectmen Chair Carolyn Brennan said traffic coming onto Boston Road there are “blind.” Vice Chair Theresa Goodrich called the move “long overdue,” and Clerk Susan Bunnell agreed.
Capparello asked for approval to request local technical assistance from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) to address congestion near Crane Park and in front of Village Store Café. The concern is that the shallow parking spaces in front of the store create a situation in which large vehicles either hang out into the street or have their front bumpers over the sidewalk, where people walk.
Capparello asked that the DPW “outsource expertise” to the PVPC to find a better solution. There would be no cost to the town, Capparello explained, because the town is credited with these services.
Making the streets safer for cyclists was the last traffic issue for which Capparello sought board approval. She reported that a resident had recently contacted her about installing signs to let motorists know that they may have to share the road with bicyclists. Such signs typically display messages such as, “Share the Road,” or “Cyclists may use full lane.” Capparello wanted to seek help from the PVPC to identify the best locations for the signs and choose the correct signage.
The board approved both uses of PVPC assistance.