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Date: 5/2/2023
AGAWAM — This summer, the town will install two radar-activated combination school zone sign speed feedback signs on Mill Street near Agawam High School to try to slow traffic and improve safety.
Town Engineer Michelle Chase said the new signs will be provided to the town by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation from a grant approved a few months ago. The signs — which typically cost between $18,000 and $20,000 — are solar-powered and use radar to provide feedback to drivers about their speed.
“We’re excited that we got this grant,” said Chase. “We’re just working out the details and the goal is to get everything installed and ready to go for the new school year in September,” said Chase.
One sign will be installed near the Line Street intersection, for eastbound traffic, and another will be near the Cooper Street intersection for westbound traffic. The combination school zone and 20 mph speed limit will be activated when school is in session or during specific events.
The signs will flash “20 mph” as vehicles approach. When vehicles are detected traveling faster than 20 mph, the lower message sign will flash the detected speed. Since the signs are solar-powered, there is no need to dig up Mill Street to install electrical service.
Chase said the town is working with the town’s Law Department to create a school zone on Mill Street — a requirement when installing school zone speed limit signs.
“Speed limit signs with black lettering on a white background are enforceable speed signs. We need to have a City Council ordinance that designates this section of Mill Street as a 20-mph speed limit school zone,” said Chase.
Chase said the town and the school department have been looking at safety in front of the high school for a number of years. She said it’s been challenging in part because high schools were previously not eligible.
“MassDOT has changed the rules to now include high schools,” said Chase. “We’ve always had this concern about the speed in front of the high school, but one of the requirements is to create a school zone, which typically needs a crosswalk,” she said.
Chase said a few months ago, there was a request to install a crosswalk across from the football field and tennis courts to the parking lot of a church across Mill Street. People often park in that lot when going to events on the athletic fields. The town DPW will fund and install the crosswalk, which is not included with the DOT grant.
Chase said the crosswalk may include flashing beacons and may be lighted for more visibility when pedestrians are crossing, especially when there are late games when it’s dark.
“That’s something I need to work out with the mayor and the DPW superintendent. We need to see if we have the funding to purchase lights,” said Chase.
“This is something that’s totally separate, but is related to this area, in terms of safety and everything. I’m hopeful we will be putting in a rapid flashing beacon crosswalk similar to the one we’ve just installed on Springfield Street,” she said.
Chase said the crosswalk and speed limit signs are part of the town’s effort to improve safety on Mill Street near the high school. When the new football field was built several years ago, the town installed a shared use path along the street for kids riding bikes to school. The approximately 10-foot-wide path extends to the front of the school, where a bike rack was added.
According to Chase, the town is also looking at some longer-term improvements to the intersection of Mill and Cooper streets, but that would be a different project.