Selectmen review plans for Pleasant St. roundabout

The Board of Selectmen will vote in two weeks on a plan presented by DPW Superintendent Mike Trotta and Town Engineer Jim Donovan to design and build a roundabout (rotary) at the intersections of Pleasant Street, Bolivar Street, and Lincolnshire Drive.

The project, which is aimed at slowing traffic and improving overall safety, drew initial support from Selectmen Chairman Victor Del Vecchio and selectmen John Connolly and Avril Elkort. Voicing questions and concerns were selectmen Sal Salvatori and Bob Burr.

The project would need another $100,000 from the selectmen’s mitigation account, although a bulk of the funding would come from town meeting approved funds or from Chapter 90 roadway money.

Donovan, who presented the plans to selectmen Tuesday night, said the current island would be removed. The roundabout, he said, would be designed “around low speeds,” estimated at 20 to 25 miles per hour. There would be single lanes, all yield signs, improved lighting, and considerations for pedestrians and bicyclists. Donovan estimated that crashes involving injuries could decrease by 76 percent.

Police Chief Ken Berkowitz said the roundabout would be safer than the existing configuration. Salvatori, however, suggested that the money would be better spent on sidewalks, perhaps on Chapman Street. Burr questioned the cost and whether the roundabout design was more necessary at other Canton intersections. Burr said he was informed Tuesday night about the frequency of speeding on Pleasant Street and will take that factor into consideration. Del Vecchio said the roundabout would improve safety and the flow of traffic on Pleasant Street. He said the board needed two more weeks to review all the information before taking action.

The board did emphasize the need to repave Pleasant Street beginning with the stretch from Washington Street to Chapelgate Road when school lets out on June 24. The rest of Pleasant Street will depend on Chapter 90 disbursements and the approval of selectmen. Other roads to be paved for the remainder of this year include Chapman Street (now underway), Walford Park Drive, Wardwell Road, Trudy Terrace, Forbes Road, Andrea Drive, Estey Way, Hubbard Street, Sutcliffe Avenue and Hillcrest Road, and Brooksweld and Greenbriar roads. Trotta said there is also $60,000 available for road patching to be done on York Street and other sections of roads throughout the town.

In other news Tuesday night, selectmen authorized the opening of the Pleasant Street access way for boat launchings. The access path, to be unlocked from dawn to dusk seven days per week, is located between the Armando Recreation Center and Reservoir Pond. The arrangement is temporary until selectmen review a proposal with Williams Street residents and the Conservation Commission to use town-owned land for a boat launching. Earlier this month, selectmen approved new regulations prohibiting parking on sections of Pleasant Street near Reservoir Pond. Police began ticketing vehicles this week.

See this week’s Citizen for additional coverage from the June 10 selectmen’s meeting.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Jun 12 2014. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.