BOS to address Wentworth Rd. speeding problem

Wanting a full vetting of an apparent speeding problem in the Wentworth Road neighborhood between Randolph and Washington streets, the Board of Selectmen decided Tuesday night to schedule a public hearing within the next month and notify all abutters before taking the steps of installing several new stop signs in the area.

In the interim, Police Chief Ken Berkowitz said he would send motorcycle and patrol officers starting this week to enforce speed limits in the neighborhood.

Selectmen were notified of the problem by Wentworth Road resident Sue Sweenie. In a letter to selectmen, Sweenie said the street is a popular “cut through” for motorists. She said the problem has existed for decades but nothing has been done to this point despite many letters and phone calls to Town Hall.

“On weekday mornings the traffic can back up halfway down Wentworth Road due to commuters cutting through,” she wrote. “In the late afternoon and evenings, the traffic speeds past as commuters rush home from work or school. Even the buses speed down our street.”

Berkowitz said the best solution is increased police enforcement and immediate installation of stop signs; however, DPW Superintendent Mike Trotta said the best process for installing the signs is to issue a notice to all abutters, hold a public hearing followed by a vote by selectmen, and then send a notice to the Registry of Deeds with the exact locations of the stop signs. He estimated the process at 20 days and the cost of the signs at $160 to $240.

New Selectmen Chairman John Connolly said he hopes the stop signs can be ready by the start of the next school year but wants all neighbors notified of the public hearing so they have a voice in the matter.

Selectman Kevin Feeney said that while it is important for selectmen to address this matter in the short term, they must also take a look at the larger issue: the intersection of Randolph and Washington streets.

He and fellow new Selectman Mark Porter advanced the idea of a blue-ribbon traffic committee, made up of representatives from each of the town precincts, who would hear suggestions but also study traffic impacts in all areas of town. They would then report their ideas to the town’s Traffic Advisory Committee to determine if they are practical and cost-effective. Selectmen may formally approve this new committee as soon as its next meeting.

In a related matter, selectmen supported the suggestion of Deborah Steine Sharpe and Jim Sharpe of Historical Way to form a pedestrian and bicycle advisory committee, which would work to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists in Canton. The committee would be made up of community members who take an active interest in walking and bicycling as well as the town planner and representatives from the Planning Board and DPW. The committee will get underway in the fall …

See this week’s Canton Citizen for more highlights from the May 26 selectmen’s meeting. Click here to order your subscription today.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=29641

Posted by Mike Berger on May 29 2015. Filed under News, Police & Fire, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.