By Darrell Halen
Staff Writer
State transportation engineers
are working to craft a
solution to traffic congestion
in Pelham’s town center.
But they’re not going at it
alone.
They’re partnering with
the community to create a vision
for the future of the town
center.
About 35 residents and
transportation experts gathered
at St. Patrick Church on
Oct. 20. There, they kicked
off a process known as context
sensitive solutions.
By collaborating with a
group of local officials, residents
and business people,
state Department of Transportation
engineers are striving
to find a cure to traffic
woes in the town center that
will ensure safety and mobility
while preserving the
area’s aesthetic and historic
charm.
“What we’re trying to get
from you folks is the extent of
the project,” Chris Waszczuk,
a senior project manager for
the DOT, told the group.
Over the course of the
project, the local group will
meet with transportation
officials every two to three
months.
About $3.9 million in federal
and state funds is available to
improve the town center. Construction
is slated for 2010.
The town center includes
the Congregational Church,
other historic buildings, a
town common with a gazebo,
and other structures.
It’s also a place where motorists
can become frustrated
as they wait to drive through
one of its busy intersections.
More than 12,000 cars
pass through the center’s intersections
daily. Lines of vehicles
waiting to pass through
during peak hours are not uncommon.
Joyce Mason, one of the
residents who attended the
meeting, has lived in town
51 years. She said the town
center’s traffic is “terrible” to
deal with.
“The traffic has increased
over 50 years, that’s for sure,”
she said.
At the intersection of
Marsh Road and Old Bridge
Street North, there were eight
accidents in 2003, three accidents
in 2004, and six accidents
last year, according to
Police Chief Evan Haglund.
At the nearby four-way
intersection of Route 111A/Nashua Road/Main Street,
there were 12 accidents in
2003, nine accidents the following
year, and eight accidents
in 2005, according to
Haglund.
The town’s fire station is
located between those two intersections.
Fire Chief Michael
Walker complained that it’s
sometimes difficult to move
department vehicles out of the
station because of traffic.
For years, local officials
have grappled with the traffic
problems in the town center.
Various solutions, such as installing
traffic lights, building
a roundabout, and redirecting
traffic have been considered.
“There’s a tremendous
amount of problems that
need to be addressed,” said
resident Eric Estevez.
During the meeting, participants
went through an
exercise known as a place
audit. They put on bright orange
and yellow safety vests
and broke into seven groups.
Each group walked from the
church to a specific part of
the town center.
There, they evaluated the
area for its accessibility, safety,
aesthetics and other features.
When the groups returned to
the church and shared their
findings, some common complaints
were aired: traffic gets
congested, some drivers go
too fast, the area is not pedestrian
friendly and there are
no signs notifying drivers that
they are coming into the center
of town.
“What we saw was a tremendous
amount of traffic
but no sense of place,” said resident David Hennessey.
Participants also discussed
what they like about the town
center and how it could be improved.
Over the next several
months, residents will work with
transportation officials to craft
their solution, which will be subject
to a public hearing.
Engineering work is slated to
begin in 2007.