The City of Medford was recently awarded a $400,000 grant to implement several high-priority complete streets improvements from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to increase safety and accessibility throughout the City.
The City is committed to providing safe access for all pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles within our community. In addition, the complete streets funding allows the City to install curb ramps for handicapped accessibility as well as additional pedestrian developments.
“We are very excited to provide municipalities with the first round of funding for the Complete Streets Program,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, in a press release. “The Complete Streets Program provides municipalities with an opportunity to identify and develop key transportation improvement projects that seek to increase the safety, accessibility, and reliability of multi-modal transportation for residents across the Commonwealth.”
The City, via site inspections and multiple meetings with stakeholders and with the assistance of transportation and traffic engineering consultants, Toole Design, devised a prioritization plan list which was submitted to the Commonwealth. Following are highlights of the 6 projects approved by the state:
- High Street at Allston ($65,000) — Pedestrian improvements will be made on High Street at the Brooks Elementary School to reduce crossing distance and to slow oncoming traffic. The project will involve installation of curb extensions, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB), curb ramps, and striping. Also, catch basin relocation and appropriate school zone signs will be repaired.
- The West Medford Square ($81,000) (Warren Street, Playstead Road and Canal Street) intersection improvements will reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians, control traffic flow, and improve pedestrian visibility. There will be new curb extensions, pavement markings and curb ramps.
- The intersection of Main Street and Medford Street at Tufts Pool, Park and Curtis-Tufts School ($147,600) – another area where the City will improve safety and visibility in order to calm traffic. The work for this area includes constructing the curb extensions at the existing crosswalk across Main Street and aligning Main Street to a tighter approach angle, installing a “Stop” sign rather than Yield; installing rapid flashing beacons (RRFB) to improve vehicular yielding at Willard Avenue, Main Street and Medford Street; constructing new ADA-compliant ramps at the curb extensions, and constructing a raised island at Main Street and Medford Street. In addition, there will be bicycle accommodations such as signage and sharrows along Main and Medford Streets.
- Within Medford Square ($55,000), the intersection of Salem Street at Ashland Street and River Street will feature curb extensions, ADA accessibility and rapid flashing beacons (RRFB) in order to shorten the exiting crosswalk across Salem Street and increase pedestrian visibility.
- The Winthrop Circle ($30,000) intersecting at High Street will construct curb ramps at five intersections, stripe splitter islands at all approaches, install “Yield” signs at all corners, stripe dotted line circle at the roundabout and shorten crosswalks for pedestrians in order to also increase visibility.
- Our final focus is on the Boston Avenue Corridor ($50,000) from High Street to the Somerville Line will have a dedicated bicycle lane.
“MassDOT is pleased to partner with municipalities across the Commonwealth to offer the Complete Streets Program to help communities make much needed transportation improvements,” said Transportation Secretary & CEO Stephanie Pollack, in a press release. “I would like to thank all of the state and local officials, civic and community leaders, and members of the MassDOT staff who have helped to streamline the program, and highlight the need to incorporate ‘complete streets’ into design and planning projects.”
“We are thrilled to receive funding from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and I am very proud of the effort and hard work our staff has put into this process in order to provide the City with safer, more reliable accessibility for multiple modes of transportation,” said Mayor Stephanie M. Burke. “The complete streets program is an essential contributor to the quality of life for our community and provides us with the necessary resources to make essential improvements.”
The timeline for majority of improvements will be Spring of 2017 as engineering design needs to be completed and a contractor is selected to perform the work.
KEY TERMS:
Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFB): enhance safety by reducing crashes between vehicles and pedestrians at unsignalized intersections and mid-block pedestrian crossings by increasing driver awareness of potential pedestrian conflicts.
Splitter Islands: A raised or painted area on an approach used to separate entering from exiting traffic, deflect and slow entering traffic, and provide storage space for pedestrians crossing the road in two stages.
Please visit see the details below of the project locations.
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