By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Northborough – Northborough’s Department of Public Works Director Scott Charpentier reported to the Board of Selectmen at their Feb. 11 meeting that he and Town Engineer Fred Litchfield have received emails from residents on Davis Street regarding traffic concerns west of the Southwest Cutoff.
The primary concerns were speed and lack of attention to traffic laws regarding school buses. Several suggestions were made through emails that Charpentier and Litchfield evaluated for viability.
“We thought the best way to address the speed concerns of the residents was a phased step approach- one would be some additional signage which includes more speed limit signs and winding road signs placed in advance of the winding road sections paired with speed limit signs…more impactful could be the use of solar powered LED lit speed limit signs at the portals,” Charpentier suggested.
Another issue was truck traffic along that roadway. Charpentier said that truck counts need to be done with analysis applied before considering a truck exclusion.
Litchfield reported that a truck count was conducted in 2013 and, at that time, the count didn’t meet the warrant for truck exclusion. However, since then, with increased traffic, a new count was conducted last year by the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Agency. It indicated that numbers now warranted a truck exclusion.
The board was asked to vote to amend the town code by adding a truck exclusion to the portion of Davis Street from West Main Street to Route 20 only.
Selectman Julianne Hirsch asked whether there was any thought to installing a noise barrier such as a fence or planting trees along portions of West Main Street.
Charpentier replied that West Main Street is under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Mass DOT) and Litchfield added that it was highly unlikely that Mass DOT would do anything about the noise.
The board voted unanimously to proceed with a truck exclusion for this portion of Davis Street. A formal application to Mass DOT will be submitted.