South Medford Traffic Study Confirms Complaints

Study: Despite Traffic Concerns, Heavy Trucking Ban Unlikely

Story Updated 4:25PM, Wednesday, July 8, 2009

– Ken Krause

A long-awaited South Medford Traffic study released on Tuesday quantified many of the area residents’ complaints that the roads in the Harvard Street area are overcrowded and unsafe.

However, the report said that the volume of heavy trucking – another major complaint of residents, particularly on Harvard Street – does not meet the MassHighway volume requirements for imposing heavy vehicle restrictions.

Representatives from Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates gave a presentation on the study to the Medford Traffic Commission on Tuesday evening. Its purpose was to assess the existing transportation conditions in the study area and to provide traffic data in response to specific community concerns. It also recommends improvements at many locations.

In the study, the intersections of Harvard Street and Mystic Avenue received the lowest Level of Service grade possible (F) at both morning and afternoon peak travel periods, and the Harvard/Main Street intersection received an F grade in the morning peak and an E grade (second lowest) in the afternoon peak.

Five intersections – including the intersections of Willis Avenue and Harvard Street, Bonner Ave. and Alexander Ave. – had higher accident rates than the average for the area, based on a study of three years of accident data.

Heavy trucking averaged 3% to 4% of total vehicle traffic in the area; on Harvard Street, the volume of heavy traffic was 3.5% westbound and 2.9% percent eastbound. MassHighway does not impose restrictions unless the volume of heavy vehicles is in the 5% to 8% range.

Last month a group of South Medford residents appeared before the Medford City Council requesting a ban on heavy trucking on Harvard Street. Police Chief Leo Sacco said at that meeting that the city would apply to MassHighway for such a restriction.

The traffic study proposed a variety of lane modifications and signal timing and phasing changes to improve traffic operations and safety.

Upon studying and discussing the report, the Traffic Commission will make a recommendation to Mayor McGlynn and to the City Council regarding what action should be taken by the city.

The full report has been posted on South Medford Residents Together’s website- click here to read it.