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Rotary and Route 2 traffic patterns and safety flagged as key issues for site access
Summary
Transportation consultants and the advisory board discussed the high crash rate at the adjacent rotary, heavy volumes on Commonwealth Avenue and opportunities to coordinate redevelopment with a planned MassDOT project on Route 2.
Transportation presenters told the advisory group that Route 2 and the nearby rotary are critical constraints for any redevelopment of the MCI Concord site and that coordination with a planned MassDOT project is likely necessary.
Consultants presented traffic counts and crash data showing that Commonwealth Avenue is carrying roughly ten times the volume it was designed for because drivers use it to bypass the rotary, and that the rotary experiences a crash rate approximately five times the statewide average. They said those conditions create both safety and circulation challenges for new development and that a Route 2 redesign or rotary improvements would be a key element of any site access plan.
Speakers identified opportunities to increase multimodal access: better connections to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and the West Concord commuter rail station, improved trail wayfinding and increased bike and pedestrian permeability through the site. They also noted an existing MassDOT plan to reconfigure Route 2 near the site and advised overlaying redevelopment plans on that project.
Consultants said Route 2 will remain and that one of the crucial toggles is how the site interacts with that highway — whether access is concentrated on existing roads or redistributed to new points tied to a Route 2 redesign. No design decisions were made; the consultants said they will coordinate with MassDOT and model traffic impacts in upcoming scenario testing.
Advisory members asked technical follow‑up questions and emphasized the need to ensure pedestrian and bicycle links to West Concord village and regional trails.
