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Council committee says crossing guard eased risks at Boys and Girls Club, discusses permanent traffic measures
Summary
Taunton committee reviewed safety improvements near the Boys and Girls Club; members reported the crossing guard has reduced immediate risks and discussed longer-term measures including raised crosswalks, reduced speed limits, lighting and parking changes.
A meeting of the Committee on Finance and Salaries on April 8 heard an update on pedestrian safety at the crosswalk in front of the Boys and Girls Club, where the city placed a crossing guard earlier this year.
Committee members and city staff said the crossing guard has produced positive results since being posted. "We've had a lot of positive feedback since that person started helping people across the street there," Officer Schaubs said, adding that the presence of a guard “solved the issues we were having there.”
Councilors said the guard is a useful short-term step but does not remove the need for physical safety improvements. "There’s traffic in and out pretty much from the time they open till the time they close, so I think some other kinds of means to make crossing safer during other times is important as well," Councilor Sanders said, and suggested a raised crosswalk, additional lighting and flashing beacons.
Staff from the Department of Public Works told the committee they have discussed options ranging up to lighting infrastructure but called those discussions "fluid" and ongoing. Officer Schaubs said his speed analysis did not show a clear speeding problem immediately across from the Boys and Girls Club, but he acknowledged people do exceed the limit at times. When asked about the posted limit, he said, "I believe it's 30. I could be wrong. It might actually be 20. I think I believe it is 20 in that area because it's downtown," and agreed to verify the posted speed.
Council members also raised sight-line and parking concerns near the crosswalk. One councilor recommended removing two parking spaces that obstruct drivers' sight lines and suggested pavement markings or other physical cues to narrow the roadway and better signal a pedestrian crossing. DPW staff cautioned that raised crosswalks can complicate drainage and snow removal and noted Court Street is a state-numbered route, which could affect funding and permitting for changes.
The committee requested follow-up reporting on options, including the feasibility of speed-limit reductions, raised crosswalks and flashing beacons, and the viability of grant funding for pedestrian improvements.
The committee did not vote on a specific capital change at the meeting; members said they would bring a progress report back once staff had refined options and cost estimates.
