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Residents urge new traffic counts and safety fixes for McGrath Square and Danforth Street
Summary
Residents from Friends of Saxonville told the Framingham Traffic Commission they see rising speeds, unsafe turning movements at McGrath Square and gaps in planned upgrades due to budget uncertainty; they asked the commission to authorize updated traffic counts and to place the item on a future agenda.
Steve Wiseman, chair of the Friends of Saxonville Village Center Improvement Committee, told the Framingham Traffic Commission on March 25 that speeding and“uncontrolled turning traffic” at McGrath Square and high speeds on Danforth Street create a serious safety risk.
Wiseman said Friends of Saxonville has worked with the Department of Public Works on McGrath Square since 2015 but that planned rehabilitation may be delayed by the city’s financial situation. “Somebody is gonna get killed,” he said, describing drivers making “suicide turns” into the square and vehicles accelerating down Danforth toward the bridge.
He requested that the traffic commission authorize updated traffic counts, saying prior counts showed the daily average on Danforth Street rising from about 1,000 (in 2020) to about 2,000 (in 2023) and that more than 50% of vehicles were traveling above the speed limit at the monitored location. He asked for multiple monitoring points along Danforth and requested to be added to a future agenda for a lengthier discussion, perhaps in May.
Commission staff did not make a formal decision at the meeting. Staff and commissioners noted the request and the commission indicated the item would be scheduled for further study and a future agenda once updated data and proposals are available.
Residents and commissioners emphasized the narrow window to address safety while planning and funding for McGrath Square remain uncertain; the commission’s staff said updated counts and multiple monitoring locations would be feasible next steps to quantify the problem before proposing physical changes or signal work.
The commission did not adopt or amend policy at the meeting; instead it agreed to pursue updated traffic monitoring and to place the matter on a future agenda for more detailed discussion and possible recommendations to DPW.
