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Neighbors oppose removing Otsego Road left‑turn restriction; committee files petition after hearing
Summary
After extensive public comment about pedestrian and child safety, the Parking and Traffic Committee filed a petition to retain the left‑turn restriction on Otsego Road. Staff said a traffic signal at Forest & Salisbury is warranted and will be advanced in the capital program; Otsego speed‑hump requests remain on the candidate list.
Neighbors of Otsego Road pressed the Parking and Traffic Committee on Sept. 17 to retain a left‑turn restriction that limits cut‑through traffic into their neighborhood. After multiple residents described frequent speeding, recent crashes and heavy foot traffic of children walking to school, the committee accepted staff recommendations and filed the petition to keep the restriction in place.
Hal Reeder, who said he lives at 2 Otsego Road, and several other neighbors described high speeds and pedestrian exposure in the narrow stretch of Otsego where drivers can build speed. "Removing this restriction will increase cut‑through traffic on Otsego Road, which is a short stretch where cars can accelerate ... exceeding 40 miles per hour," Reeder said. He urged the committee to keep the left‑turn restriction and, if the council approves removal, to require speed humps as a condition.
Commissioner Todd Raleigh told the committee that staff previously conducted a warrant analysis for a traffic signal at the nearby Forest & Salisbury intersection and that the traffic signal is the appropriate long‑term fix for the corridor. "Traffic signal is warranted here," he said, but he noted signal installation requires capital funding and time to design.
Committee Chair Councilor Donna Calorio said the record of public testimony and the documented crash history weighed in favor of maintaining the left‑turn restriction. The committee voted to file the petition (i.e., to keep the restriction in place) and directed staff to continue to evaluate speed‑hump requests and to advance a capital signal project for Forest & Salisbury.
Why it matters
Residents said many children walk the neighborhood streets to school and to nearby amenities; they argued that removing the left‑turn restriction would shift higher‑speed traffic onto streets with pedestrian activity. Staff emphasized the need for a capital‑grade signal at Forest & Salisbury to address the persistent safety issues at that junction.
Speakers
- Hal Reeder, resident, Otsego Road (petitioner opponent) - Amy Walsh, Worcester resident (public commenter) - Commissioner Todd Raleigh, Department of Transportation & Mobility (staff) - Councilor Donna Calorio, Chair, Parking and Traffic Committee
Authorities
- Traffic signal warrant analysis (city/DTM and MassDOT) — staff confirmed the signal is warranted and will be advanced when funded.
Clarifying details
- Residents documented frequent pedestrian and school‑trip activity along Otsego and nearby paths that feed Forest Grove and Frances McGrath schools. - Staff confirmed Otsego speed‑hump petitions are on the candidate list for the city’s annual speed‑hump program; the city installs a limited number each year based on budget and priority scoring. - For the Forest & Salisbury intersection, staff said a traffic signal is warranted and needs capital funding; signal installation is the long‑term remedy rather than always‑stop control for that main corridor.
Provenance
- topicintro: Petitioner and neighbor testimony opposing removal (transcript timecode ~01:38:62). - topfinish: Motion to file the petition and staff comment about signal warrant (transcript timecode ~02:07:29).
