Woburn traffic commission asks DPW to study flashing sign, reinstate crosswalk lines at Bridal Street intersection

A Woburn resident asked the Traffic Commission to consider measures to make the stop-controlled intersection near Bridal Street and Mishawam Road safer during school hours.

Drew Veroutsis, a resident at 1 University Street, told the commission that “people roll through that stop sign and don't fully come to a complete stop,” and that drivers who cannot see Mishawam Road sometimes stop in the crosswalk instead of at the stop bar.

Commission members and staff described limited sight lines at the intersection and said the stop bar location forces drivers to pull forward into the crosswalk to see oncoming traffic. Engineering staff said the Complete Streets program is collecting similar requests across the city to let a traffic engineer propose design fixes that could be bundled into a small construction package.

Commissioners discussed temporary and longer-term options. One commissioner noted solar-powered, constantly flashing stop signs exist and typically run without hard wiring; another cautioned that flashing signs may not prevent drivers from stopping in the crosswalk because the underlying sight-line problem would remain. Staff suggested that DPW first reinstate or refresh crosswalk and stop bar markings at minimal cost and that engineering evaluate whether a flashing sign is an appropriate temporary measure.

The commission voted to ask DPW to reinstate crosswalk lines as needed and directed staff to consult DPW about any precedence for flashing stop signs, with engineering to follow up under the Complete Streets prioritization process. The motion passed with the vote recorded as "Aye."