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Needham TSC approves turn restrictions and speed cushions at Harris/Pinewood school drop-off
Summary
The Transportation Safety Committee voted to install temporary no-left-turn/no-U-turn restrictions during school pick-up/drop-off hours at Harris Avenue/Pinewood and to buy seasonal speed cushions to slow traffic at the same location.
The Transportation Safety Committee voted March 12 to install temporary regulatory signage prohibiting left turns and U‑turns through the Harris Avenue/Pinewood median during school drop‑off and pick‑up hours and to purchase portable speed cushions for the same corridor.
Committee members said the measures respond to repeated safety concerns from crossing guards and parents at the school drop‑off area, where committee members described near collisions and heavy pedestrian activity in short bursts when school dismisses. The committee set the initial restriction window at roughly 7–8 a.m. and 2–3 p.m., and the signage will include an exception for school buses and emergency vehicles. The committee also discussed barriers or police deployments to back the regulatory change and identified enforcement as a police department responsibility.
Committee technical adviser Bob Wilson and staff described the speed cushions as removable, seasonally installed devices anchored into the pavement and sized to permit emergency apparatus to straddle them while slowing passenger vehicles. The vendor quote discussed in the meeting was roughly $4,800 for four cushions covering both sides of the Pinewood crosswalk; the committee voted to buy the cushions as a pilot and to monitor performance.
The committee emphasized the measures are a pilot and that staff will collect and report follow‑up data, coordinate with school officials and crossing guards, and adjust times or physical treatments as needed. If the pilot proves effective, members said, the town could pursue longer‑term, permanent traffic‑calming measures when roadway resurfacing or capital budgets allow.
Implementation steps the committee discussed include ordering and installing regulatory signage, coordinating enforcement with Needham Police, having crossing guards augment on‑site protections, and collecting post‑installation speed and compliance data. The committee asked staff to report the evaluation and any community feedback at a subsequent meeting.
Ending: The measures were approved by voice vote; staff will return with installation details, a procurement invoice for the cushions, and a follow‑up report to the committee.
