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Commission directs engineering review of left-turn timing at Montvale Avenue and Washington Street
Summary
After resident testimony and discussion of safety and cut-through traffic, the commission asked the city engineer and traffic consultant to analyze signal timing and coordination at Montvale Avenue at Washington Street, and tabled further action pending the consultant report.
The Woburn City Traffic Commission voted Feb. 20 to ask engineering staff and the city's traffic consultant to review signal timing and coordination at the Montvale Avenue/Washington Street intersection, specifically the northbound left-turn movement onto Washington Street.
John Sawyer of 14 Frank Street Court described daily difficulty making the left from Montvale onto Washington and said drivers waiting to turn often never get an opportunity in a single signal cycle. "I've seen a box truck come flying up. He's screaming at the woman in the car," Sawyer said, describing unsafe interactions between drivers trying to make the left and through traffic accelerating to beat the yellow.
Commissioner Dimambro asked whether adding a brief hold or delay in the northbound cycle could allow left-turning vehicles time to complete the movement without rewiring the signal for a protected left arrow. Alex Ruzicki, Woburn City engineer, cautioned that a delayed green can create "a false sense of security" for drivers who may not be able to tell whether they have a protected movement. "Without a dedicated left hand turn lane and a left hand turn arrow, I do not believe that it's a safe outcome for this intersection," Ruzicki said. He agreed, however, to review traffic counts and timing with the consultant.
The commission approved a motion directing the engineering department to review timing and report back; the matter will be tabled until the consultant's report is provided to the commission.
