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Petitioner warns of school‑area dangers at File/Garfield intersection; commission orders DPW review
Summary
A resident described repeated near‑misses at the File/Garfield intersection near Shamrock Elementary; commissioners declined an immediate four‑way stop and instead directed DPW to investigate striping, reflective signs and other visibility improvements and report back.
WOBURN — Resident Tony Johnson told the traffic commission on Nov. 21 that drivers frequently fail to stop at the File and Garfield intersection and that children walking to nearby Shamrock Elementary are at risk.
"All it takes is one crash," Johnson said, describing instances when drivers did not yield while he was dropping off his children and when pedestrians crossed the street.
Commissioners heard from police and DPW staff, who said the intersection has limited recent crash history and that topography and sight‑line issues complicate installing a four‑way stop. Superintendent Jay Duran (via earlier email comment) concluded it did not meet warrants for a legal full‑way stop and recommended against it; police also warned that installing a four‑way stop here could lead to requests for similar treatment at nearby intersections.
Rather than impose an immediate geometric change, the commission voted to ask Public Works to inspect the intersection and propose lower‑cost, operational improvements — refreshed crosswalk and stop lines, reflective edging or striping, and potentially a relocated signpost instead of a sign mounted on a utility pole — and return with recommendations.
Why it matters: commissioners balanced a resident’s safety concerns with engineering warrants and precedent, favoring targeted visibility improvements that can be implemented faster and at lower cost than a four‑way stop or signal.
What’s next: DPW was directed to inspect the site, consider crosswalk refresh, reflective or LED sign edging and a painted stop line, and report findings to the commission at its next meeting in January.
Key quote: "All it takes is one crash," Tony Johnson said of the File/Garfield crossing.
(Story based on Nov. 21 meeting transcript; DPW report expected on the January agenda.)
