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Needham committee votes to install no-left-turn sign at Garden Street onto Great Plain Ave
Summary
The Transportation Safety Committee approved a motion to place a no-left-turn sign at Garden Street to prohibit left turns onto Great Plain Ave, forwarding the item to the Select Board for implementation after members discussed traffic-study data and public notification steps.
The Town of Needham Transportation Safety Committee voted Wednesday to place a no-left-turn prohibition at the Garden Street approach to Great Plain Avenue.
Justin McCullen, chair of the Transportation Safety Committee, moved the measure after a committee presenter reviewed a 2024 traffic study showing that left turns from Garden Street are a small share of turning traffic (about 4 vehicles per hour in the morning and 13 in the afternoon), while right turns numbered 128 in the morning and 192 in the afternoon. Committee members said the left-turn movements can hold up right-turning traffic and create queuing that justifies the restriction.
Committee members discussed implementation timing and outreach. Several members recommended advance electronic message boards and social-media notices for at least two weeks before the change to reduce driver surprise; staff said pavement markings and other permanent installations would be scheduled for spring to avoid winter paint issues.
The motion was seconded and approved with no recorded opposition. The committee will forward the item to the Select Board for formal placement and future enforcement decisions.
The committee explicitly distinguished this formal action from enforcement timing: staff emphasized that signage and marking installation, public notification and any enforcement plan will follow Select Board consideration.
