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Westborough presents "triangle" downtown design backed by traffic and safety analysis
Summary
Town planning staff and consultants presented a 'triangle' concept to replace the downtown rotary with coordinated signals and expanded central green space; analysis showed long queues on Main Street and identified 236 crashes in the study area (2018–2023). Staff will refine designs using public feedback and complete preliminary engineering by year-end.
Jenny Gingras, director of planning for the Town of Westborough, opened a public workshop saying the downtown improvement project aims to make the area "safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable" and noted the design phase is supported by a MassWorks grant.
Bill, a town project lead, and consultant teams summarized decades of planning that led to the current effort — studies from 1982 through the town’s 2024 downtown plan — and described the 'triangle' concept that converts the rotary into a signalized intersection while expanding the central green. "The triangle concept proposes a new traffic pattern to improve safety and circulation while creating new opportunities for gathering space and landscaping," staff said during the presentation.
Traffic counts and modeling presented by consultants showed distinct peak periods (AM about 7:30–8:30 a.m., midday about 11:15–12:15 p.m., and PM about 4:30–5:30 p.m.) and movement patterns that concentrate PM through-traffic on East Main. The team reported a projected future-development scenario (15+ years) that could introduce new trips; consultants said the modelled 10–15 year horizon indicates long delays under both existing and 2035 conditions but that a signalized intersection could provide dedicated left-turn lanes, coordinated signal timing and an exclusive pedestrian phase to reduce conflict points.
On safety, Lisa (consultant) reviewed police-reported crash data for roughly 2018–2023 and said there were "approximately 236 total crashes" in the broader study area, with about 44% of those occurring within the rotary itself (roughly 103 crashes). The dataset included a small number of reported cyclist and pedestrian collisions. The consultants used the crash analysis together with videos of driver and pedestrian behavior to justify design changes that reduce crossing distances and create clearer pedestrian phases.
Design elements shared in renderings and simulations included a widened Monument Green, clarified pedestrian corridors, coordinated signals (two intersections phased together), narrowed curb alignments on select streets to create public space, and occasional street closures for events on Milk Street. Kimley Horn’s urban designer, Steve, said the approach "centers on developing a unified landscape vocabulary that touches upon the historic character of the town" and highlighted surface treatments, lighting and seating to improve pedestrian comfort.
Staff emphasized the project remains in the design phase. Preliminary engineering is expected to be completed by the end of the year, followed by a final design and a future construction phase if the town proceeds. The team will post materials on the project website and hold a second public meeting in the fall to present refined plans and preliminary cost estimates.
The public will have additional opportunities to submit comments online and at outreach events; staff urged residents to send preliminary comments over the next few months as they refine the engineering.
