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Select Board endorses updated Cross/Forest Street traffic‑calming plan
Summary
After public input and new counts, the Select Board voted to endorse Toole Design’s updated Cross Street at 4th Street plans, including a 6‑foot pedestrian refuge island, new signage and pavement markings, and advisory 20 mph signage at speed humps; the board authorized staff to move the design toward implementation.
The Winchester Select Board voted June 17 to endorse an updated traffic‑calming design for Cross Street at Forest Street, adopting measures the town’s consultant said will improve pedestrian safety without acquiring private property.
The plan, presented by Matt of Toole Design, calls for a 6‑foot pedestrian refuge island in the middle of the Forest Street crosswalk, new “turning vehicles yield to pedestrian” signage, no‑parking restrictions at key corners, additional pavement markings and advisory 20 mph signs at existing speed humps. The consultant said recent tube counts confirm earlier 2019 data — average speeds around 28 mph and an 85th‑percentile speed near 32 mph — and that a mini‑roundabout would not fit the location without property takings on the south side.
"There's a traffic refuge island right in the middle of that crosswalk on Forest Street... It's gonna be about 6 feet wide, and that allows for a pedestrian to step off the crossing and have that kind of refuge in between," Matt said during the presentation, explaining the island would help slow turning vehicles and permit two‑stage crossings where needed.
Board members pressed for details about truck turning and emergency access; the consultant said the design was refined with DPW and town engineering so that fire apparatus and occasional larger vehicles can still negotiate the intersection. The presentation also described additional curb and ramp improvements, a rapid‑flashing beacon planned at another nearby crossing (Holton/Cross), and pavement‑narrowing treatments that reduce parking where necessary while preserving emergency vehicle turning radius.
The board made and seconded the motion to approve Toole Design's updated Cross Street at 4th Street plan "as presented this evening." The motion carried on a voice vote, giving staff and the consultant direction to proceed with the next steps toward implementation and permitting.
Next steps include finalizing construction documents, coordination with DPW on curbing and drainage items noted during the presentation, and outreach to adjacent property owners where pavement changes or no‑parking zones will be marked. The consultant said the team will return with detailed plans and anticipate a summer–fall schedule for bidding work.
Provenance: Presentation and board discussion; motion to endorse the design passed at the meeting.
