Maynard task force targets Parker Street speeding and developer fixes at Walnut/Main after intersection audit

At its meeting the Town of MaynardRoadway Safety and Safe Streets Task Force focused on translating intersection audit findings into short‑ and long‑term remedies, with specific attention to Parker Street speeding, the Walnut/Main (Barrels and Vines) development site and data cleanup with Maynard Police.

The task force chair reported that five intersections account for roughly 80% of local crashes and described a plan to produce one‑page reports for the select board on each intersection (infrastructure findings, driver behavior, recommendations). "We've identified five high crash risk intersections in town that account for roughly 80% of all the crashes," Mario said, outlining AM and PM rush‑hour audits the group is conducting by volunteers.

Residents Allison and Bridger, who said they moved to Maynard in summer 2024 and live on Parker Street, described repeated high‑speed crashes on their block and urged near‑term measures. "All the cars are accelerating up that hill and going really fast," Bridger said. Members discussed alternatives to speed bumps (which can affect emergency responses) and emphasized a menu of near‑term options: mobile radar speed trailers, temporary flashing speed signs, targeted overtime enforcement funded by a PD grant, and signage/timing adjustments for crosswalk signals.

The group also examined a developer compliance issue at Walnut/Main near Barrels and Vines. Mario said the developer (identified in the meeting record as McDonald) was supposed to install an ADA curb ramp, provide pedestrian signage and remove temporary crosswalks as a condition of occupancy but has delayed completion, leaving an interim arrangement the town considers unsafe. DPW and the planning office have sent letters and are coordinating next steps; members flagged a potential opportunity to pursue a full reconfiguration after the state bridge replacement scheduled for 2028.

On data, Mario described mismatches between police crash logs and the RMV/MassDOT public dataset: a police reconciliation exercise for 2023 trimmed 150 locally recorded crashes down to 137 public‑road crashes after the state rejected incidents in private lots. The task force agreed to reengage Maynard PD to correct public dashboards for 2023–26 so audit recommendations rest on accurate counts.

Members noted resources the town has or can request: two mobile speed monitoring trailers recently provided via a Massachusetts Municipal Association/State DOT grant; a planned $25,000 enforcement overtime grant application by Maynard PD; Beta's sidewalk inventory and a planning grant to redesign Powder Mill Road; and Chapter 90 pavement funds that largely cover repaving and restriping but leave little capital for larger signal upgrades.

Next steps agreed by the task force include completing audit data entry, preparing concise intersection reports for the select board, pressing DPW and the developer to finish safety fixes at Walnut/Main, and planning a focused Parker Street speed management discussion at the next meeting.