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Medfield debate over 'flex posts' as pedestrian‑safety pilot draws mixed reviews
Summary
At a May 12 Select Board meeting, residents and engineers argued over flexible posts installed downtown as part of a federally funded pedestrian‑safety pilot. Beta Group said the quick‑build measures shorten crosswalk exposure; many residents said the posts impede large vehicles and mar downtown aesthetics. The board asked Beta to propose targeted adjustments.
The Medfield Select Board on May 12 heard more than two hours of resident reaction to a downtown pedestrian‑safety pilot that uses flexible vertical posts and cross‑hatched pavement to shorten crosswalks and calm traffic.
The project, designed and installed under a federal Shared Streets/Spaces grant and implemented with Beta Group’s assistance, aims to reduce pedestrian exposure time by pushing curb lines outward and marking 'no‑drive' cross‑hatched areas protected by flex posts. Ken of Beta Group told the board the quick‑build measures are removable for winter plowing and can be adjusted where they interfere with larger vehicles.
Why it matters: The pilot tests low‑cost design changes intended to make downtown crossings safer for pedestrians by reducing crossing distance and slowing turning vehicles. If adjustments are made successfully, some features may be made permanent using more durable curb work; if not, the pilot can be rolled back.
Supporters at the meeting described improved pedestrian visibility and a shorter crossing distance. "These things help pedestrians get out into the travel lane with less exposure," a Select Board member said. Beta’s Ken said the flex posts are intended to be sacrificial and to allow emergency vehicles to run over them if needed.
Opponents said the posts sometimes jut into travel lanes and force buses, delivery trucks and drivers with trailers to encroach on opposing lanes or make tight turns. "My daughter just got her license and I am scared to death to have her drive downtown," resident Colleen Tierney said, adding she fears vehicle damage and longer commute times.
Board members and Beta acknowledged the tradeoffs. The board asked staff and Beta to review specific problem intersections (notably the 109/Brothers Market area and the Pleasant/109 approach by the library), remove or reposition posts that serve no safety purpose, and produce a prioritized list of targeted tweaks. Beta said it will take resident feedback, revisit each intersection and prepare preliminary adjustments for the pedestrian and traffic safety committee to review before a public follow‑up.
Next steps: Beta will produce recommended adjustments and the Select Board will schedule a public review; the posts are removable and will be taken down for winter plowing if permanent curb changes are not approved.
