Selectmen To Hear About Dangerous Intersection

Back in March, Metropolitan Planning Organization workers spent eight hours tracking traffic at the troublesome intersection at Monument Avenue, Burrill Street and Humphrey Street.

They counted cars, clocked wait times and documented the directions vehicles turned at peak traffic hours — 7 to 9 am and 4 to 6 pm.

On Wednesday, Town Planner Pete Kane will present selectmen the field workers' report on this traffic study.

It comes with suggested short-term and longterm solutions to problems, he said.

Solutions range from low-cost efforts such as striping and signage to expensive resolutions including new configurations and traffic lights.  

Selectmen will likely forward the report to the town Traffic Study Committee for further study and any recommendations.

The town received the MPO report in August. The field work and research was funded by a technical assistance grant, valued at about $4,000, that the town planner applied for and received last winter.

The Monument/Burrill/Humphrey intersection is the most accident prone intersection in town, including accidents where motorists hit pedestrians and cyclists and accidents involving multiple motor vehicles.

There have been approximately two dozen accidents at this intersection over the past seven years, Swampscott police Lt. Thomas Stephens said in a Patch report last year.

“The design of the intersection of these three streets is very bad, especially for the number of vehicles that use those roads,” said Stephens. 

Wednesday's selectmen's meeting starts at 7:15 p.m. in their chambers at Town Hall.