Description
Last fall, Burbank Road was the happy recipient of traffic modifications that reduced the number of people speeding through in order to avoid stopping at the light at Winthrop and Lawrence. Sadly, the signs were removed (as planned) in late fall and we are now back to seeing cars whizzing by, being honked at by drivers while we back into our driveways, and taking our life in our hands as we walk across the street to talk to our neighbors. What would it take to make those changes permanent? The reason why the problem exists is that there is no right on red at Winthrop and Lawrence. The danger that a right on red there posed to pedestrians has now transferred to the corners at Burbank and Badger, where instead of having a well defined corner, there are two corners where cars sometimes act as if there are two lanes, or a lane and a turning lane, or a lane and racetrack with an out-of-the-blue car darting straight toward the nearest pedestrian.
There are two possible solutions to this set of problems; one involves restricting the flow of cars onto Burbank, and the other involves establishing two lanes at the light at Winthrop and Lawrence and enabling cars to take a right on red. Which one would be best for the City?
also asked...
A. No
A. No Answer Given
A. Winthrop and Lawrence, Winthrop and Burbank
A. Winthrop and Lawrence, Winthrop and Burbank
4 Comments
Medford, MA (Verified Official)
Steven - Superintendent of Wires (Verified Official)
Phyllis - DPW (Verified Official)
Todd - Director of Traffic & Transportation (Verified Official)
Thank you for your concern. This issue has been received by our department. The City is aware of the request and concerns.
The City must balance a number of items with some solutions not accommodating all of those things. For this case, No Turn on Red helps with pedestrian safety, there is also a bus stop with a bus that travels straight that would be in a right lane if adding one. There is also road width and bikes lanes.
For Burbank, the City did two things, adding another; the City implemented temp. shared street measures to discourage cut-hrough or if going through, move through slower; the shared streets throughout the City were all temp. and all removed in the fall. Second, was the Traffic Commission approved no right turn during certain hours (permanent restriction); the signs are still there. Third, the City approved painting edge lines to help guide traffic to make tighter turns; in-progress.
Other measures include Burbank considering requesting a switch to one-way the opposite direction and consider 'closing' one of the two exits onto Lawrence (without negatively impacting existing driveway access). The residents could consider one or both and provide consensus back to the City.
Hope this helps.