Description
Repeated crashes of westbound traffic onto rotary island have (1) broken the pole & light that used to be there (c. 2014) (2) demolished any rotary markings and much of the curb (c. 2015) (3) left visible tire tracks more than halfway up the island mound (March 2016)
also asked...
Q. Location or Landmark
A. Rotary High Street @ Mystic Valley Pkwy (& Arlington St)
A. Rotary High Street @ Mystic Valley Pkwy (& Arlington St)
Q. What is the issue?
A. sign missing
A. sign missing
19 Comments
City of Medford (Verified Official)
Mary - DPW (Verified Official)
KevinCuddeback (Registered User)
Could we get a "painted splitter island" on the High Street approach,as recommended by FHWA? (http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/innovative/roundabouts/fhwasa10007/)
I understand that it is probably the DCR who controls the Arlington/Bridge-side approach.
KevinCuddeback (Registered User)
Tuna (Registered User)
KevinCuddeback (Registered User)
Glad to share the same concerns. The center island is strangely biased. If simply enlarging it can work, modern rotary design favors enlarging the center island with paint--for one thing it is fast and affordable.
Standards favor contrasting pavement (like cement or cobbles or paint) but no curb or island In order to accommodate left turns by the occasional moving van tractor-trailer or digger-on-flatbed (both of which are long and low and can get hung up on islands and curbs).
I do worry that the Mystic/Arlington side (from where it is too like a median island) and island itself are DCR's jurisdiction. But the very worst unaligned / un "rotational" approach is the Medford City side approach from High where I hope a Medford-painted splitter island can steer more cars rightward (toward Doc Looby's side) instead of crashing into the island as they do.
Jeff B (Registered User)
I fear that a simple paint job won't be sufficient to modify decades of ingrained behavior at this location. Drivers will just drive over the paint.
A physically larger island, shifted slightly south is what would be best, so that all the traffic entering the rotary has to slow, divert direction, and then go around. The way it is now, eastbound traffic doesn't have to slow at all. They can get into and veer left to head north all in the time someone else coming westbound thinks that they are the first in, causing a conflict.
Kevin...I love the extra crosswalk you painted at the top of the bridge. I've long felt that would be a good idea. That's the desire line where pedestrians cross anyway, and it provides the best sightlines to drivers. Additional bright yellow signs and yield bars would be in order as well.
KevinCuddeback (Registered User)
KevinCuddeback (Registered User)
Closed Mayor's Office (Registered User)
Jeff B (Registered User)
Tuna (Registered User)
Reopened KevinCuddeback (Registered User)
I agree that this is un-resolved and there's no physical hint that things have changed: The High St-facing arc of the granite curb is still upturned and pulverized by crashes, the mound behind it is still denuded by cars that plow(ed) up the side. There have been no new signs, no new paint, no enhanced lighting from any of the 5 streets that enter this rotary (at least 3 of which are Medford's). The "yield" sign by Doc Looby's is still hidden behind another pole.
So maybe to Jeff B's point, the City could explain why it was tagged as "resolved?" Not physically resolved, for sure, but maybe jursidictionally punted to DCR? If the ball is in DCR's court, maybe some hint of how fast it is moving and how how we could move it faster?
R Carle (Registered User)
KevinCuddeback (Registered User)
Happy news: the footings have been placed for new "Rotary > > >" signs that will face each of the 4 entry roads to this circle. Best guess is that the results will look similar to those on the Arlington side's rotary across the Mystic at this location. While not beautiful, they sure will make it a whole lot safer for cars.
Now if we could only get some yield lines, triangular traffic islands (w/pedestrian refuge), and crosswalks painted, similar to those on the Arlington side.
Jeff B (Registered User)
KevinCuddeback (Registered User)
R Carle (Registered User)
Closed Sign Dept Foreman (Registered User)