One-way plan for downtown streets detoured
TRANSPORTATION
BY PETER B. BRACE INDEPENDENT WRITER
The new one-way street schematic for part of Broad and Center streets, and all of Chestnut Street, will not take effect on April 1, as originally planned

Because the Board of Selectmen did not hold a public hearing when it approved the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Workgroup, the cloaks on the signage marking the new one-way streets will not be removed this week.

Town Administrator Libby Gibson, also a member of the Traffic Safety Workgroup, said that the new plan would take effect if and when the board re-affirmed its original vote at the public hearing, which she said would be held at the selectmen's April 18 meeting.

"We started talking about these one-ways well before the downtown and parking traffic study ever came up, and a majority of us felt that a one-way flow that would be created by the changes would alleviate traffic congestion," said Gibson.

At its Feb. 7 meeting the selectmen, acting on a recommendation from the Traffic Safety Workgroup, voted to make:

+ Broad Street one-way from Center Street down to Federal Street

+ Chestnut Street one way from South Water Street up to Center Street

+ Center Street one way from Main Street to Broad Street.

But two weeks ago, the board reversed the latter one-way change for Center Street, modifying the Traffic Safety Workgroup's plan somewhat by keeping it two-way from India Street to Broad Street.

"They changed it back because there was some concern that moving traffic out of town would be compromised - vehicles could not use Hussey Street," said Transportation Planner Michael Burns.

As it stands now, the recommended plan calls for:

+ Chestnut Street to go one-way from South Water Street up to Center Street

+ Broad Street to be made one-way down from Center Street to Federal Street because both streets are narrow enough to force drivers traveling in either direction to pull over or back up to allow oncoming vehicles to pass.

"The logic was to reduce a lot of the conflicts and congestion along Broad Street," said Burns. "It was felt there would better public safety access to that segment of Broad Street between Center and Federal streets."

Burns has recommended against the changes until he completes the downtown traffic study planned for this summer so he can observe existing conditions before recommending directional changes.

The selectmen, however, chose to act before the summer crowds arrive.

"I think that was a good idea to keep Center Street two-way, but I had wanted the time to conduct the study, to take the counts and do the traffic

analysis and find the best option," said Burns. I