When a stop sign petition comes
before the Traffic Council, the traffic engineer studies
the conditions to see if the location meets the warrants
from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD),
which serves as both the State and Federal guideline for
evaluating new stop signs. The warrants are based on
traffic volumes and accident history. We get many, many
petitions for stop signs as neighborhoods seek to slow
down or prevent cut through traffic. However, stop signs
should not be used for traffic calming purposes because
that increases the risk of non compliance of all stop
signs.
After years of complaints and
many car accidents, 136 crashes (45 of them were
personal injury crashes) between 1999-2001, I filed for
stop signs at the intersection of Route 9 and Chestnut
Street. The item took about 4 years to pass even with
recommendations from three traffic engineers. Since they
have been installed (approximately early in 2006) there
were zero (0) crashes in 2006 and 1 crash in 2007.
crash report
More than 10 years ago, I
lobbied for the stop signs at Chestnut and Highland
Streets which were approved after much controversy.
Waban Parking
Meters
Former Alderman John Stewart docket an item before
the Board of Aldermen for parking meters in Waban
Square. Before this item went to traffic council I
called the
Waban Improvement Society to alert them to this
issue in February 2006. I was informed that there were
not going to be any general meetings or mailings but
there was an Executive Council Meeting in February or
March. I requested that this item be placed on their
agenda for discussion. I received no more communications
from them. I brought a map of the proposed metered area
to Waban Village Day.
The item came up in Traffic Council in June of 2006
Council report June 15, 2006. As the discussion ensued
I fought vociferously for the meters to only be
installed in the lower square, Wyman St, from the MBTA
parking lot to Bank of America and when that failed, I
voted against the item and tied the installation of the
meters to the improvements at the Waban Library Parking
lot.
The full Board of Aldermen voted in July 2007.
7/10/06 Full Board Approves
Board Order not signed by Mayor
