Powderhouse & Packard St. now a 4-way stop intersection

[daviscubed.livejournal.com]

Noticed it over the weekend.  They have a big flashing sign if you're coming from the Powderhouse rotary to watch for new traffic signals, but not if you're coming from route 16.  I went by the intersection twice over the weekend, and each time, I saw someone run through the stop sign obliviously coming from route 16.  One of them got pulled over by a cop who must have been posted there, and the other one got away with it because another person was already stopped for running the sign.  So, be aware if you're driving, and definitely don't assume people are aware of the stop signs if you're trying to cross the street on foot or bike (or car, for that matter).

Comments

[courtney o'keefe (from livejournal.com)]

This was discussed at the March 21st Traffic Commission meeting and is the result of a Tufts student being struck by a car at this location. Clearly, it needs to sink in with motorists ;)

[inahandbasket]

I generally prefer 4-way stops, but this intersection should REALLY be a full traffic light.

[somervilleguy.livejournal.com]

Yes there should be and Tufts should pay for it. Most people don't realize the cost of a full set of working traffic signals would be about 7-800k. Very expensive for the city to shoulder when most of the need is from the Tufts side.

[inahandbasket]

I can't find any documentation for that, most references I've found very from $75k to $190k for a full installation at a 4-way intersection.

Sure, not cheap, but a far cry from .75 million.

[ron_newman]

Let's see if this fairly simple fix works, before considering the more expensive option.

[somervilleguy.livejournal.com]

The numbers came sometime ago, maybe 10-12 years ago when Stan Koty who was, at the time working for Dot Gay, was asked the question at a board of alderman meeting. I was frankly shocked at the figure at first, but now knowing a bit more of what goes into the process it's not as outrageous as I first thought. Remember the traffic study that is done to coordinate the signals with the surrounding ones is also included in that figure. The signals themselves and the labor that goes into them such as pads for determining when cars are nearby are very expensive. If the cost was what you stated it would be a shame that its hasn't happened sooner.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Coordination? Vehicle detectors? If Somerville is paying for these, they're not getting their money's worth.

[somervilleguy.livejournal.com]

Some of the intersections around somerville do have pads. Next time you're at an intersection check the asphalt. If you see something like a giant square on he ground with a thin line border, its probably a pad.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

I see the square cuts at traffic lights all over the Boston area, but it's clear that almost all of them don't have (working) detectors.

Next time you see a side street get a long green light that nobody's using, and there's no walk light on, you'll know it's an intersection with no working sensors.

[dougo.livejournal.com]

Would it be cheaper to just have a four-way flashing red light?

[ron_newman]

Isn't that what the city just did? I don't think it cost much of anything to switch out a yellow lens for a red one.

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I read the post as saying there were 4 stop signs, not lights.

[ron_newman]

Until last week, it was blinking yellow on Powderhouse, blinking red on Packard. I thought that the city just changed the yellows to reds, but I'll try to walk over there tomorrow and take another look.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

I'd be very surprised if they didn't install stop signs along with the flashing reds, since they're required by law. (And for good reason -- what happens if the red light burns out? It could easily be confused for a burned out flashing yellow, with disastrous consequences.)

[ron_newman]

You're right -- the city did also add a stop sign in each direction of Powder House Blvd, and a Stop Ahead sign each way too.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

While I can agree that students often cross there and the Tufts campus is on one side of Powderhouse Blvd there, there are plenty of other people who live in the neighborhood who aren't Tufts students who should have safe crossing options as pedestrians too. My child went to preschool near that intersection (though we crossed Packard to walk there, not Powderhouse); there's a public elementary school a few blocks away too, and plenty of residents who aren't students live in the neighborhood too.

It may have been a Tufts student who was killed crossing the intersection, but I'd hazard a guess that it wasn't a Tufts student zipping through the flashing-yellow-lighted intersection. As a community, we have a responsibility to create safe conditions for drivers and pedestrians -- whether the people crossing are likely to be students at a high-price-tag university or not.

[ravingwanderer.livejournal.com]

I live within flashing-blue-light distance of this intersection; there's been a fairly regular police presence there. Sometimes they just sit there with the lights flashing, but I've definitely seen them pulling people over. This has not stopped me from accidently sailing through the intersection on at least two occasions (without being stopped, so I don't know if they're warning or ticketing). Die, old habits, die.

[ravingwanderer.livejournal.com]

A correction, by the way: this is of course the intersection with Powderhouse and Packard.

[daviscubed.livejournal.com]

Thanks, my mistake. Fixed on original post.

... But hey - always look for new signs, Curtis could be next ;) !!!

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Things would be even safer if there were stop signs everywhere. Not just at intersections -- everywhere.

[totient]

Why stop at stop signs?

(edited to change userpic)

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

Here's the email that Tufts sent to all students about it:

Tufts University has been working cooperatively with the Cities of Medford and Somerville to improve pedestrian, bike and driver safety on the streets immediately adjacent to and on campus, with particular focus on the intersection of Powderhouse Boulevard and Packard Avenue.

A number of improvements were made to reduce traffic speed, increase driver caution, improve visibility and safety signage. These improvements included additional police enforcement of traffic laws, radar speed indicator feedback signage, additional standalone pedestrian crossing signs, LED signal upgrades to provide more powerful illumination and additional measures.

In November, Tufts hired Vanasse, Hangen, Brustlin, (VHB), Inc., a professional transportation and traffic engineering firm, to conduct an engineering study of the Powderhouse Boulevard and Packard Avenue intersection.

The city of Somerville, VHB and the university determined that the most appropriate next steps for improving the intersection of Powderhouse Boulevard and Packard Avenue would be to install four-way stop signs at the intersection. The four-way stop improvement was presented and approved at a special meeting of the City of Somerville's Traffic Commission on the evening of March 27, 2013 and the change to a four-way stop was made on the morning of March 28, 2013.

Stop signs were installed at the intersection and the blinking light on Powderhouse Boulevard was changed from yellow to red. The City will also install "approaching 4 way stop" static signage eastbound and westbound on Powderhouse Boulevard. Crosswalks will be repainted and top lines will be added on Powderhouse Boulevard in early April when weather/pavement conditions permit. Variable Message Signs will be placed at the approaches to the intersection to warn motorists of the change in traffic pattern.

The Somerville Police traffic unit has begun monitoring the intersection as well, issuing warnings for a period of time until motorists are sufficiently educated regarding the change. After the warning period, Somerville Police will continue to monitor the intersection, issuing moving violations for stop sign violations, and parking citations for motorists who park less than 20 feet from the intersection.

The intersection will be evaluated over time to determine the effectiveness of these improvements while additional improvements are considered.

Tufts and the Cities of Medford and Somerville continue to work in partnership on this issue.

[ron_newman]

Here's a post from last November about the accident that led to this change.

[ron_newman]

Re: They have a big flashing sign if you're coming from the Powderhouse rotary to watch for new traffic signals, but not if you're coming from route 16.

There is a flashing sign in the eastbound direction too, just beyond Curtis Street.