Selectmen Extend Right Turn-Only Trial

The intersections of Water Street and Spengler Way will continue to be right turn only onto Massachusetts Avenue, as town officials try six more months of extra signage to improve safety in the area.

The on Monday voted 4-0 to extend the right turn-only trial period at the request of Ed Starr, working group lead of the town’s Transportation Advisory Committee.

Spengler Way, formerly known as Library Way, is the exit from . Water Street is on the other side of Massachusetts Avenue. Starr said there were 14 accidents there in just three years, four involving pedestrians.

Last year, town officials started studying whether making those two corners right turn only would improve safety in the area. They added signage to enforce the trial rule. 

In a survey of the corners, officials found that 89 percent of drivers would turn right onto Massachusetts Avenue. But for Starr, that compliance rate needs to be in the high 90s before officials find signage in the area to be effective.

“In another month, I’ll get a compliance check and see if we can get better numbers,” Starr said.