Traffic Survey, No Right on Red from Highway

As Bean Hill has become busier due to being the pass-through from route 395 to route 2, morning and afternoon traffic is horrific. West Town St. is nearly impossible to traverse in the morning and afternoon - taking a left out of Plain hill Road or Vergason Avenue is difficult and dangerous. There appears to have been no recent interest in the traffic patterns here. People taking a right off of the 395 exit make it even more difficult. Having them wait until the light turns green would give drivers further up on the street an opportunity to actually take a left out onto West Town Street without darting into traffic, and it would allow pedestrians the opportunity to cross the street more safely. With the new Dunkin' Donuts (which was supposed to be right turn only into the parking lot - that was never enforced) the traffic - and driver behavior - around the main intersection has only gotten worse. I've already seen several near-misses of car accidents.

A better junction between I 395 and route 2 would be the best-case scenario - significantly lessening the traffic burden in the area and making it safer for pedestrians and the people who live here. It would also likely increase the property values in the area to not have pass-through traffic consistently blasting by. Coordinating traffic lights, stopping right turn on red from the highway, better side street monitoring of driver speed, and evaluating for the necessity of a stoplight at the Bean Hill green would be helpful for local residents. Building contiguous West Town Street sidewalks would also significantly help pedestrians trying to get to bus stops and for those who wish to walk closer to town/local businesses.

I feel an honest, thorough study of the sustainability of the current traffic situation on West Town Street and the small surrounding neighborhood streets would greatly benefit the neighborhood, making it more friendly for pedestrians, bicyclists, and residents.