Traffic Commission to look into reminding drivers not to block intersections on Concord Street

FRAMINGHAM — What began as a discussion about left-turn restrictions along Concord Street during this week's Traffic Commission meeting grew into a wider conversation about driving behavior in a neighborhood between Routes 9 and 30.

The Traffic Commission is investigating the possibility of installing "Do Not Block the Intersection" type signs and painted road lines to remind drivers not to block intersections north of Worcester Road (Route 9) along Concord Street, including at Landseer Avenue, Audubon Road and Walsh Street.

“We’re going to collect some additional data and then bring this back at our next meeting to see if we need to go further,” said Traffic Commission Chair William Sedewitz during Monday's meeting.

Further work could include soliciting input from the neighborhood or hiring a consultant.

Concord Street is under the city’s jurisdiction, so the signs can be installed without having to consult state agencies.

Resident Katelyn Kieler said she will typically wait for a red light at the intersection of Cochituate Road and Concord Street before attempting to make a left turn out of Landseer Avenue to leave her neighborhood because drivers turning left from Cochituate onto Concord come at her quickly.

“I think the problem is people are speeding up to get to a red light — which in my opinion is totally illogical — but I think if there was a 'do not block intersection (sign)'… it would be a good first start,” Kieler said.

The Traffic Commission did have some data collected on the area, not a full picture, but more than 1,000 vehicles traveled on Sturgis Road during the three-day period, indicating it's likely not just residents driving down the street.

Traffic Commission member Nicolas Hebert admitted to using it as a cut-through.

“If you look at the difference between the southbound and northbound traffic — to me, that’s totally a cut-through, and that makes sense to me,” Sedewitz said. “That’s a fair amount of traffic.”

Audubon Road is also marked as a dead-end street — and appears that way on Google Maps — although it is not. Commission members raised concern that any turning restrictions put in place on one neighborhood street could increase cut-through traffic on other streets.

“It is incredibly frustrating to see people flying down these residential streets,” said resident Cat Clarke. “I understand resources are stretched thin, but is it going to take a child or an animal getting run over for something to be done?”

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham seeks to make intersection improvements near Concord Street