Proposed changes for Marblehead street may have public’s support

MARBLEHEAD – The half-mile of Pleasant Street from Bessom Street to Village Street has 20 percent more accidents than comparable streets in other communities in the past six years – and the engineering consultants at Fay, Spofford and Thorndike have some proposed solutions to offer.Gary Hebert, vice president in charge of transportation, said the average daily volume on that section of Pleasant Street is about 15,000 vehicles. The intersections have been the scene of 14 of the 48 accidents in the area, giving the intersections a better accident rate than those in other communities.This isn’t the first time Marblehead has studied Pleasant Street. The traffic volume remains unchanged from the observations in a 1964 study of the street – and the improvement plan tweaks some recommendations that were made by the Massachusetts Highway Department 11 years ago.Town Planner Rebecca Curran said the public disapproved of the proposed changes 11 years ago. Monday night’s presentation and the audience reaction indicated that there may be more support for change now.The highest number of accidents – 16 of 48 – occurred between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Most occurred in dry weather and 11 of the accidents – 23 percent – involved personal injury.About 30 Marbleheaders, mostly neighborhood residents, heard those facts Monday evening at Abbot Public Library.The presentation will be posted on the town Web site, www.marblehead.org, for further comment. Hebert cautioned the crowd that the report is preliminary, no specifics are being recommended yet – and there is no price tag attached until the town comes up with specific ideas.Audience attention focused on the two ends of the area – Pleasant Street and the Mohawk Trail, where Marblehead High student Allie Castner was killed Aug. 31 while crossing the street around 7 p.m., and the intersection of Pleasant, Cross, Village and Vine Streets, where drivers risk being broadsided by Village Street traffic when they attempt a hairpin turn onto Vine Street and many of the pedestrians are students 13 and younger walking to and from school.Hebert proposed narrowing Pleasant Street from 42 feet to 34 feet at Mohawk Trail to shorten the crosswalk, making signs more visible and slowing traffic at Tent’s Corner to reduce car speeds at that location. “I think more things can be done to improve the pedestrian environment,” he said.The four-way intersection is used by seventh- and eighth- graders walking to the Marblehead Veterans Middle School and parents driving those students to school, and Principal Elizabeth Moore made the point that any plans must consider their safety.Hebert told her that children must be taught to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street and raise their hands to get them to stop if necessary.He also recommended replacing the town’s current traffic lights with so-called Hawk beacon light arrays, two red lights and a yellow light below them to increase motorists’ attention.The abandoned gas station at the four-way intersection also came under scrutiny, as the site of a possible access road to Vine Street and the effect its future use could have on traffic. Hebert cautioned that acquiring it would involve a taking by the town. Curran said she contacted the owner Monday afternoon to discuss what its future use might be.