SWAMPSCOTT — The town will begin collecting traffic data on Walker Road Monday as part of the preparation for a redesign of the street and its intersection with Banks Road.
The traffic study involves installation of traffic-count equipment across several streets in the Olmsted Historic District. Walker, Banks, Farragut, Grant, Oakledge, and Swampscott Roads will be part of the study, according to the town’s website.
We want to fully understand what the impact would be to the neighbors and to the streets off Walker Road,” said Marzie Galazka, director of community development. “We won’t change the traffic flow until we fully understand the impact to the neighborhood. Safety conditions are of the utmost importance to the town.”
For the first week of data collection, traffic will flow normally. During the week of May 24, the police department will implement a one-way traffic pattern moving southbound on Walker Road, or from Paradise Road to Banks Road. The following week, the town will implement a traffic pattern going in the opposite direction.
During the one-way traffic pattern, the road will be narrowed by creating a designated parking lane marked by traffic cones and barriers.
The town received a $400,000 grant from the Complete Streets program at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for the street redesign project, which will be broken into two phases to address different sections of the road. The first phase will address the section of Walker Road between Paradise and Bank roads, where the traffic study is being conducted.
Last month, the town held a community meeting to discuss the project, where engineer Kelly Stevens explained that there are three possibilities for the redesign of the Walker-Banks intersection, which Stevens described as an “offset” intersection with low visibility that makes right-of-way confusing for drivers.
Each of the three potential designs would include set-back crosswalks away from the center of the intersection to increase pedestrian safety. In addition, the town may install a “peanut-shaped” roundabout, a center island, or two mini roundabouts.
“Anybody who comes down Banks or Walker and gets to that intersection knows you’re taking your life into your own hands,” said Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta during the April meeting. “We’re lucky there are not a lot of accidents there. That’s something that needs to be corrected.”
Tréa Lavery can be reached at [email protected].
