Permanent changes to make it safer for pedestrians to cross a busy street in front of a busy public building in Springfield, Massachusetts will be delayed.
Citing the need to gather more traffic data once school reopens, Springfield DPW Director Chris Cignoli said changes planed for lower State Street in front of the Springfield Central Library will likely be pushed back to the spring of 2023.
“Traffic up and down the corridor, the numbers were way down (this summer),” Cignoli said. He said the final design of the project is dependent on accurate traffic data that “right now I don’t think I have.”
On June 1st, orange barrels and cones were put out to narrow the street to one lane in each direction so the impact on traffic flow could be monitored before permanent changes are made. Cignoli said the temporary structures will be removed on September 9th.
Last December, after years of advocacy by residents, pedestrian safety advocates, and City Councilors – and just weeks after librarian Gayle Ball was struck by a car while crossing the street and died – the city announced safety improvements would be made.
In addition to narrowing the street to one lane for the block in front of the Central Library, a raised crosswalk is to be installed along with a pedestrian-activated traffic signal.
Cignoli said the final design of the project is dependent on accurate data on traffic volume and speed.
Speaking during a meeting of the City Council’s Maintenance and Development Committee, Council President Jesse Lederman said it is disappointing the project is being delayed.
“The community has been waiting many years for this, so I suspect we are going to hear from folks concerned about it not being in place this fall because that is the timeline we were expecting,” he said.
Elizabeth McKinstry, a reference librarian at the Central Library, said it means another winter for library employees and patrons to have to cross the street from the parking lot.
“Last Monday I realized it was getting dark again by the time I get (out of work) at 8 p.m. and I was distressed,” she said.
Betsy Johnson, president of Walk Bike Springfield, suggested that electronic signs that alert drivers to their speed be put up after the cones and barrels are taken away.
“If nothing else that alone will help slow people down a bit,” she said.
Cignoli said pedestrian safety improvements are being eyed for other dangerous streets in the city.
Construction work to narrow Wilbraham Road in front of the campus of American International College finished this summer, but the installation of a pedestrian-activated traffic signal has been delayed by supply chain issues, said Cignoli.
