SOUTHAMPTON – Amid concerns about safety at the intersection of College Highway (Route 10) and Pomeroy Meadow Road, town officials will ask the state to study the need for a traffic signal at the busy junction.
The Select Board will draft a letter to the state Department of Transportation asking it to complete a traffic study at the intersection and to determine which type of signal, if any, would work best there. The board on Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of the request after hearing from several residents and business owners, all of whom agreed that installing a light is a good idea.
Officials say the timing is right for the study because a project is underway to install sidewalks in the area of College Highway near Pomeroy Meadow Road. The state-funded Safe Routes to School project is in the planning stages and is expected to be complete by the end of next year.
The intersection is at the heart of Southampton’s commercial area and down the street from the William E. Norris School. That means that pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles coming in and out of nearby parking lots and through traffic are all factors in making the junction one of the busiest – and most dangerous – in Southampton.
“It is really, really dangerous,” said John Sheehan, of Pomeroy Meadow Road. “Last year’s town report said that we had between 50 and 60 accidents there, more than anywhere in town.”
Sheehan, said he’s been driving through the intersection for nearly four decades, said has seen traffic increase exponentially as Southampton has grown in population. And he lived on Pomeroy Meadow Road before sidewalks were installed on that street.
“I didn’t think it was going to be used – it’s used seven days, seven nights a week,” Sheehan said. “Once the sidewalks are in (on Route 10) the amount of foot traffic is going to increase greatly.”
Though officials and members of the public all agreed on the merits of installing a light, they were divided on what type of signal would be best for the intersection.
Among the ideas floated was a signal similar to the town’s only existing one – a light on Route 10 outside Town Hall that turns red only when a pedestrian pushes the crossing button. Others believe the light should cycle red and green according to traffic, especially during rush hours.
The decision of whether to install a light and the kind of signal will likely be up to the DOT if and when it completes a formal traffic study.
And if the state finds a need for a signal, it would probably pay for it.
“There shouldn’t be any cost to the town because it’s a state highway,” said board member Charles J. Kaniecki.
Chris Lindahl can be reached at clindahl@gazettenet.com.