NORTHAMPTON — In response to a car crash outside Northampton High School that killed a bicyclist in October, along with a litany of traffic hazards in the area and a recent injury to a crossing guard, the city plans to commission a traffic study to identify possible safety improvements.
At Thursday night’s School Committee meeting, Public Works Director Donna LaScaleia said the study is “the first step in assessing a longer-term solution for the area” near the school at 380 Elm St. and that the results could be available by the end of the school year.
The study will provide a detailed analysis of vehicle counts, turning movements of cars, numbers of pedestrians and bicycles, and the length of vehicle lines, among other considerations. Part of the goal is to find out if a signaled intersection or roundabout would help with sometimes hazardous conditions.
One change that is unlikely, LaScaelia said, is lowering the speed limit, which is set by the state Department of Transportation and requires an engineering study as part of the approval process. The city also would not be able to request a particular speed limit from the state.
“Sometimes they’ll come out with a number that you may not like, but that is the outcome,” LaScaleia said.
The city cannot install a flashing “School Zone” beacon because they are legal only outside schools for grades 1-8. When LaScaleia told the committee, some people at the virtual meeting reacted with surprise.
“I see on your faces that you agree with me. It’s ridiculous,” Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said.
The quickest possible improvement was made shortly after the death of Charlie Braun, a musician and grandfather who was hit by a car outside Northampton High School while riding his bike on Oct. 6.
Haley Kelly-Sherette, 23, of Williamsburg pleaded not guilty in Braun’s death to charges of negligent motor vehicle homicide, failing to stop for a stop sign and use of an electronic device while driving. Prosecutors allege she was in a FaceTime video call and distracted by her young daughter.
Police Chief Jody Kasper issued an emergency order that bans street parking near the crosswalks to “open up crosswalk sightlines and just remove some of the visual clutter in a very, very busy intersection,” LaScaleia said.
In addition to the police chief’s order, the City Council passed an ordinance last month banning U-turns at Elm and North Elm streets. The signage was installed on Thursday afternoon.
On the morning of Jan. 26, a pickup truck took a right turn onto Elm from Woodlawn Street and struck a crossing guard’s hand and the sign he was holding. The crossing guard told the driver to “look both ways” and leave so he could keep working, Northampton Police Capt. Victor Caputo said. Police later interviewed the driver and decided not to file charges.
The extent of any injuries to the crossing guard is not clear.
“I feel like the DPW director and Chief Kasper have been very supportive collaborators for the schools,” Superintendent John Provost said on Friday. “I just walked in the door from having toured the parking lot at the high school with the director, the chief and the high school principal to look at some different patterns we could consider while we look for different options.”
The mayor’s office is also involved in the process, he said.
“The feedback that I’ve gotten from the community is that there is an appreciation of what we’ve been able to do in the interim, but there’s always a desire to continue working for a more comprehensive solution,” Provost said.
School Committee member Dina Levi of Ward 5 said she asked for the traffic discussion to “elevate the amazing work of the NHS PTO. … My understanding is that this has been an almost entirely parent-led initiative” to work with the DPW.
“I really appreciate the engagement from members of the community who have reached out to me” and also sent a survey to the high school community seeking input, LaScaleia said. “It provided us with a lot of insight that it would have taken us a long time to collect.”
Brian Steele can be reached at bsteele@gazettenet.com.