NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Councilors are hoping for a resolution to the plethora of accidents that have occurred at the intersection of Hodges Cross Road and Curran Highway. 

 

It's seemed like almost a daily event for emergency services to be called to the busy intersection near Walmart over the past few weeks. On Jan. 28, a pickup truck rear-ended a tractor trailer. 

 

Councilor Peter Oleskiewicz in a communique to the council asked that the city work with the state Department of Transportation "to find some kind of resolution to help curb the frequency of these accidents."

 

He suggested sending to the Traffic Commission or Public Safety Commission as well as the mayor's office to work with the state.

 

Councilor Keith Bona recalled that he had also raised the issue after a serious accident months ago and requested then Mayor Thomas Bernard look into it but had so far heard nothing back. 

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey said her office has reached out to MassDOT, which has authority over Curran Highway. 

 

"We are waiting to have some more dialogue about what we can do to look at this intersection," she said. "We've sent all the accident reports down to them. So we are actively pursuing this."

 

Council President Lisa Blackmer felt it had to do with policing. 

 

"Proactive enforcement by our Police Department of the traffic and stopping people so they'll slow down. If they know there's a cop there all the time or they know they might get caught, they might slow down and it might prevent some of these accidents," she said. 

 

Councilor Bryan Sapienza said the biggest issue in that section is the "excessive speed."

 

"You get people coming down through there between 65 and 75 miles an hour," he said. "In some cases, not all the time, but I think it's the excessive speed. There's also an issue with visibility. If you're pulling out at the south entrance of Walmart, if somebody is coming over that rise at any great speed, you really don't have any time to react until it's too late."

 

He thought drivers might be speeding up to make it through the yellow lights at the intersection. 

 

There are six lanes in that stretch of the highway — two lanes and a turning lane each side — with lights at the intersection at Hodges Cross Road and the entrance/exit to Walmart directly across from the road. There are no lights at the southern entrance that is accessed via old South State Street. 

 

Last year, a Cheshire man was killed when his southbound motorcycle collided with a car turning from the northbound lane into South State Street.

 

Councilor Michael Obasohan asked what entity was in charge of the lights at that section. 

 

"I know that in that area, one of the traffic lights actually changes pretty quickly. So that enhances people to speed through it causing unsafe traffic," he said. "So who looks at the timing of the traffic lights?"

 

Sapienza said he believed the lights were traffic activated and that they stayed green on Curran Highway unless someone pulls up to the intersection. Blackmer said the question of the timing of the lights could be added to the list of questions for the administration. 

 

Councilor Marie T. Harpin said there may be other tools they can use to calm traffic such as signage, noting some communities use solar-powered speed radar signs.

 

"I think there might be some other ideas as well so we can work some of that out in the Traffic Commission," she said. 

 

Bona asked the mayor how much authority the city actually had over the intersection, which was designed and built by the state. 

 

Macksey said it was a state highway but "as far as the enforcement and proactive patrols, we can work on that. But it's a continuation of discussion with the state."

 

Councilor Wayne Wilkinson wondered if it was worth sending to the Traffic Commission if it couldn't do anything and if it would be better left in the mayor's hands.

 

"I think there's a good group of people on the Traffic Commission that have some pretty good knowledge that might be useful and helpful," said Harpin, a member of the Traffic Commission.

 

The council voted to refer the matter to the Traffic Commission and for it to come back to council in April.