Andover To Hold Public Forum On Elm Square Safety Improvements

ANDOVER, MA — A public forum on safety improvements at Elm Square will be held Monday, Aug. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the West Middle School auditorium at 70 Shawsheen Road. The event is the second in a series of meetings the town is hosting since a comprehensive safety assessment of the Elm Square intersection was started in May.

The forum will include an overview of a recent road safety audit the town conducted. The audit was conducted with participation from senior town staff, Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials, members of WalkBike Andover, Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority staff, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission staff, a representative from the Massachusetts State Police, and consultants from TEC, Inc., a civil engineering firm specializing in traffic and pedestrian safety hired by the town to lead the study.

Safety improvements identified in the audit include recommendations for immediate intersection changes and mid-to-long-term improvements. All changes in consideration will be discussed during the forum Aug. 7.

At a meeting in June, residents sought changes to the five-way downtown intersection, which includes Elm, Main, Essex Street, and High streets along with Post Office Avenue.

The traffic study comes in the wake of a tragic accident that resulted in the death of a 5-year-old girl. Sidney Olson was struck by a tractor-trailer in May as she was walking to art class with her family along Main Street. Sidney and another member of her family were using the crosswalk on Elm Street with the walk sign showing when the accident occurred.

See related: Andover Residents Demand Change At Traffic Study Forum