Turn Lanes, New Access Point Could Be Used To Address Train Station Traffic

MANSFIELD, MA — Town officials are hoping to find a solution to the traffic problems plaguing Route 106, but that could take some time.

The planning board, DPW Director Lee Azinheira, and Town Planner Sean Burke met with the selectmen to discuss what can be done to alleviate the daily traffic jams that have become the top sign that the evening commute has begun.

Using a 2014 study known as the BETA Study, planning board members said the short-term solutions include turning lanes at the intersection of Central Street and Route 106 and the nearby intersection at Copeland Drive.

“What we found during the study, during the afternoon when cars leave the train station if one person tries to turn, it stops traffic. Same thing happens at Copeland Drive. What we’re asking is if there's any way we can get a left-hand turn lane,” Planning Board Chairman Thomas French said.

Town officials are also hoping to create a northern access point to the train station, allowing commuters to access the parking lots from a different area and creating a better flow of traffic.

Azinheira said he is working on the paperwork to obtain state funding, but even then, the project is likely to be a long term one. He told the board it could take up to five years to complete the project.

The boards are expected to meet again in about a month.

Below is the 2014 BETA Study:

BETA Report by DanLibon on Scribd

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Image: File Photo

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