City Council Frustrated Over Inaction At Notorious Intersection

MEDFORD, MA — Will 2020 bring change to an intersection long plagued by safety issues? The City Council is hoping so. At their first meeting of the year Jan. 7, councilors passed a resolution requesting an update from state lawmakers and transportation officials about permanent safety solutions at the intersection of Main Street and South Street.

Councilors expressed their frustration at the lack of action taken to improve safety at the intersection, which spans multiple jurisdictions. Councilor George Scarpelli said he spoke to state Rep. Paul Donato, who had difficulty arranging a meeting with MassDOT representatives to discuss the intersection before the holidays.

"We're waiting on the state. Obviously they've dragged their feet," Scarpelli said. He included a measure to send a letter to Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and Police Chief Jack Buckley requesting they examine solutions the city can tackle, such as raised sidewalks and illuminated stop signs.

Councilor Michael Marks took it a step further, saying it's time for the City Council to "step in" and implement changes without waiting for the state. He slammed the state for failing to act on some of the city's requests, calling the more than a decade of inaction at the Main-South intersection a "prime example."

"Let the cards fall where they may be," Marks said. "Let the state get upset about it."

The intersection, which Marks described as one of the most dangerous parts of Medford, is notorious for being a frequent crash site. Councilors said there was one just a few days before their meeting.

In October, then-Mayor Stephanie M. Burke announced the city would pilot different short-term safety solutions, including reversing the traffic flow by making South Street one-way in the opposite direction. In the meantime the city would work with the state to secure $1-$5 million in funding to install several sets of traffic lights.

State officials have said fixing the signalization is a multi-million dollar endeavor that requires starting at South Street and "working your way back" down several streets, according to Marks.