ERVING — After resident concerns about speeding prompted a speed and traffic study on Route 63, officials are now considering options for enforcement, backed by data from a speed and traffic study.
The study, conducted by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), was done in response to a motorcycle crash at the intersection of Prospect Street and Route 63 in April that resulted in the death of Northfield resident Trevon Bell, 25. FRCOG conducted the study from June 11 to June 23 on Lester and Moore streets, part of state Route 63, where the road intersects with Pratt Street, Mechanic Street, Park Street and Pleasant Street.
Moore Street residents Kim Skyrm and Willi Ryan spoke to the Selectboard on June 2 about their concerns over speeding vehicles and pedestrian safety. A letter to the Selectboard proposed potential solutions, including stop signs, traffic-calming infrastructure and crosswalk enhancements.
Since that meeting, Town Administrator Bryan Smith wrote in a letter to the Selectboard that the town has made progress on addressing these concerns, mentioning the FRCOG study and that Town Planner Glenn Johnson-Mussad met with area residents to discuss the issue. The Highway Department also installed pedestrian-crossing signs.
FRCOG Senior Transportation Planning Engineer Laurie Scarbrough outlined the study data, saying that generally, the data collected was “typical” for regional roads with a posted 25 mph sign, although people are driving at speeds above the posted limit.
In the area where Lester Street meets Pratt Street, “the speed limit is 25 mph and then it increases as you go up Route 63. It increases to 35, so in the 25 zone, everybody’s speeding,” she explained, adding that of the 16,145 vehicles analyzed in 12 days at the Mechanic and Park street intersections, 95% of these vehicles were traveling above the posted speed limit.
At the intersection of Pratt and Lester streets, 77% of the vehicles traveled faster than 25 mph, and at the intersection of Moore and Pleasant streets, where the posted limit is 35 mph, 38% of drivers were driving above the limit.
To Scarbrough, the data at the Mechanic and Park street intersections needs additional consideration, given that 85% of vehicles were traveling at or below 38 mph — 13 mph over the posted speed limit.
“If I see that [85th percentile] was more than 10 miles over the posted speed limit, then I’d say there is a problem,” she explained. “So that’s one place that we’ll be looking at closely.”
Scarbrough noted there is no clear reason now for the high rate of speed in this area by some drivers, but she said it could be related to the speed limit change just north of Pleasant Street.
Now that this data has been collected, FRCOG will take further steps to study the number of turning vehicles at each intersection, Scarborough said. The state Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is also working on a speed study farther north on Northfield Road where it meets Care Drive, and the data collected by both entities will be used to review speed limits and other traffic measures, Smith said.
At Monday’s Selectboard meeting, Selectboard member William Bembury said it’s “good data” that law enforcement can use to review the problem areas and look at selective enforcement opportunities. He also asked the board to work with Erving Police Chief Robert Holst to look at placing an officer on overtime to address the problematic areas of the community.
“I think it’s time to show that we are serious about the issues that continuously arise, as it deals with traffic issues,” Bembury said.
Selectboard member James Loynd mentioned how, in a previous conversation with Holst, there are officers doing traffic enforcement in the area of Route 63. He inquired if enforcement would be conducted during normal patrol hours or off-hours. Bembury said hours could be decided in later discussions. Similarly, the budget to pay officers for selective enforcement, the frequency and other problematic areas of town are among future discussion points with Holst.
“This is not a magic pill. It’s going to have to be part of a larger effort, which our residents have identified,” Loynd said. “They’re willing to participate in finding a solution. We’re paying attention to it.”
Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.
A previous version of this article included an incorrect date for the end of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments study. The study was conducted beginning Wednesday, June 11, and ending Monday, June 23.