City of Medford Partners with MassDOT to Improve South/Main Street Intersection

 

City of Medford Partners with MassDOT to Improve South/Main Street Intersection by Jackie Piques The following is a press release issued by Medford's State Delegation MEDFORD– Representative Christine Barber and Representative Paul Donato, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Senator Patricia Jehlen and Representative Sean Garbarlley are pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is moving forward with safety improvements to the Main Street and South Street intersection in Medford. The intersection was identified recently by MassDOT as one of the most dangerous intersections in the region. After years of advocating for improved safety in this area, the local Medford delegation reports that the state MassDOT recently deemed this area one of MassDOT’s high priorities in the Intersection Improvement Program, and is working in partnership with the City of Medford on planning and design for improvements to this intersection. The South Street and Main Street intersection in Medford is a high volume traffic area, which currently lacks adequate safety protections for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Medford community advocates and state and local officials have worked hard over the past few years to see improvements made to this area. The intersection has been identified recently as a high priority Top 200 crash location by MassDOT’s Safety office, as a part of its Intersection Improvement Program. The Department of Transportation will dedicate funds towards the initial design phase of this project, and work closely with Medford’s Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and other officials to collaborate on a design plan that best meets the needs of drivers, bikers, pedestrians, and city residents. “I am pleased that after years of advocating for improvements, MassDOT will make much needed improvements to this intersection, which has posed a safety hazard to Medford residents for so long,” Representative Christine Barber stated. "I, along with the Mayor and members of the City Council, have lobbied for this project for several years," said Representative Paul J. Donato.  "I am grateful that the DOT has decided to move this forward." “It is great news for Medford and everyone who drives through this intersection that there will be planning and design for safety and upgrades,” said Senator Pat Jehlen. “I have heard from constituents who have had dangerous collisions or felt unsafe walking through the intersection. Medford deserves walkable streets that are safe for cars, bikes, and all the ways people get around.” “The City of Medford and Medford City Council have been advocating for improvements at this intersection for many years, and we are extremely happy to learn that it will finally be given the attention it deserves. Not only is this a critical intersection for residents of Medford, but it is used daily by commuters to and from I-93 as well as surrounding communities. I am very thankful to Representatives Donato, Garballey, and Barber, and to Senator Jehlen for continuing to advocate on behalf of the City of Medford and our residents to bring this issue to light and hopefully see some much-needed improvements in the near future,” said Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn. Medford officials are eager to move forward with MassDOT and begin planning the initial design phase of this project.   ####           Jackie Piques | October 22, 2020 at 5:00 pm | URL: https://www.medfordma.org/?p=18688

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