A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-159, regarding safety concerns at the intersection of Walden and Saville Streets

MEMORANDUM To: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager From: Joseph E. Barr, Director Date: February 3, 2020 Subject: Awaiting Report 19-159 – Safety Concerns at the intersection of Walden Street and Saville Street This memo is in response to Order 4 from the November 25, 2019 City Council Meeting (Awaiting Report 19-159) to report on traffic safety concerns at the intersection of Walden Street and Saville Street, where multiple crashes have been reported in the past two years. In order to assess existing traffic conditions, staff from the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation and Police Departments have conducted multiple site visits to observe existing conditions, traffic operations, and parking conditions on Walden Street in the vicinity of Saville Street. Crash records for the past two years were also reviewed to identify any potential safety concerns. The intersection is controlled by STOP signs on the minor (Saville Street) approach. Saville Street serves local neighborhood traffic accessing homes in the immediate area, while Walden Street serves both local trips and through traffic, connecting Huron Avenue to Concord Avenue and Garden Street. Parking regulations on Walden Street include NO STOPPING zones on all four corners of Saville Street in order to provide safe intersection sight distance for drivers or bicyclists turning onto or crossing Walden Street.

A review of crash data indicated that there were five reported crashes in the past two years: • October 2018: Rollover crash - Police report indicates that driver distraction caused the driver to strike a parked car and roll over. • October 2018: Rollover crash - Police report indicates that a medical event caused the driver to strike a parked car and roll over. • September 2019: Angle crash - Police report indicates that the driver entered the intersection from Saville Street eastbound and struck a vehicle traveling through on Walden Street northbound. There were no noted sight distance obstructions, it appears that the Saville Street driver did not take proper care before entering the intersection. • November 2019: Sideswipe crash – Police report indicates that a driver attempted to pass a vehicle making a u-turn on the left and sideswiped the turning vehicle. • November 2019: Fixed object crash – Police report indicates that a driver swerved to avoid a vehicle entering the intersection from Saville Street, lost control, and struck a fence. Speed may have been a factor. The crash data do not indicate that there are any overarching patterns related to the configuration of the intersection, and that this group of crashes don’t appear to indicate a systemic problem. Speed may have been a factor in one or more of the crashes. Walden Street will be subject to a new 20 MPH safety zone regulation, with signs expected to be posted within the next month, including one just north of Saville Street. Given the observations and crash data review, the Traffic Department does not propose any changes to the intersection at this time.