Safety Updates to Route 9 and Prospect Street

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Following the recent tragic fatality at the Route 9 and Prospect Street, Senator Spilka led her local delegation in sending a strongly worded letter to MassDOT seeking a thorough review of pedestrian safety at this intersection.  MassDOT has now taken concrete steps to address these safety concerns. After their review MassDOT has made the following improvements:

  • Increased the signal time associated with the pedestrian crossing phases at the intersection which will provide pedestrians longer time to cross this wide intersection
  • Changed the pedestrian phase type from concurrent to exclusive, which means that pedestrians can cross without vehicles being able to make right turns while they are crossing
  • Changed the order of the phases to have the pedestrian phase follow the Prospect Street phase rather than the Route 9 phase
  • Replaced the existing standard pedestrian indications with count-down type pedestrian indications to better allow pedestrians to understand how much time is remaining to complete their crossing
  • Installed signs on several of the approaches to the intersection to alert motorists of the need to yield to pedestrians when turning right. The signs are being fabricated and should be installed very soon

Please don't hesitate to contact Senator Spilka with any other traffic safety related issues. 

Sarah Blodgett