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The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee is reviewing proposed sidewalk improvements and crosswalk enhancements around Veterans Memorial Middle School, part of a broader effort to address accessibility gaps and pedestrian safety concerns along Prince Street and nearby intersections.
The improvements, presented by Department of Public Works staff at the committee’s Dec. 15 meeting, would install new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps, widen sidewalks in sections where mature trees have lifted pavement and add painted crosswalks with updated signage at the intersection of Pleasant Street, Maverick Street and Bubier Street.
The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee advises town officials on traffic-related issues but does not have final approval authority. The group reviews resident complaints, evaluates engineering proposals and makes recommendations to the Select Board and DPW.
DPW Superintendent Amy McHugh said the Prince Street project responds to requests from residents and the Abbot Public Library for safer pedestrian routes between the library and the middle school. The work will extend from the library to the school’s exit on Prince Street, primarily along the western and northwestern sides of the road.
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Town Engineer Maggie Wheeler explained that the design team reviewed earlier conceptual plans prepared approximately 15 years ago that were originally part of a separate transportation improvement project but never constructed. The current proposal adapts those designs to fit available funding and address existing conditions.
The project will install concrete curb ramps with detectable warning pads at the Pleasant-Maverick-Bubier intersection and at the middle school outlet. New granite curbing and asphalt sidewalks will replace deteriorating sections where tree roots have caused uneven surfaces.
In the lower section of Prince Street from Maverick Street to Prince Street, the sidewalk will bump out five feet to preserve three mature deciduous shade trees. The design narrows the travel lane to 11 feet and creates a nine-foot parking lane in that area. Near a curve farther north, the roadway will be 23 feet wide to accommodate safer sightlines.
Wheeler said the grass strip between the sidewalk and curb will increase in width in some sections. Workers were saw-cutting pavement Dec. 15 to continue the improvements northward toward the school.
McHugh acknowledged that tree roots remain a challenge in areas where sidewalks were installed decades ago without accommodations for root growth. She said newer projects incorporate structural soils and careful tree species selection to reduce future conflicts.
“We’re dealing with sidewalks that were put in without that thought process,” McHugh said.
Committee chair Rick Smyers asked whether the town could use rubberized sidewalk material in areas with mature trees, similar to installations he has observed in Salem, Massachusetts. Committee memeber Gary Herbert clarified that permeable surfaces are designed to allow water drainage and reduce root heaving but are not necessarily more flexible than standard concrete.
Herbert, who worked on earlier versions of the design, said the conceptual renderings show how the intersection improvements will appear when completed. A 3D rendering included in the presentation depicted a raised curb ramp with detectable warning strips and clear pedestrian pathways.
The improvements are separate from a concurrent effort to install rectangular rapid flashing beacons at multiple crosswalk locations around Marblehead. McHugh said the DPW has installed solar-powered beacons at West Shore Drive and Jersey Street, Lafayette Street near Birch Street, Atlantic Avenue at Smith Street and other locations.
Three additional beacons are ready for installation at Atlantic Avenue near the Jewish Community Center crossing, Atlantic Avenue at Gary Street and Tedesco Street at Tedesco Country Club. However, proposed beacon locations at Atlantic Avenue near Starbucks, Atlantic Avenue at Commercial Street and Atlantic Avenue at Barnard Street require additional design work due to site restrictions.
Fire Chief Jason Gilliland asked whether the town is budgeting for maintenance of the solar-powered beacons, noting that batteries and solar panels will require eventual replacement. Police Chief Dennis King said the devices are cost-effective compared to hardwired signals and that DPW crews have developed familiarity with the equipment.
McHugh said maintenance funding remains a challenge across multiple town projects. “We always have things that people invest in, but no one invests in maintenance,” she said.
King said the department is seeking funding to repair a rapid flashing beacon on Pleasant Street near the middle school that was damaged during a storm. The state provided capital funding for installation but did not cover repairs, which are estimated at $17,000.
Herbert said maintenance budgets should include annual allocations based on the expected lifespan of installed equipment. For devices with a five-year to 10-year life expectancy, he recommended setting aside a proportional amount each year.
The committee did not vote on the Prince Street improvements. The project is moving forward under DPW authority with funding already allocated. McHugh said curbing has been installed in the lower section between Maverick Street and Prince Street, and asphalt work will continue as weather permits.
The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 12 at 4 p.m.
