Senator Timilty Calls for Safety Measures at Dangerous Milton Intersection
Invites New Acting Secretary of Transportation for Tour of Site
(Boston – 10/13/2023) Senator Walter F. Timilty (D-Milton), in a letter to new Acting Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt, invited Governor Maura Healey’s top transportation executive to come to Milton to tour Route 28 and Chickatawbut Road, to see first-hand the dangers here and to discuss available safety remedies.
Timilty called for immediate safety measures at one of the most dangerous in New England, with a history of serious and fatal accidents.
“The urgency to prioritize the safety of everyone who uses this intersection, be they motorists, cyclists, or pedestrians, demands immediate action,” said Senator Timilty. “I urge MassDOT to swiftly implement measures such as changing signal timing, installing additional stop lights, and introducing traffic calming measures.”
Timilty, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee of Public Safety and Homeland Security, expressed his deep concerns about the proposed roundabout at the intersection in a letter to MassDOT.
“The Route 28 corridor in Milton is a known high-crash location. The corridor has a high volume of traffic, including trucks and buses. It is also a popular route for pedestrians and cyclists in this residential area. The proposed roundabout concept has emerged without adequate consideration of its potential impact on the neighbors, other sections of the road, and other factors that may be discerned from a completed Corridor Study. For these reasons and others, I cannot support the construction of a roundabout at this time,” wrote Timilty, in his letter to MassDOT.
He highlighted the need to consider alternative measures, such as adjusting signal timing or incorporating left-hand turn signals, which have proven successful in enhancing safety in similar areas.
“The Milton Select Board has communicated a similar desire to implement effective safeguards without delay,” Timilty continued. “I am committed to working with MassDOT to find a solution that will make this intersection safer for everyone.”
Senator Timilty conducted a site visit to the intersection in July and met with local residents to hear their concerns. He also reviewed traffic data, which shows that the intersection has been the site of many serious accidents in the past five years, including multiple fatalities.
Senator Timilty has also championed legislative measures in the past that added public safety patrols and funds for traffic signalization along Route 28.
“The urgency to prioritize the safety of motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists demands more immediate action and should not be held in abeyance in order to pursue a roundabout solution that would take several years to come to fruition,” Senator Timilty noted.
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